Conceived and founded in 2006 by actress, activist and mother of five, Suzy Amis Cameron, and supported by her husband, writer, producer and director, James Cameron, the MUSE School incorporates hands-on learning, along with a focus on the environment and green living.
As part of that philosophy, in 2010, MUSE founders purchased a defunct school on 22 rural acres in Calabasas Highlands outside of Malibu, CA, and created a new campus that was built using all reclaimed materials and environmentally friendly products. A partnership with Kohler Co. sprung out of a mutual desire to promote and use water-saving products wherever possible, and the new MUSE School specified Kohler’s water-saving plumbing products throughout its buildings. In all, nearly 100 products—from the Sculpted Touchless faucet, which uses a hybrid energy system, to Steward waterless urinals—were used in the renovation of the school.
The natural world informs every aspect of the MUSE School, from the campus-wide ban on anything plastic to the Alice Waters’ Seed-to-Table learning program, which enlists students in the planning, planting, harvesting and preparation of campus meals. The buildings showcase concrete countertops made from recycled glass, classrooms that are designed for maximum natural light, and repurposed wood flooring that came from demolished buildings. The grounds have been redesigned to make the most of the natural landscape and to use outdoor classrooms to teach children about the local ecology.
Pictured: Kohler’s waterless urinal.
