Josiah Quincy Upper School

Project

Josiah Quincy Upper School

Education K-12

Boston, MA | 2024

An aerial photo of the school. A seven story building with a rooftop green space, two silver volumes of building sticking our to the left and middle, and a two tone brick facade featuring windows with irregular protruding frame with bold colors of red, yellow, green, and blue. The school occupies a narrow strip of a city block that sits adjacent to the visible subterranean highway. JQUS accessible green roof Students study in the ground floor media center Students collaborating at tables and lounge chairs in the schools project area A three story open space above the cafeteria features a mural with a red phoenix and a blue green dragon over a aerial sketch of the school's neighborhood The view of the schools auditorium looking from the stage to the seating. The photo highlights the room's velvety deep blue wall panels and a ceiling with a light installation that resembles stars in the night sky On the JQUS rooftop, two students are tending to garden planters
  • 178K GSF
  • 2 Companies
  • 2 Professionals

About

Sited at the threshold of Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood, the new Josiah Quincy Upper School is a showcase for equitable, community-focused, sustainable design as one of the first projects to open under the Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools initiative. The high-rise facility creates expanded opportunities for students and community members, with spacious, light-filled learning and common areas.

 

Awards/Credits

  • Green Building of the Year, Built Environment Plus, 2025
  • People’s Choice Award, Built Environment Plus, 2025
  • William W. Caudill Citation, American School & University Architectural Portfolio Awards, 2025
  • Grand Prize, Learning By Design Spring Educational Facilities Design Awards, 2025
  • Best Project, K-12 Education, ENR New England Regional Best Projects, 2025
  • Award of Merit, IES Illumination Awards, 2025

Project Owner

City of Boston, MA

Is the project Net Zero Energy or Net Zero Energy Ready?

Net Zero Ready

Project Size in GSF

178K

Category of height

High-Rise

How is the building all-electric for heating?

Ground-source Heat Pump

Is the service hot water all-electric?

Yes

On-site renewable energy

0%

Is the owner purchasing off-site renewable energy to offset all electricity consumption?

No

The construction cost difference from "conventional" to being net zero "ready" (including incentives) for this building is

-1% to 1%

Certifications related to Energy / Carbon

LEED

Site EUI Energy Use Intensity is the amount of energy a project uses per square foot over the course of a year. Site EUI = Annual Energy Use (kBtus) / Building(s) Area (ft²) / One Year (yr)

24.2 kBtu/sf/year

Net Site EUI

24.2 kBtu/sf/year

The EUI is

Modeled

What is the climate zone for this project?

5A Cool Humid

Websites for more information

Project Team

Energy / Sustainability Consulting
Architecture
Energy Engineering
  • rob haley

    Robert Haley

    Thermal Break Materials

    1.9M GSF

    10 Projects

    33 Years Experience