For roughly the past 10 years, Sfl+a Architects has been marching steadily forward on its mission to revamp and overhaul the design and construction model for K-12 schools. Led by Robbie Ferris, the Raleigh-based company’s obsessive-minded president and CEO, the design firm over that time has questioned most standard practices related to K-12 schools as it seeks to elevate the ubiquitous facilities into high-performance buildings.
“I can’t tell you how many obstacles there have been to doing these energy-positive buildings,” says Aaron Thomas, president and CEO of Metcon, a frequent general contractor for Sfl+a projects. “Naysayers that say the buildings won’t work; most people would have given up a long time ago.”