Lady Bird Johnson Middle School, the largest net zero school in the country
November 18, 2011
.jpg.aspx)
This is no ordinary school year for some North Texas students and teachers.
Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, TX is the largest net zero school in the United States, and the first of its kind in Texas.
In The Beginning…
Construction crews broke ground on the new Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, Texas in May 2010. The 150,000-square-foot facility will produce as much energy as it uses, reducing operating costs for the district and shrinking the school’s carbon footprint.
President Charlie DeVoe of Charter Builders, a Balfour Beatty company, now operating as Balfour Beatty Construction, tours the construction site in 2010. Watch now.
Stuck in the Middle...
Progress continued steadily and word began to spread across the country about this cool school. View the 2010 construction progression in the slideshow below.
In the News...
- Engineering News-Record, “Texas Schools Harvest Energy – And Educate” – June 30, 2011
- EC&M Magazine, “Give and Take: A Texas School Will Make as Much Energy as it Uses” – October 11, 2010
- Construction News, “School Could Become Largest Net-Zero Campus” – August 25, 2010
Worth the Wait…
In August 2011, a little more than a year after construction began; the school opened its doors for the inaugural school year.
Students and teachers walked the hallways with awe. Even the community showed their support at an official ribbon cutting ceremony on August 24.
In Irving ISD's Eye on Education, Dr. Dana Bedden took a tour of Lady Bird Johnson middle school in August. 2011. Watch now.
Again, the school took the media spotlight.
In the News...
- Even local businesses couldn’t help but get excited about this one-of-a-kind project. An Irving-based health care technology company donated 1,000 new flash drives branded with the school name and mascot to help students become more automated in their studies. The new flash drives will help students use less paper and keep the school’s “green” theme going strong! Read article posted by the Dallas Morning News.
- An official dedication ceremony for the school was held on October 16, 2011. Watch the ceremony.
Looking to the Future…
The school has written science curriculum to connect the school’s net zero concepts to student’s daily life and best practices. Learning nodes with museum-type displays are located along the building’s main hallway and highlight the different areas of environmental sustainability that are incorporated in the building’s design: earth (geothermal), solar, wind, and water efficiency.
View the video below to see how Lady Bird Johnson Middle School leads the education nation by Going GREEN.
Ladybird Johnson Middle School has been shortlisted for a 2011 International Green Award in the Best Green Intelligent Buildings category. Winners will be announced November 24, 2011. Learn more.
“We are proud to be a part of a very successful project with Irving Independent School District and to have helped them achieve such a bold vision. Creating the largest sustainable building of its kind in our own community is both rewarding and the right thing to do for future generations,” says Aaron Scates, vice president of operations for BBC’s North Texas division.