When building a Catholic High School, the architects must have asked themselves, "What Would Jesus Do?"
Build green of course. And that's just what the new Austin Catholic Academy, which broke ground last week in Macomb Township, is planning to do.
The new $32 million high school will feature a number of environmentally friendly features, such as utilizing renewable energy and a store water management system, along with installing extensive insulation throughout the structure.
The building, going up on north side of 23 Mile Road, just west of North Avenue, was designed with plenty of strategically placed windows to provide more natural sunlight. Artificial lighting was designed so no more than 1 watt per square foot will be used. Lighting will be further optimized by modulating photoelectric daylight and occupancy sensors so no light will be accidentally left on.
The school, run by the Augustinian Fathers and Brothers of the Catholic Church, will house up to 800 high school students from Northern Macomb County. The building will feature a number of state-of-the-art technology features such as wireless Internet access and SMART Boards.
"Austin Catholic Academy will provide residents in Macomb County and the surrounding area a unique opportunity to build upon the current strengths of the Catholic school system, implementing the latest educational, technology and strategies to provide a state-of-the-art education within a Catholic learning environment," says Leonard Brillati, president of the volunteer group that helped make the school's construction possible.
Construction began on the 107-acre site last week and is expected to wrap up by the fall of 2009. The school will open to just freshmen and then welcome in a new class each year until all four high school grades are filled.
Source: Archdiocese of Detroit
Writer: Jon Zemke
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