The award-winning Carlton School, the eighth school project designed by Flansburgh Architects for the City of Salem, is the smallest of its public schools. Because the Commonwealth's funding formula, which is based on the number of students, tends to encourage larger schools, the Carlton School had to be very efficient to fit into the formula. In response Flansburgh Architects developed the building as a two-story rectangular box. The simple shape and compact form yielded a number of efficiencies, including:

• High proportion of usable square feet
• Less circulation area
• Less exterior wall area
• Simple structure
• Shorter piping and duct runs

To help reduce the building’s operating cost, Flansburgh Architects secured one of the first grants given by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative for Salem. The grant helped pay for a 12KW photovoltaic array, photovoltaic “glazing” in the greenhouse, a 1KW wind turbine, and a daylight harvesting system in the gym, which automatically dims the lights in response to natural light from high-performance skylights. Together, these alternative energy sources provide a third of the building's electricity.

Award: Grand Prize Winner Outstanding Architecture & Design in Education - School Planning & Management Showcase 2006