Falmouth was awarded a major capital improvements project by the State of Maine for its grades K-2 Lunt School. Oak Point evaluated the school facility and programs and expanded the study to include the adjacent grades 3-4 Plummer-Motz School and the grades 5-8 Falmouth Middle School.
The results of the study determined that the construction of a new, Pre-K to Grade 5 elementary school on the existing high school/middle school campus would be the best solution for facilities and program needs at the elementary schools. The project also allowed for elimination of portables at the middle school by moving fifth graders into the new building, improved traffic circulation at the middle school and adjacent public street, and allowed for district-wide efficiencies by bringing all Falmouth public schools onto a single campus.
The new building provides two schools (K-2 and 3-5) within one facility with three, two-story classroom wings. Each wing has a theme based on the local ecology (forest, fields, water) that is carried through to colors and material finishes. The school has a new central library, gymnasium, cafeteria and kitchen, multipurpose room, and administrative offices in addition to classroom spaces. Exterior improvements include a new stadium field with artificial turf and lighting system, new turfgrass athletic fields, and new playground space.
The project is registered with USGBC and LEED Gold certification is anticipated. Sustainable design components include building orientation optimized for solar properties, a geothermal heating and air conditioning system, and a biomass boiler system that provides heat to the elementary school as well as the existing high school, reducing the district’s oil consumption and fuel bill. Photovoltaic panels provide electricity, evacuated tubes provide solar hot water, and a rainwater collection system is used for flushing toilets and for landscape irrigation. Porous asphalt pavement, bioretention cells, underdrained grassed soil filters, and approximately 21,000 square feet of vegetated roof were also provided for stormwater benefit. One section of roof garden features walkways and seating, providing a unique outdoor classroom.