CTA Construction Managers announced the successful completion of the exterior geothermal well system at the brand-new Fort River Elementary School in Amherst, Mass. The system features 83 geothermal wells, marking a major step forward in sustainable school design and energy efficiency for the Town of Amherst.
This advanced geothermal system will provide environmentally responsible heating and cooling for the building, significantly reducing long-term operational costs and the school’s carbon footprint. The project showcases CTA Construction Managers’ ongoing expertise in building high-performance educational facilities across Massachusetts.
The architectural design for the project was led by DiNisco Design, a long-standing collaborator of CTA. Together, CTA and DiNisco have partnered on multiple successful school projects throughout the Commonwealth, including Brookside Elementary School in Milford, MA, Howe-Manning Elementary School in Middleton, MA, and many more.
Accenture served as the owner’s project manager (OPM) firm, providing project oversight and coordination. Paul Bockelman, town manager for the Town of Amherst, played a key role in supporting this initiative and advancing the town’s commitment to sustainable infrastructure.
“The geothermal well system is a powerful example of how modern construction practices can support long-term sustainability and energy conservation,” said Jeff Hazelwood, principal, CTA Construction Managers. “This system is extremely efficient because it moves heat instead of creating it — unlike furnaces or traditional air-conditioning systems. The system uses far less electricity than conventional HVAC systems, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and provides sustainable energy use for decades.”
By utilizing the earth’s natural thermal energy, the geothermal wells will enable Fort River Elementary School to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures year-round with lower energy consumption and reduced reliance on fossil fuels.
“Just a few feet below the surface, the ground stays at a steady temperature year-round — about 50 to 60 degrees in Massachusetts. Geothermal systems use this natural stability for heating and cooling,” said Donna DiNisco, principal at DiNisco Design. “At Fort River Elementary, 83 vertical geothermal wells were drilled more than 500 feet deep. Each well contains a closed loop of piping filled with a water-based fluid. In the winter, the fluid absorbs heat from the ground and delivers it to the building through a heat pump. In the summer, excess heat from the building is sent back into the ground, where the Earth naturally absorbs it and cools the building.”
Geothermal wells work like the Earth’s built-in climate control system. By using underground temperatures as a heat source in winter and a heat sink in summer, they deliver high-efficiency heating and cooling.
