Brooks School builds sustainable living dormitory

Brooks School in North Andover, MA, saw its first class in the fall of 1927.  Founded by Endicott Peabody, Headmaster of Groton, the school was named for Phillips Brooks, an Episcopal preacher, former Bishop of Massachusetts and a North Andover resident.  The main goal of the school was to not only prepare students for college, but to prepare them for life.  The school’s mission statement:  At Brooks School, we seek to provide the most meaningful educational experience our students will have in their lives.¹

The school’s current construction model points to a sustainable campus with new buildings that minimize the use of natural resources, reduce their impact on the environment, and lessen future operation costs.  This past weekend Brooks dedicated Chace House, a new sustainable dormitory which is its first student housing project since 1984.  Along with other “green” technologies such as solar power and daylighting, the new 22 bed dormitory utilizes Clivus composting waste treatment systems and Nepon 3-ounce foam-flush toilets provided by Clivus New England, Inc.  Not only does the dorm alleviate overcrowding (school enrollment has not increased), but it eliminates fresh water usage and toilet wastewater that would otherwise be used at and discharged from other student residences.

Along with the recently constructed sustainable science building the new residence hall will serve as an educational tool.  In particular, through hands-on experience the new Clivus system will teach students the vital importance of water conservation and the recycling of resources in their everyday lives.

 printable case study

• Architecture:  Rob Bramhall Architects, Andover, MA
• Engineering:  BLW Engineers, Inc., Littleton, MA
• Builder:  Nauset Construction Corp., Needham, MA

^1. http://www.brooksschool.org/about/mission