Kaplan Thompson Architects

Architecture can be a powerful teacher. In 2015, we completed the Friends School of Portland, a net-zero building rooted in the Quaker principles of peace, inquiry, simplicity, and stewardship. We integrated the space deeply with the natural landscape using indigenous materials and strong outdoor connections. But the biggest achievement? It became the very first school in Maine - and only the third in the nation - to achieve Passive House certification. Today, the building serves as a living, breathing example for the kids who walk its halls that the way we build can actually help solve climate change.