ALEXANDRIA, VA — Skanska, a global development and construction firm, announces the completion of Douglas MacArthur Elementary School located in Alexandria, Virginia, the first net zero ready school in the Alexandria City Public School (ACPS) system. As a net-zero school, the amount of energy that will be produced onsite will match the energy used by the building and its occupants. Studies show net-zero K-12 schools generally cost less to operate as they consume 65 to 80% less energy than conventionally constructed schools.

“Skanska is a leader in sustainable construction, and it is our privilege to partner with ACPS to deliver this modern and energy efficient building to the Alexandria community,” said Dale Kopnitsky, General Manager and Executive Vice President responsible for Skanska’s Washington D.C. building operations. “The impact of this project will not only provide operational cost savings to the school district but create a healthier space for students to learn and thrive.”

The 150,000-square-foot environmentally friendly facility replaces the former 65,000-square-foot school and will continue to serve students from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. The new facility is designed to provide a variety of indoor and outdoor play and creativity spaces including classrooms, art and music rooms, new turf fields, pedestrian safe drop-off zones and driveways, basketball courts, and playground areas. An underground parking garage maximizes the campus’s recreational options and increases its aesthetic appeal with expansive green space surrounding the new building.

Some of the notable net-zero design features of the project include:

• Geothermal system: Located under an artificial turf field, the closed loop system utilizes thermal energy to heat or cool the building.
• Passive systems: The building design maximizes natural daylight and ventilation from the outdoors and low- and no-VOC paint, carpets, and tile.
• Bathrooms: The school now features individual bathrooms with low flush toilets and low water use sinks.

All of Skanska's Washington region commercial development projects were designed and are being constructed with sustainability in mind including: 17xM, an 11-story, 334,000-square-foot trophy office building in Washington; OZMA, a 12-story, mixed-use development with 275 luxury apartments in Washington; 3901 Fairfax, a 190,000-square-foot nine-story office building in Arlington; and Heming, a 28-story, 410-unit luxury apartment building in Tysons.

Skanska’s other building and construction projects in the greater Washington, D.C. area include VHC Health’s Outpatient Pavilion in Arlington and George Mason University’s Life Sciences and Engineering Building in Prince William County, Virginia.