BVSD – Manhattan Middle School of Arts and Academics

The Manhattan Middle School of Arts and Academics was built for Boulder Valley School District in 1965, has over 400 enrolled students, and has undergone multiple updates in partnership with BCER. The extensive remodel portion of this project consisted of substantial mechanical upgrades, from replacing branch wiring and firestopping wall penetrations to enlarging the auditorium, cafeteria offices, and classrooms. The project also consisted of additions to the facility which increased the number of counseling spaces, office spaces, storage spaces, and science rooms. Throughout the initial design and study phases of this project, the design team reviewed many sustainable design concepts. As a result of the careful review, the school features new dual-power light poles in the parking lot and outside basketball court. Each pole has both a 170-Watt photovoltaic panel and an air breeze wind turbine. The energy generated by these systems provides enough charge to the batteries on the poles to keep the lights on through the night without utilizing an outside power source. In addition, these poles can offer a significantly reduced installation cost as there is no need for delivering external power.