Little School building at Lincoln School awarded LEED Gold certification

Providence, RI Lincoln School’s newest Little School building was awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Since 2019, Lincoln School has been working with studioMLA Architects to expand the school’s early education program.

“Collaboration with studioMLA has been a tremendous experience. They listened to the needs of our teachers and ensured that the building aligned with the pedagogical requirements of our program as well as the larger mission of the school,” said Kim Lough, director of Little School.

“studioMLA has brought together our Quaker heritage along with our Reggio-Emilia-inspiration, and that has been carefully reflected in their design,” said Jane Palestine Jamieson ’71, chair of Lincoln School’s board of trustees. “From the layout, both on our campus and within the building, to the materials used, studioMLA created a space that exemplifies our commitment to simplicity, to environmental stewardship, and to the relationships that are the foundation of our community.

Lincoln School is a college preparatory school that offers advanced education in small classes to girls from K through 12, with a respected, co-educational Early Childhood program at the Little School. This project provides additional capacity for the Little School and creates indoor and outdoor spaces fully aligned with the Reggio-influenced curriculum and Quaker values. At site scale, the LEED Gold certified, net-zero energy project improves the campus connection to the neighborhood, supports the school curriculum with biophilic interventions, and is incredibly energy efficient. The architecture reflects Quaker simplicity with light, sensory-rich, indoor and outdoor spaces. This sustainable design project has become a model for the state of Rhode Island.

Lincoln School will be hosting STEAMx SPARK on April 3, 2022, from 12:00 - 4:00 PM. Their event is a free half-day STEAM extravaganza for children in kindergarten through 8^th grade and their families. studioMLA Architects will be attending this event to shepherd discussions surrounding the sustainable design of the Little School and answer further questions about the LEED certification.

studioMLA Architects is an architecture, landscape, and interior design firm located in Brookline, MA, that values innovative, cost-effective, high-quality design. With over 30 years of expertise in the field of children’s indoor and outdoor learning environments,

K-12 schools, youth and community centers, museums, parks, and residential projects, studioMLA has worked with a wide range of clients nationally and internationally, in the private, nonprofit, and institutional sectors. studioMLA is recognized as a leader in the integration of sustainable design and natural spaces in support of community goals.