The Media Arts Lab at the Jacob Burns Film Center is a 27,000sf education center offering instructional programs in many forms of filmmaking and multi-media production. The Film Center’s mission is grounded in developing 21st century literacy skills, including critical viewing and production skills which are essential for a generation growing up in a world in which media and technology are increasingly the way we communicate, participate in community and engage in democracy and the global economy. The demand for this program curriculum led the Film Center to launch a Campaign for 21st Century Education to provide for the design and construction of a “center for celebrating the stories that live in each and every person:” The Media Arts Lab.
The U.S. Green Building Council recognized the MAL for process and results in sustainable design by awarding it with LEED Gold certification. Key sustainable features of note include extensive day lighting, geothermal wells, photovoltaic panels, a green roofing system, low/no-flow plumbing fixtures, and local and recycled building materials. The facility was constructed on the site of an existing building which was deconstructed with 85% of the building materials being recycled. The owners were motivated by the concept that a building itself could function as an educational tool and “green fact” signs throughout the building call out sustainable features and elements with explanations and notes on the impact of choices.
