Gorham Middle School

Gorham, Maine     2003-2004

Gorham Middle School is the first school building in Maine to be entirely heated and cooled with a geothermal system-which circulates water deep in the ground to extract the earth's heat. The system is estimated to save 20-30% of energy costs over conventional systems. To keep the scale of the building small and intimate, the 900-student population is organized into three student houses, which are further divided into three teams of 100 students. Each house has its own classrooms and computer labs, and is organized around a commons area for project-based learning.

Lyndon D. Keck