Bill Maclay and the Putney School field house were featured in a white paper entitled "Net-Zero Energy Buildings: What the Case Studies Teach Us"

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A white paper on net-zero energy buildings recently released by Building Design and Construction consulted experts in the architectural and construction industries about lessons learned through the completion of net-zero projects. Bill Maclay provided specific lessons from Maclay Architect projects as well as outlining a step-by-step design guide for net-zero buildings. These steps include:

1. Employ a highly collaborative, integrated design process
2. Elongate the building along the east-west axis to maximize daylight
3. Shoot for envelope criteria of R-60 for the roof, R-40 for the walls, and R-20 for the below-grade foundation
4. Identify the optimal energy-generation system for the site and climate
5. Specify mechanical systems that support the net-zero goal, such as air source heat pumps
6. Set up a monitoring system to ensure that all building systems are operating properly
7. Provide for periodical review of energy-performance data to identify any problems and better educate the building owner in how to monitor and run the facility

The Putney School Field House project, designed by Maclay Architects, was also identified as one of the fifteen net-zero energy case studies highlighted in this article.