Kennedy Community School
St. Joseph, MN

Larson Engineering provided structural design services on this $25.5 million, environmentally friendly, PK-8 school.

The school was designed in response to rapid growth in the district to serve 755 students. The school is approximately 135,000 square feet and sits on a 72-acre site.

The school was awarded LEED Gold and has minimized environmental impacts through several site-related measures including a geothermal heat pump system and infiltration basin which manages 100% of all on-site stormwater.

The school uses natural light and strategically placed and sized windows to reduce electricity use. Classrooms are built to let in northern and southern sunlight making it easier to control glare. Sensors gauge the amount of light coming in and automatically adjust for artificial light. Overall the building uses 39% less energy than benchmark standards.