At an early stage of design of the new Beal Early Childhood Center for the Town of Shrewsbury, LPA|A’s sustainable design consultant, the Green Engineer, led a design charrette to discuss the many ways this project could incorporate energy efficiency and sustainable design features.

The public meeting was well attended with the building committee and interested community members participating in the discussion with the engineering and design team on the project. A visioning exercise at the start of the meeting encouraged everyone in the room to think about what they would like to see in a new Beal school on its opening day.

Among the themes that emerged from the discussion were: to create a healthy environment through attention to things like indoor air quality, daylighting; to consider various renewable energy sources for the new building; to use local and/or recycled materials; and that the new design should prioritize building systems that are easy to maintain and operate.

The two-hour discussion was an opportunity for the community to both learn about the project and to have their voices heard on the important matter of creating a healthy and energy efficient learning environment for students in Shrewsbury.