Washington International School Science Building

Washington International School (WIS) transformed its Tregaron Campus with a dynamic new science building to elevate STEM learning and champion sustainable design.

GHT provided MEP engineering design and fire protection services for Le Centre Brown Science Building at Washington International School’s Tregaron Campus. This multi-level facility features classrooms, dining areas, laboratories, and multipurpose spaces.

At the heart of the building is a state-of-the-art laboratory wing, home to biology and physics classrooms, state-of-the-art chemistry laboratories with prep areas, and makerspace areas with everything from welding equipment to 3D-printing machines.

The building’s HVAC system features a 100% outdoor air unit with energy recovery capabilities, which is tailored to meet both general and lab-specific ventilation needs. The chemistry rooms are equipped with dedicated fume hoods and laboratory-grade air control devices and exhaust systems. To further enhance lab operations, GHT integrated a Reverse Osmosis Deionized (RODI) pure water treatment system, ensuring high-quality water for sensitive experiments and equipment.

While the team explored a geothermal heat transfer system during the design phase, the school opted out for several reasons, including an imbalance in seasonal loads that would have been imparted to the earth. Nevertheless, the project delivered notable reductions in energy consumption and is targeting LEED Gold certification. Specific zoning approval requirements for limited visible rooftop equipment required the use of strategically placed heating and cooling plants.

See the vision take shape with MCN Build’s TrueLook time-lapse.