The Battery Park City School serves 950 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, and 100 special education students. As part of the city's new "green development" initiative, the school is one of the first to be built under the New York City School Construction Authority's Green Schools Guide, which were developed by Dattner Architects in 2007. A flexible example of a "high-rise" school, the 8-story building's massing reflects the vertical orientation of the program. Public assembly spaces and pre-K through fourth grade occupy the first 4 floors. Shared spaces, such as the cafeteria, library, art and other specialized classrooms pervade the fifth and sixth floors. Grades five through eight fill the seventh and eighth floors. A 10,000sf outdoor playroof opens up on the third floor. Designed to go beyond the Green Schools Guide standards, the project includes occupancy sensors to reduce energy consumption and exterior solar shading. All classrooms receive abundant natural light, reducing the need for overhead lighting. Electricity generated on site through a photovoltaic panel array will supply roughly one-third of the energy needed to light the school. Grey water was diverted from the sewer system, and low-flow plumbing fixtures consume 40% less potable water than a comparable building, Combined with high-efficiency boilers, other equipment, and extra insulation the school reduced its energy costs by more than 25%.
