Construction at the new Mason's Cove Elementary School in Roanoke County is under way. Geometrically shaped windows add an artistic feature to an interior wall.

Brian Cole digs a hole for the geothermal well system that will heat and cool the school.

Stephanie Klein-Davis | The Roanoke Times

Angles on the roofs will allow natural light to illuminate rooms.

Lessons at the new Mason's Cove Elementary School in Roanoke County will be taught in spaces predominantly lit by natural light.

"That building is built on an axis so we can get daylight lighting for about 90 percent of our needs," explained Catawba District school board representative David Wymer.

A $13 million construction project is under way to eliminate the county's last coal-fired school and replace it with what will be the school division's first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified facility.

The new school will be heated by geothermal energy, which is cleaner and less expensive in the long term than the alternatives -- coal, electricity and oil. Since the original school was built in 1961, it has been heated by coal because there is no nearby gas line. About 120 geothermal wells have been drilled in front of the original school for the new heating and cooling system.

Solar panels will be used to heat water. Public water is not available to serve the school, which will remain on well water. A storage tank behind the school will hold water for fire suppression.

The exterior finish will be a mixture of wood, stone, brick and composite panels to match the surrounding scenic beauty of the mountains, including McAfee Knob.

"It will fit in with the natural surroundings. I think that is a nice touch," said Principal Ashley McCallum.

Informational panels will be placed inside the new school to educate students about the energy-saving features. Classroom space will be situated in a two-story wing, with space for a future addition if needed.

"The Catawba Valley is beginning to have a cultural change," Wymer said. "Large farms are beginning to be sold and people are beginning to build houses."

The new school is under construction behind the original building on Bradshaw Road in West Roanoke County.

"I think the school is the center of the Mason Cove community," McCallum said.

The school's approximately 215 preschool through fifth-grade students will be housed in the original school for the upcoming academic year.

"The last day of school next year, we will rip down the building and move into the back," said Marty Misicko, the school division's director of operations.

Rebuilding Mason's Cove Elementary is one of four construction jobs in progress in Southwest Virginia's largest school system. Cave Spring Elementary, Green Valley Elementary and William Byrd High schools are being renovated and are expected to be finished in late fall.

"With all the projects going on, we are really keeping people employed," Misicko said.

In the case of Mason's Cove, replacing the school made better sense versus the cost and life of a renovation. School officials concluded the same about Cave Spring Middle School, which will be demolished after the upcoming school year ends. But the students will not be able to remain on-site during that project. School officials have not announced where the middle school students will be housed for the 2011-12 school year while the new school is built.

Mason's Cove "is a dream project for us because we can keep the kids in the classrooms," Misicko said.

Two key components of the original school will be moved to the new school. A mural of student artwork created in 1996 will be cut out of the wall, and the gym floor will be taken up to build a stage at the new school.

"People who have been in the community for a long time will realize that we are not getting rid of Mason's Cove, we are simply upgrading it," Wymer said.