Discover Montessori School
Located at 3460 Jingle Pot Road in Nanaimo, BC, the project consists of the renovation of a 4300 square foot existing building and construction of a new 12,000 square foot single story school. It is a unique construction with minimized concrete and a net zero carbon goal. The farm-based school is built on Agricultural Land Reserve property and it is the first school in BC to rely solely on reclaimed rainwater augmented by trucked in water for its potable water source and irrigation. It is also plumbed for grey water recycling for future use. The school has been awarded the 2023 BC Embodied Carbon Award.
Specific design and building materials that contributed to the Net Zero Approach include:
- Concrete piers and a wood frame floor truss system with wood retaining walls to minimize concrete used in the foundation and minimize soil disruption.
- The parking lot is water permeable gravel as opposed to asphalt with minimal concrete curbs.
- Minimal concrete sidewalks, pads and landings around the property reduce overall carbon emissions.
- Energy efficient doors, windows, air ventilation system and insulation were installed.
- Infrastructure for future solar panel addition to help offset electrical related carbon emissions.
- LED lighting throughout to reduce power consumption.