Paul W. Crowley East Bay Met School
Newport, R.I.–A ribbon cutting ceremony was held recently at the new 16,800sf Paul W. Crowley East Bay Met School in Newport. The design/build public high school was built to be Rhode Island’s first net/zero state facility.
The school project team included general contractor, Gilbane; architect, Robinson Green Beretta Corporation; structural engineer, Odeh Engineers; and mechanical, plumbing, electrical: Stantec. R.I.’s two Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed as well as mayor of Newport, R.I. State Senate President Paiva-Weed and others all gave remarks.
The new high school will house classroom spaces, multi-purpose rooms, STEAMM center, environmental and digital labs. Construction will occur approximately 20 feet from the school’s current location, nestling into the natural slope of the site. The orientation of the building will allow maximum shade in the spring and summer months, while reaping sunshine exposure in the winter. The school will accommodate 130 students and 20 staff.
Some of the MEP sustainable design features will include: geothermal heating/cooling system; solar thermal domestic water heating; rainwater harvesting system; energy dashboard monitoring of building energy usage and low-flow plumbing fixtures and low-flow water fixtures
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Diana Crowley and family attended as the building is named after her deceased husband, a state legislator from Newport who pushed for educational opportunities and policies throughout his career. Many of the remarks given concerned this legacy of Paul Crowley. Students from the MET also were available to give tours and to present their projects. The MET focuses on applied learning in which students work with real world projects and mentors. Educational access is another MET theme; the site is located adjacent to Newport Housing Authority buildings and helps transform the area for the local community.
