Receiving Passive House Certification, the highest voluntary energy efficiency standard in the world, Friends School of Portland is the first school in Maine and the third school in the nation to achieve this stature. Designed to be net zero with a tight building envelope, the energy produced from solar panels is expected to surpass the energy consumed over the course of a year. The accent wood on the ceilings and walls was harvested from the white pines on the site. The independent K-8 school maintains a strong connection to the natural landscape with a student body that has grown from originally 28 students to over 100.