Brooklyn Passive House Public Schools
This new ultra-low energy use building designed to the rigorous Passive House standards will be a first for a NYC public school. The 146,000 SF project is a civic symbol of public education in rapidly transforming Downtown Brooklyn.
The new building houses two New York City public schools: PS 456 The Elizabeth Jennings School for Bold Explorers, a new dual English-Spanish primary school, and Khalil Gibran International Academy (KGIA), the existing dual English-Arabic language public high school. The two schools share recreational and kitchen facilities while maintaining their distinct institutional identities with separate classrooms, libraries, stairwells, and terraces.
The smaller scale new primary school, PS 456, opens onto a brownstone-lined street while the Khalil Gibran International Academy’s larger scale is situated on Flatbush Avenue, a major thoroughfare with large scale commercial, cultural and residential development. It is located near Atlantic Terminal, the Brooklyn Cultural District, and Barclays Center.
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The gymnatorium double functions as both a recreational and gathering space for school events or off-hours community programs. -
PS 456 rainbow play terrace -
PS 456 primary school classroom views overlooking State Street -
KGIA high school classroom overlooking Flatbush Ave
The team applied Passive House Institute standards meant for homes to an academic space. Compared to a standard NYC public school, the building reduces energy consumption by more than 75% and will be an energy-efficient benchmark for future City public schools.
Designed by ARO, the school project is part of Alloy Development’s mixed-use development in Downtown Brooklyn. This community-oriented Alloy Block includes units of mixed-income housing, office space, retail space, and a new cultural facility in a preserved historic structure.
Learn more about the development here.
Watch the team present the project at Building Energy Exchange Archtober 2019:
