Dozens of students, staff and residents gathered at Finn Hill Junior High and Environmental and Adventure School (EAS) for a grand opening celebration of the new school on Tuesday evening.

Construction for the new $31.8 million school began last summer. The 133,000 square foot facility at 8040 N.E. 132nd St. opened on Sept. 6 and can accommodate up to 750 students.

Funding for the new school came from a 2006 bond measure for $436 million for one new elementary school and modernization of 11 schools.

During the event, Redmond High School teacher Brian Anderson – who was the first Associated Student Body president when Finn Hill originally opened in 1968 – led the pledge of allegiance with ASB president Jonah Hohu. Dr. Chip Kimball, superintendent of the Lake Washington School District, gave a welcoming address.

The facility was designed by Mahlum Architects and contracted by Babbit Neuman Construction Company.

The building and its classrooms are designed to provide access to and views of the outdoors. The single-story design includes a main courtyard, surrounded by classrooms and the commons area.

A classroom wing of five learning clusters borders the courtyard on the east. Each learning cluster is made up of four classrooms, a science classroom and a shared learning area.

The shared learning area opens up onto a smaller courtyard, each of which is associated with a native eco-region and provides an opportunity for outdoor learning.

The presence of the EAS served as one inspiration for the sustainable building. That school serves students from all over the district in an academic program that is committed to environmental stewardship.

The new facility also includes the most solar panels of any K-12 building in Washington state.

The facility features low-energy consumption and high environmental awareness in every aspect of the school.

The largest solar panel array on any K-12 school building in the state, 1,452 photovoltaic panels, generates about 42 percent of the energy needed for the school.

An installation of glass sculptures that will light up is programmed to change colors in a way that tells students how much energy is being consumed in the classroom wings.

An envelope of 4 x 16 foot insulated plywood and foam panels affixed to a steel and laminated timber skeletal structure ensures an energy-efficient enclosure for the building. High-performance glazing will help retain heat in the building.

The one-story building is oriented to capture northern and southern light.

Other sustainable features include dual flush toilets, maximum use of daylight, sun shading devices, and windows that open and close by a motorized switch to let in fresh air and provide cooling.

Thirteen large rain gardens treat 80 percent of site runoff.

“With the energy-conscious design of the new school, it allows money from the state and local taxpayers to be used more for learning in the classroom and less on the operation side,” said principal Victor Scarpelli, Jr. “We’d much rather spend money on learning than paying for gas or electric bills.”