Sze Wan Li-Bain, a project architect and associate with CannonDesign, received both a BS in Architecture and Master of Architecture from the University at Buffalo. After working at Ants of the Prairie, she relocated to Boston to continue pursuing her architecture career. She first worked at Elkus Manfredi Architects, where she participated in various large-scale projects such as the Shops at Hudson Yards, The Moderns in Fort Lee, New Jerskey, and 200 Amsterdam Avenue in New York City. She then joined Perkins & Will to further her interest in sustainable design, participating in the design of the first net-zero high school in the United States.
The Belmont Middle and High School is located in the town of Belmont in Massachusetts. It is a $300 million project of roughly 445,000 square feet designed for 2,400 occupants. The site was originally owned by a brick manufacturer with a clay pit pond. The new school is set to complete construction in 2024. This project has ambitious sustainability goals to become LEED Gold certified and Net-Zero Certified. There are over 72,000 square feet of photovoltaic panels on the roof and 280 geothermal wells on site. It will be the first net-zero energy high school in the United States.