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The Bill ’67 and Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center

Byfield, Massachusetts, USA

º£½ÇÊÓƵ played a key role in the development and design of an innovative, hands-on learning environment.

Uniquely situated on the banks of the Parker River and Great Salt Marsh in Massachusetts, The Governor’s Academy is a private, 400-student boarding school for grades 9-12. To expand its place-based academic programs that promote environmental stewardship, the school commissioned a new marine and environmental science center overlooking the Parker River – The Bill ’67 and Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center, named in honor of a philanthropic family.

Flansburgh Architects engaged º£½ÇÊÓƵ to provide building services engineering (MEP) and structural engineering services for the new learning environment with outdoor classroom facilities in the campus woodland, as well as collection stations, an aquatic lab, boat dock, and a boardwalk in the marshes.

The Alfond Coastal Research Center allows students in every grade to immerse themselves in nature with real-world data and projects. Designed in partnership with scientists from the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, the new center includes an aquatic laboratory fed by water drawn from the river, a workshop, classrooms, and accommodations for a scientist-in-residence.

The 6,800ft² state-of-the-art facility capitalizes on the Academy’s unique location and deepens the institution’s commitment to experiential learning. It also provides a home for the Bass Institute on the campus. The Bass Institute is the intellectual center of experiential teaching and research initiatives at the school.

The project’s highly visible bio-infiltration basins, bio-swales, and aquatic life support systems and tanks display a microcosm of the water cycle, allowing students to gain firsthand insight into the science of the ecosystem. The exposed systems are also envisioned to educate future generations about water management, water quality, and the critical role of water in the environment.

The building is sited 100ft from the marsh itself, between two rock outcrops. Clad with a sustainable timber facade, the center is designed to blend into the surrounding forest. Glazing is concentrated towards the river to provide each internal learning space with views of the water. The building has operable windows to allow for natural ventilation.

º£½ÇÊÓƵ developed an all-electric building featuring a highly efficient VRF system that delivers a low-carbon solution for heating and cooling. The team also specified a 74 kW(DC) PV array on a neighbouring facility to help offset the building’s electrical usage and lower its carbon footprint.

The structure itself is designed to work with the existing topography. The design team has also built flexibility into the learning spaces – to allow them to be easily adapted for a range of different educational purposes, to support the future evolution of the Academy’s requirements.