N/Dec 2023 • £8 also in this issue: Inclusive educational settings A new guide shows how to support conditions like ADHD and autism Energy efficiency Delivering the most efficient solution for hot water generation Getting to net zero Focusing on building services will help schools reach net zero quicker also in this issue - hee magazine: Cavity barriers: Innovative 900-room student accommodation development at UWE How design can drive sustainability: A glass supplier explains how campuses can not only look good but do good LED luminaires: Lucy Cavendish College is dedicated to reducing its carbon emissions UCL goes for gold in London's Olympic Park Marshgate, UCL’s largest single building, offers a collaborative and cross-disciplinary educational environment
In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on creating inclusive and accessible centres for learning and personal development. Inclusive design encompasses not only physical accessibility but also emotional well-being of the individual encompassing the space. Interior design plays a pivotal role in shaping the physical and emotional environment of educational facilities. At Tarkett, we have leveraged this understanding to create that accommodate the diverse needs of students, educators, and visitors, ensuring that no one is excluded in anyway. Human Conscious Design Principles Promoting accessibility & inclusion CREATING SPACES WHERE CHILDREN THRIVE
educationdab.co.uk 3 Give education the budget it deserves THROUGHOUT the past year, this column has been critical of the DfE’s stewardship of the English schools estate. From our point of view, it has been an easy target – a veritable sitting duck – and we have blasted away relentlessly at the vast underspending on putting the estate in the order that any parent in a civilised 21st century, first world economy has a right to expect for their children. The emergence of RAAC offered yet another opportunity to re-load and unleash both barrels on the DfE. The Public Accounts Committee supplied plenty of additional ammunition just this month (see Analysis, page 8). Yet in truth, we have had our guns trained on the wrong target. Education’s civil servants can only work with the budgets they are supplied with by Government. And Education Secretaries of State can only prise more resource from the Treasury if they are heavyweight operators who know their brief and can successfully fight the Whitehall turf wars that go with the territory. This is nigh-on impossible when occupants of education’s top political seat are changed every year or less, as has been the case for far too long. It is made totally impossible when the Government has enormous debts to service and heavy expenditure requirements in pensions, social care and the NHS – and is faced with an interest-rate-driven recession depressing the economy. There is simply no further money for schools. With the extra money needed for RAAC remediation probably coming from the existing budget, and cost inflation still a major problem, the schools maintenance backlog can only lengthen. Building Schools For The Future was born out of the Blair mantra – “Education. Education. Education.” In 2004, when it was launched, the economy was rosier and increased investment in children was, as they say, a no brainer. It’s hard to see the next golden age for school building and re-building emerging any time soon, and certainly not in the fag end of this Parliament. But what we must hope for from the next government is a re-prioritisation of the importance of decent schools (let alone inspiring schools) and a desire to work even closer with architects and contractors to find more efficient ways of delivering them. UCL unveils its largest new development Marshgate, a 35,000sqm state-of-the-art academic building designed by Stanton Williams, has completed at the forefront of the UCL East campus, in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Story pages 23-24 Editor Andrew Pring Sales director Julian Walter Production Nicola Cann Design Sandra Cid Managing director Toby Filby The publishers do not necessarily agree with views expressed by contributors and cannot accept responsibility for claims made by manufacturers and authors, nor do they accept any responsibility for any errors in the subject matter of this publication. Publishers Stable Publishing Limited, SBC House, Restmor Way, Wallington, Surrey SM6 7AH, England. t. 020 8288 1080 f. 020 8288 1099 e. [email protected] Andrew Pring Editor [email protected]
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educationdab.co.uk 5 educationdab.co.uk contents N/Dec 2023 7Eton End School in Datchet near Windsor, is one of the first schools in England to unveil a radical new whole school re-design of their classroom layout which puts children’s needs firmly at the heart of the learning experience. 10 Design Solutions Walters & Cohen Architects have completed the final stage of work for the all-through Brighton Girls’ School, in Sussex. 12 Integrated flooring Integrated flooring schemes can help create a positive, inspiring and welcoming learning environment. 15 Inclusive educational settings A new guide shows how to support students with neurological conditions like ADHD and autism. 16 Energy efficiency Point-of-use water heaters can provide the most efficient solution for hot water generation. 17 Getting to net zero How schools and colleges can move quicker towards net zero by focusing on building services.
6 educationdab.co.uk news ST ALBANS School was visited recently by Dr Jane Hawking, the former wife of school alumnus, Professor Stephen Hawking CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA, to name its new state-of-the-art science facility in his honour. The Hawking Building houses the Science Department with dedicated physics, biology and chemistry labs and prep rooms, new facilities for Computer Science and teaching rooms that have been completely refurbished. In addition, the building houses a telescope that belonged to Professor Hawking, kindly donated to the Astronomy Club by the family. Dr Jane Hawking said: “Science was obviously hugely important to Stephen in his schooldays, and it is an honour to see his legacy continued at his former school. Science has progressed so far in recent decades, and The Hawking Building gives students access to top-quality facilities that will encourage the next generation of brilliant minds.” Jonathan Gillespie, Headmaster of St Albans School, said: “I’d like to thank Dr Hawking for naming our new facilities, and the donors whose generosity funded this project. The new labs and equipment will enable us to continue delivering the highest levels of science education. Professor Hawking is one of our most famous alumni, and it is a pleasure to commemorate his inspirational legacy to the School in this way.” “OUR winner is delivering today a glimpse of what the future of all schools could and should be into the 21st century and beyond”. This was the feedback from judges of the 2023 Milton Keynes Education Awards as Glebe Farm School and Inspiring Futures through Learning (IFtL) scooped the Environmental and Sustainability Award recently. The Environmental and Sustainability Award sought to “recognise an individual or a team that is on a mission to save the planet, someone who is engaging students and members of school staff in their mission and who is inspiring positive change in the school community and beyond”. In a glittering ceremony at the Double Tree by Hilton in Milton Keynes, hosted at Eamonn Homes, Glebe Farm School and IFtL beat off fierce competition to win the award for their “flagship environmental and sustainability initiative”. The school, which opened in September 2022, is an all-through school where children can enter at reception and stay all the way through to Year 11. There is also a 39place full-time equivalent nursery. The whole site is designed to have a minimal impact on the environment. Glebe Farm School is gas free, with Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) used instead. The ASHP system is set up to provide continued heating and hot water if any of the units fail – there are five systems in total – and there is no back-up access to fossil fuels. All lighting comes from ultraefficient LEDs whilst hundreds of solar panels generate power. Energy-saving technology such as zero carbon site hoarding and an onsite solar powered generator were employed during the build by Morgan Sindall Construction, minimising any impacts on the local environment. In the school’s grounds, 840 saplings donated by the Woodland Trust have been planted. All mulch and topsoil have been reused and the levels of the ground carefully redesigned and raised to accommodate this additional material. In operation, this now saves 40 tons of CO2 each year. St Albans School opens new Hawking Building science facility Glebe Farm School and Inspiring Futures through Learning win Environmental and Sustainability Award Eammon Holmes with Sarah Bennett, Jason Smith (Head of Operations IFtL) and Mark Dolling (Trustee IFtL)
LEADING water safety charity and water safety expertise’s the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) are appealing to all independent schools to take their responsibilities regarding water-related activities seriously to prevent future accidents and incidents. Where a school has water on or around its grounds accessible to students, visitors, staff, or the public, as a privately or charitably funded school (not administered by the local government), the school has responsibilities for water-related safety and may be liable. This accompanied by the fact that independent schools often offer water-based extra curriculum activities both onsite and offsite means that recognising accountabilities for managing water-related safety needs to be a priority. To recognise and acknowledge their accountability, as a minimum, schools need to regularly carry out safety reviews which includes the provision of Public Rescue Equipment (PRE), create and review Pool Safety Operating Procedures (PSOP), compile appropriate risk assessments, regularly evaluate the training capabilities, requirements and training for staff responsible and provide suitable water safety education to the children within their care. RLSS UK can support schools to achieve all this and help educate staff, pupils and visitors by offering impartial and practical water safety consultancy advice, bespoke training solutions and a range of products carefully selected and vetted by water safety experts for their safety and durability. educationdab.co.uk 7 news Water safety charity urges independent schools to be on guard ETON End School in Datchet near Windsor, is one of the first schools in England and one of only a handful of schools in the UK to unveil a radical new whole school re-design of their classroom layout which puts children’s needs firmly at the heart of the learning experience. Their new ‘calm classrooms’ are different to traditional school classrooms and have been designed and created by a team of professional child therapists, based on research which shows that children learn best in a calm, comfortable environment where they are not surrounded by noise, bright colours and harsh lighting. The emphasis of the new design is on neutral colours, comfortable seating, ambient lighting and a feeling of space. Rachael Cox, Head of Eton End said: “Since I joined the school back in September I have been conducting a listening exercise involving children, parents and staff, looking at how we can improve the school environment and helping me to understand what they liked and what frustrated them about the school. When I spoke to the children about their learning environment, the thing they wanted to change most of all was the chairs. It sounds like small thing, but it was obviously a big thing for them. It made me go back and completely re-think how we organise our classrooms and learning spaces. I wanted to create an environment where our children were comfortable and could concentrate on learning. “Children will always achieve their best when they have a sense of emotional and psychological safety as well as being physically comfortable. Our school classroom design and furnishings have not really changed much for centuries and it is time to stop, think about the world beyond the school gates and create environments which inspire and support pupils to develop the skills they need in the twenty-first century.” The classrooms were put designed and put together with the help of a team of specialist child psychologists from TPC Therapy based in Cheshire. Eton End School praises ‘calm classrooms’ Eton End School pupils with Head Rachael Cox
NEARLY three-quarters of a million school children (700,000) sit in classrooms that need repairing or rebuilding says a report on England's school estate from Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee which is severely critical of the way the Department for Education (DfE) surveys and assesses the safety of school buildings. Says the report: “It is extremely concerning that DfE does not have a good enough understanding of safety risks across school buildings for it to fully quantify and mitigate these risks and keep children and staff in schools safe. This includes an understanding of how reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), which may lead to a sudden building collapse, has been used alongside asbestos, which we have raised as a concern for several years. “Given how crucial it is to get safety matters right, it is shocking and disappointing that, at the time of our evidence session in September 2023, DfE could not provide basic information on, for example, how many specialist surveys to identify RAAC were outstanding, or how many temporary classrooms had been provided to schools affected by RAAC. Nor could it provide a clear and firm commitment on when RAAC issues would be addressed.” The report has some words of support for DfE, but is clearly alarmed at the lack of commitment to speedy resolution of the new build and maintenance backload, saying: “It is encouraging to see that, alongside its annual maintenance and repair funding of £1.8 billion in 2022–23, DfE has packages of work to help address some of the most serious building issues, including a plan for refurbishment and rebuilding in 500 schools over 10 years. However, this work only touches the surface of problems across the school estate. DfE must do more to mitigate critical safety and value for money concerns, and then demonstrate that it has clear plans to address the scale of challenge and uncertainty it faces in the coming years.” Focusing on schools’ concerns over where the RAAC repair funds will be coming from, the report notes the clear disparity between Department of Health and Social Care and DfE in tackling their RAAC issues. It says: “DHSC has established a £685m fund to 2024–25 to mitigate RAAC, and has committed to remove RAAC from the NHS estate by 2035. DfE has made no such financial or practical commitments. “Schools are uncertain about the support they can access to mitigate RAAC-related issues, and how they will be reimbursed financially. The temporary classrooms that DfE is providing will generally be for those schools that were known to be affected by RAAC before the late August 2023 change of risk approach. DfE could not provide us with a figure on how many were being provided. DfE has undertaken to pay for the capital costs incurred by schools, but its approach to revenue funding, and paying for surveys carried out by schools, is less clear, particularly if a school has significant reserves. DfE is still to set the funding application process, but has accepted the need for some checking and controls to be in place. While each school has access to a caseworker, anecdotal evidence suggests that many are struggling to understand DfE’s approach, and are concerned about a lack of fairness in terms of access to temporary support and how that support will be paid for.” 8 educationdab.co.uk analysis MPs slam DfE’s approach to school repairs DfE still unsure of full extent of RAAC problem DfE still has incomplete knowledge on the number and condition of schools with RAAC, with questions about the reliability of some of its information. The report calls on DfE to urgently assess the risks of inaccuracies within RAAC questionnaire returns and specialist surveys, so that it considers these risks in its overall approach, decision-making and guidance; and for it to expedite its programme of specialist surveys where RAAC is suspected, and in due course publish the full set of results so that the extent of the RAAC problem is known.
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10 educationdab.co.uk design solutions BRIGHTON Girls is an all-through school in the heart of Brighton and a founding school of the Girls’ Day School Trust. Formerly Brighton and Hove High School, it was established in 1876 and is proud to have been an early champion of girls’ education in the UK. Education has moved on since then, but while the school’s older buildings are much loved they were no longer entirely fit for purpose. Having completed a popup prototyping hub at the school in 2019, Walters & Cohen were asked in 2020 to support the school’s ambitious project to reunite the senior school and prep school on one site, creating a ‘family of big sisters and little sisters’. The architects have carried out this plan, reuniting the senior and prep schools onto one site and upgrading several older buildings to suit contemporary educational needs. The practice has created a sensitive reworking of much-loved existing buildings, while adding new elements to expand the school’s capabilities. This ambitious project brings the schools together to create the so-called ‘family of big sisters and little sisters’. The sensitive refurbishment of three buildings – ‘Montpelier’, the Grade II listed ‘Vicarage’ and ‘Temple’ – has transformed the spaces into learning and socialising spaces fit for the twentyfirst century, while enhancing their charm and character. Sensitive refurbishment of Montpelier Walters & Cohen Architects have completed the final stage of work for the all-through Brighton Girls’ School, in Sussex Brighton Girls brightens up
educationdab.co.uk 11 design solutions and the Grade II listed Vicarage and Temple has transformed them into wonderful learning and socialising spaces fit for the twenty-first century while enhancing their charm and character. In the Temple, the ground floor has been converted into an exciting coffeeshop-style space for study and social activities as well as presentations, conferences and events. As the main entrance and reception it provides a great first impression of the school. A library/study, presentation room and makerspace surrounding the main area are easily adaptable so they can be used separately or together. The basement, once a cramped locker room, storage and loos, is now a music centre, comprising music classrooms, practice rooms, a flexible performance space and specialist music storage. Up on the second floor is a new sixth form hub, subtly delineated by a plywood pop-out and a variety of furniture that the girls helped choose in workshops organised by the architects. For the Vicarage, work included removing modern interventions to restore classrooms and staff offices to their original height and character. Suitable acoustic treatment guards against noise build-up to create comfortable, functional teaching spaces. In Montpelier, the basement is transformed into new classrooms and breakout spaces for art, science and DT. Some minor interventions to the fabric of the building ensure these spaces receive good light and are accessible. Working with landscapers BHSL has improved the quality, biodiversity and function of outdoor spaces for students of all ages to enjoy. Michàl Cohen, Director and co-founder of Walters & Cohen, commented: “It’s been an honour to work with the Brighton Girls’ School, a pioneer of girls education dating back to 1876, and now securing the future for its pupils. Helping to create inspirational and effective spaces for learning through our architecture, for these foundational years, is a privilege.” www.waltersandcohen.com www.bhsla.co.uk
12 educationdab.co.uk interiors Integrated flooring can boost learning spaces Specifying integrated flooring schemes can help create a positive, inspiring and welcoming learning environment says Lewis Cooper, Education Segment Marketing Manager at Forbo Flooring Systems FLOORING within schools is more than just a surface covering. Specified correctly, it can lead pupils, staff and visitors on a journey through the building, as well as influencing how interior spaces are used. Integrated flooring schemes can be used to zone out specific areas within a school - such as designated spaces for learning, private study, relaxation and socialising, or eating and drinking, while all simultaneously complementing and working together as one. Each space or zone will have its own unique list of functional requirements when it comes to the flooring, making it important for specifiers and facility managers to consider how the space will be used. Within classrooms, carpet tiles can be a great option, combining aesthetics with both durability and long-lasting performance. As well as offering comfort underfoot, carpet tiles can also help reduce impact sound, improving the acoustics of the interior environment and aiding concentration levels. For cafeterias or other areas where there’s the potential for spills, installing a slip resistant floor covering that’s easy to clean can be invaluable. While, with corridors or circulation areas within a school or university, high levels of foot traffic are to be expected, making it important that a hard-wearing and resilient flooring solution is installed. That said, durability doesn’t have to mean a sacrifice on aesthetics, with a range of modern and bright colourways available, including the option of digitally printed designs. A great example of this approach to flooring is Two Rivers Primary School in Keynsham, Somerset – the second school in the country to achieve Passivhaus Plus accreditation. To achieve this impressive milestone, architects Hatcher Prichard had to make conscious choices when it came to choosing materials for the project, with a range of Forbo flooring solutions installed throughout the whole school. Simon Hatcher, Director at Hatcher Prichard, commented: “The main area of consideration was the functionality of the flooring; it had to withstand the heavy foot traffic we would expect to see in a school, whilst also being easy to clean and maintain. The floor coverings needed to be installed seamlessly to keep the joints flush, as well as provide some slip resistance. The chosen floor coverings also had to be suitable for the usage of each room, with the colourways needing to be appropriate for the age of the children using the space.” With this in mind, Forbo’s Eternal vinyl was specified in the Washed Beech wood décor for the hall, hall store, studio and servery areas, while the ground floor corridor features the Sphera homogeneous vinyl in a clear blue colourway, representing the ‘two rivers’ of the school’s name. For the first-floor classrooms, a selection of Forbo’s Tessera carpet tiles were chosen in a muted blue colourway, which helped to make them feel bright and spacious, as Simon explained: “With the first-floor classrooms designed for the older students, we felt it would be more appropriate to use a textile flooring, as opposed to the vinyl flooring used in the Key Stage 1 classrooms. As such, Forbo’s Tessera Teviot carpet tiles were installed in the Mid Blue and Blue Moon colourways, both of which fit the overall colour theme. The Tessera carpet tiles are really easy to clean, another requirement set out in the brief, so it ticked all the boxes.” In addition to the above, Forbo’s Surestep and Safestep safety flooring were used across the project to ensure the safety of students, installed in the wet rooms on both floors, as well as in the Design Technology classroom on the first floor. www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/education www.hatcherprichard.co.uk
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advertisement feature Governments and institutions around the world are discussing problems with plastic waste on a global scale, it is important to recognise that this is an issue which falls upon every level of society to tackle, local as well as global. There is no better starting point than our own place of work, and with this in mind, we examine the environmental reasons to use solid timber vs vinyl sports flooring in school sports halls. Vinyl (PVC) sports flooring Vinyl sports flooring is an oil-based product. Oil is a non-sustainable resource. Estimates report that, at the current rate of consumption, a figure which is increasing annually, our oil reserves will run out by 2053 – just over 30 years away and at a time when our current students will have children of their own. The manufacture of vinyl flooring creates dioxins. These are carcinogenic bio accumulative toxins. These substances pose a health risk to anyone who is exposed to them. Dioxins persist from manufacture to disposal. While attempts are being made to recycle vinyl flooring, currently in the UK, the recycling process can only take “virgin“ vinyl which only comprises off cuts and end of production rolls. Old vinyl floors that have been lifted cannot be reused or recycled and most of the waste is taken to landfill sites. Vinyl flooring is not biodegradable and therefore sits in landfill for generations. There’s no safe way to manufacture, use or dispose of PVC products, no other plastic contains or releases as many dangerous chemicals. Solid hardwood flooring An environmentally sound, fully recyclable option, that offers a much longer lifespan than any other sports flooring surface, is a solid hardwood floor. Junckers’ timber comes from legal and sustainably managed sources, and the company has internationally known FSC® and PEFCTM accreditations alongside product specific EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations), which are all independently assessed and verified. The reasons why solid wood floor systems have such good environmental credentials are many: It’s better to use large sections of solid wood By using large sections of solid wood, Junckers does not slice the logs into multiple layers or chip them into smaller pieces which results in less waste, lower energy consumption, minimal use of adhesives, a long lifespan and ease of recycling because the wood is not contaminated by anything else. Long lifespan - energy and resource-efficient A Junckers solid hardwood floor may be sanded between eight and ten times during its life. Life spans in excess of 60 years are easily achievable and this means lower demands upon natural materials. Strength through its life A solid wood floor from Junckers retains its strength exceptionally well through its life. Independent testing shows that a Junckers sports floor, after two sandings has more strength than an “equivalent” engineered floor that has never been sanded. Recycling – reclaim - repurpose Solid hardwood boards can be reclaimed if they have useful life remaining. Floating or nailed floors are eminently re-useable and when sanded and sealed can look like a brand-new floor. Solid wood waste is easily recycled and is usually uncontaminated. No reliance on plastics and oil-based materials Whilst plastics, resins and adhesives fall short of the technical properties, longevity and environmental credentials of a solid hardwood floor. BREEAM Junckers solid hardwood floorboards comply with the BRE Global Green Guide specification for hard floor finishes, with a summary rating of A+. In short, there are many, many ways in which we can reduce our impact on the environment to safeguard the planet for the future – sports flooring in schools is as good a starting point as any. Tel: 01376 534 700 Email: [email protected] Instagram/Twitter: @junckersfloors Website: www. junckers.co.uk Solid timber vs vinyl sports flooring – how do they compare?
educationdab.co.uk 15 interiors Inspiring and inclusive educational settings Tarkett’s 'Human Conscious Design Principles' guide shows how to support students with neurological conditions like ADHD and Autism. Here, the flooring company’s Segment Marketing Manager Shaz Hawkins highlights factors that can help all children but especially those with neurodiversities to thrive FOR far too long, schools have been shaped without much consideration for a reality that impacts so many. In the past year, 87,000 young people in England were diagnosed with special educational needs (SEN), with the annual school census revealing that approximately 1.5 million students require tailored support - an understated figure given the time it takes to complete a thorough assessment. The UN's implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals reflects the acknowledgment that creating a fairer, more equitable world necessitates a greater commitment from schools worldwide to foster a change in mindset. Schools must be built or upgraded to ensure a safe, inclusive learning environment where all students can thrive - irrespective of their unique makeup. It's important to remember that neurodiversity isn't a one-size-fits-all definition. Instead, it comprises a spectrum of unique challenges, making it imperative to design educational settings that are inclusive of various neurological conditions - such as ADHD and Autism. Equally, two students with the same condition are quite likely to have completely different learning needs. In many cases, neurodivergent individuals are either 'hypo' or 'hyper' sensitive to their environment, which can significantly impact their day-to-day life. People who are hyposensitive may have difficulty seeing, hearing, or feeling acute sensory details, meaning that they need more sensory stimuli to process information. They thrive in clearly-defined, highly stimulative areas that carry plenty of visual interest. On the flip side, hypersensitive individuals prefer controlled environments that won't overstimulate them, which can happen in areas with bright lights, unfamiliar smells, or busy crowds. They prefer clean, orderly spaces that allow them to maintain focus. Taking both ends of the sensitivity spectrum into account, and everything in between, will allow a school to be more inclusive. Communal areas and social hubs - such as lunch halls or auditoriums - can be sensory nightmares without careful design considerations. To ensure a comfortable environment for everyone, spaces should be clearly defined based on their purpose, whether that's for eating, learning, or playing, to bring back a sense of structure and organisation. This could be achieved through varying floor levels, ceiling heights, or strategically placed furniture, for example. Private rooms for self-regulation should also be incorporated, where neurodivergent students have the flexibility to either quietly relax and focus away from the commotion or move and fidget freely without the risk of distracting others. Materials make all the difference In addition to the layout, materials can have a huge impact on how neurodiverse students respond to their environment. For students who are sensitive to noise, using sound-absorbing and acoustic materials is a better choice. This will soften background noise, which could either be distracting or distressing, allowing them to stay focused. On the other hand, some individuals may be sensitive to bright, artificial light. Choosing to decorate classrooms with matte, low-sheen surfaces is a good alternative as they help to minimise glare, as opposed to shiny, reflective materials. Considering colour, texture, and pattern application is also crucial to prevent sensory overload. Areas meant to stimulate creativity and encourage interaction may benefit from vibrant colours to maintain students' engagement in activities. In contrast, tranquil spaces are better suited for muted tones and subtle patterns to reduce 'visual noise.' www.tarkett.co.uk
16 educationdab.co.uk energy Rob Erwood, Commercial Sales and Specification Director at Baxi, discusses the benefits of Passivhaus for schools and how Heatrae Sadia point-of-use water heaters provided the most efficient solution for hot water generation at Riverside Primary BAXI’s Heatrae Sadia point-of-use electric water heaters are helping deliver exemplar energy-efficiency standards at Riverside Primary, Scotland’s first Passivhaus-certified Primary School. The new multi-million-pound school building brings together North Muirton and Balhousie primary schools, providing modern learning space for 500 children with additional provision for a nursery and additional support needs (ASN). The project is part of Perth & Kinross Council's ongoing capital programme of school upgrades and improvements through hub East Central Scotland Limited (hubco) to enhance the environment for learning and teaching across the area. Passivhaus buildings provide a high level of occupant comfort all year round using very little energy for heating, hot water and cooling, making them truly energy efficient, environmentally friendly and economical to run. Instrumental in forming the energy strategy for the new school building were BakerHicks Motherwell, appointed by Perth & Kinross Council to provide mechanical and electrical design services for principal contractor Robertson Tayside. David Coulter, Associate Engineer and Certified Passivhaus Designer at BakerHicks, said: “The hot water strategy was one of the main challenges when designing the system as we needed to avoid large scale energy usage. We wanted to explore using all-electric point-of-use solutions that would only generate energy when required, for example during break or lunch times. So we asked Baxi for help with the solution.” Point-of-use electric water heaters or cylinders can provide an efficient option for schools in areas like washrooms and kitchens as they only use energy when hot water is required. This makes it much easier to monitor, measure and control hot water usage as well as keeping any hot water pipework runs to an absolute minimum to avoid heat transfer losses. Baxi’s Public Health technical sales team, headed up by Stephen Lynch, worked with David to identify the selection of Heatrae Sadia water heaters – including Multipoint, Multipoint Eco, Hotflo, Aquaheat as well as a Megaflo Eco cylinder – that would efficiently meet the hot water demand across the building. “We had used Heatrae Sadia products before and were familiar with their reputation for high-quality, robust performance,” continued David. “A key benefit of these water heaters is that the units are sized, thereby providing more flexibility to meet the required volume. But equally importantly is the excellent technical and aftersales support that we know we can expect from the Baxi team – and which proved invaluable on this project.” All certified Passivhaus buildings must undergo a rigorous quality assurance compliance process that includes tests to ensure the targets are met. Certification is only issued by the independent Passivhaus certifier, in this instance WARM, if the defined criteria are achieved. “It’s an exacting process,” David explained. “We needed to supply detailed calculations and evidence relating to the energy values of the selected technologies. And this is where we really relied on Baxi for support. They were great, working closely with us to provide all the information required for certification and ready to help at every stage of the project.” With Passivhaus certification now successfully achieved and Riverside Primary set to open its doors to pupils this autumn, Perth & Kinross Council has achieved its commitment to enhance education provision for children north of Perth and taken a step closer to its net zero carbon ambitions. Baxi’s Stephen Lynch said, “The very low heat losses of our Heatrae Sadia products were a key component in the overall project. We are extremely proud to have played a part in this groundbreaking Passivhaus primary school.” www.heatraesadia.com/products www.bakerhicks.com/en www.robertson.co.uk/business/robertsontayside Lessons in energy efficiency
educationdab.co.uk 17 energy Mike Egan, Business Development Manager, Corporate Sales at Mitsubishi Electric, explains how schools and colleges can move quicker towards net zero by focusing on building services SCHOOLS and colleges currently account for 36% of total building emissions from the public sector in the UK. The Department of Education (DfE) is already targeting a 75% reduction in carbon emissions and has outlined several recommendations to help reach this goal. While this will ensure new buildings are designed to be net zero in operation, a large proportion of the education building stock is already built. This means the majority of schools will need upgrading and refurbishing in order to meet these targets. The systems providing heating, hot water, ventilation and cooling to these buildings can have a significant impact on their energy use and carbon footprint, and this offers an important opportunity to reduce carbon emissions by switching to more renewable alternatives such as heat pumps. A lot of school buildings in the UK require urgent repair work to existing sites, with the government's recent Condition of Buildings Survey estimating the total cost of repairing or replacing these buildings to be £11.4 billion. However, adapting these buildings is not just about improving their current state of repair but also about reducing the costs associated with their operation, such as energy use. Lowering carbon emissions is also crucial, with many schools still relying on energyintensive gas boilers for their heating and hot water supply – despite the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting framework requiring many to disclose their emissions associated with gas and electricity use. With pressure to reduce environmental impact continuing to grow, schools need to find ways of decarbonising these spaces. This is why the building services should be at the heart of any refurbishment plans. When planning to upgrade or refurbish schools and colleges, the first thing to consider is your building's specific requirements, as these can impact the type of solution they require. For example, specialist colleges offering courses such as catering may have larger kitchen facilities that are at risk of overheating during warmer periods. The times that the building is in use can also affect the heating and cooling demand. Again, for example, some school buildings may be used outside of regular school hours for activities like adult education classes and need heating longer into the evening. It is, therefore, crucial that the different needs of each building are taken into account when choosing the right technology. When refurbishing these spaces, installers and contractors should opt for equipment that lowers emissions, while improving the benefits to occupants, and meeting the needs of specialist areas – while also taking into account long-term service and maintenance plans. Airsource heat pumps are around 300% more efficient than a traditional gas boiler. They can operate as a single system or as a multi-unit set-up, making them ideal for a range of building types while making it easier to adopt a phasedout approach when replacing gas boilers. For schools that can’t swap out gas for heat pumps at the moment, renewable systems are available that can work alongside the gas boiler in what is known as a bivalent system, where the heat pump and the boiler work together to help reduce carbon emissions. Ventilation is another important area to consider. However, this should also be balanced with energy efficiency. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MHRV) can minimise the amount of energy lost from bringing in cooler fresh air, by capturing the energy from the extracted air and applying it to the incoming air, allowing occupants to benefit from controlled ventilation and good indoor air quality. www.gb.mitsubishielectric.com/en Building services efficiencies will help schools’ net zero journey
advertisement feature Passivent’s comprehensive range of Aircool® wall and window ventilators offers solutions across a wide variety of sectors, providing controlled air intake and extract in natural ventilation systems to create healthy internal environments. The Passivent Aircool range comprises four core products to give specifiers the full spectrum of solutions. The Aircool works with all forms of wall construction, curtain walling and window profiles with the external weather louvre providing excellent weather protection and an insulated internal damper which minimises heat loss. Passivent Aircool can form part of a natural or mechanical ventilation strategy and with its electrically-actuated lowvoltage dampers, is virtually silent in operation. It is particularly suitable for use as part of a night cooling strategy, where daytime heat build-up is dissipated from the structure via the Aircool during the night, reducing the need for daytime cooling or air conditioning. As well as the standard Passivent Aircool option, Passivent also offers an Acoustic Aircool® Ventilator with additional acoustic attenuation features plus its Thermal Aircool® Ventilator with a heater coil to temper the temperature of the fresh incoming air during cooler weather. The hybrid air-mixing variant - Hybrid Plus2 Aircool – combines the features of the Aircool with an innovative air tempering and mixing unit with three distinct operating modes to satisfy cool and warm conditions – passive, cooling and mixing. The Hybrid Plus2 Aircool meets BB101 (ventilation) and BB93 (acoustics) for use in the education sector, but is equally suited to general commercial applications as well as modular construction. The whole range is manufactured by Passivent to ISO 9001 and has been rigorously tested to ensure it provides superior thermal insulation and excellent airtightness as well as meeting weather resistance requirements. Passivent’s experienced technical team can provide support with bulk airflow calculations or thermal modelling and all products within the range are available as BIM objects. To find out more, visit www.passivent.com call 01732 850 770 email [email protected] Follow us on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/passivent to be kept up to date with the latest news. Passivent’s Aircool range provides a breath of fresh air For a site visit or quick quote: call us on 01380 830 697 visit www.coprisystems.com Our bespoke sports structures for schools use natural light and ventilation to create incredible spaces to play in all year round.
highereducationestates 19 AUDE’s annual Estates Management Report always offers a valuable insight into what’s going on across university estates, though its usefulness is tempered by the time-lag effect – the one that’s just been published reports on the year 2021-22, and we must wait another year to learn what happened in the university year which ended this summer. But on the basis of what we read today, it will be very interesting to learn when the next report emerges in a year’s time, how successfully or otherwise universities have responded to a series of challenges identified by AUDE. These challenges are considerable. Energy price rises hit hard during the period under review, and although some hedged against it, others found their bills doubled. It will have been just as hard and perhaps harder in 22-23 to cope. Construction cost inflation was and continues to be a major challenge. It led numerous universities between 21-22 to cancel or delay projects, and is playing its part in the ongoing debate over how much of future university life can be conducted on-line as opposed to oncampus. “Right-sizing” is a difficult call, for as AUDE notes “The potential for work patterns to swing back towards on-campus working can’t be ignored so decisions with long-term capacity consequences will have to be carefully considered.” But hybrid working does offer many staff and students an attractive option, so the question of how much space and how many buildings universities need will be very carefully examined – all the more so as funding is under great stress at many establishments. The other great challenge AUDE identifies is carbon reduction and its vast associated costs – put at around £40bn for the HE estate. How this will be found is not clear. Although demographic data suggests that the number of UK 18-year-olds is on an upwards trend through to 2028, AUDE notes that the number of students applying to HE has reduced. In such a difficult situation, down-sizing the HE estate becomes an increasingly attractive option. Editor Andrew Pring Sales director Julian Walter Production Nicola Cann Design Sandra Cid Managing director Toby Filby The publishers do not necessarily agree with views expressed by contributors and cannot accept responsibility for claims made by manufacturers and authors, nor do they accept any responsibility for any errors in the subject matter of this publication. Publishers Stable Publishing Limited, SBC House, Restmor Way, Wallington, Surrey SM6 7AH, England. t. 020 8288 1080 f. 020 8288 1099 e. [email protected] leader and content Universities on the cusp of fundamental estate decisions Andrew Pring Editor [email protected] inside this issue N/Dec 2023 26New student rooms for UWE Cavity barriers and open state cavity barriers played an important role in this new development at the University of West England Bristol’s Frenchay Campus. 29Four ways design can drive sustainability Campuses that look good and also do good is the goal of this glass supplier. 31LED luminaires in Passivhaus accommodation Lucy Cavendish College at Cambridge University has developed 72 eco-friendly student rooms. 32Strengthening campus safety Coventry University enhances security for students, staff and visitors across its 33-acre city-centre campus with a surveillance upgrade. 24 31
HG Living to create 350 new student homes in Newcastle RUND has been appointed to support property development specialist HG Living with employer’s agent and quantity surveying services on the 31,000 sqft purpose-built student accommodation scheme in Newcastle A major city centre scheme, the project will involve the creation of 350 new highquality apartments, designated for local university students. Amenity spaces will also be developed to include a gym, study rooms, and cinema room as well as an external courtyard. Rund’s appointment follows property development specialist HG Living’s agreement with Singapore-headquartered Q Investment Partners (QIP) to forward fund the PBSA scheme. HG Construction, which has extensive experience in delivering student accommodation schemes across the UK, has been appointed as the main contractor on the project. Rund has been involved in the scheme from project inception, formulating and administering the contract for demolition and enabling works, while also carrying out monthly valuations, overseeing the design stages, and managing contractor appointments. Tom French, Managing Surveyor at Rund, commented: “Newcastle has two great universities who collectively host over 50,000 students, making this city one of the country’s leading destinations for higher education students. Because of this, demand for purpose-built student accommodation has been increasing steadily over the years and we’re very much looking forward to bringing our experience and surveying expertise to bear in what will be one of the most significant schemes of its kind in the region.” Rund will also oversee the site main works throughout the two-year build programme. Rund’s responsibilities will include carrying out monthly site inspections, monitoring contractors, administering building contract terms, and overseeing cashflow monitoring and reporting. The scheme is expected to complete in July 2025. HENRY Brothers Construction has been appointed by the University of Nottingham to help develop its Castle Meadow Campus (CMC) in the city. The company has won a £7m contract to remodel and refurbish two of seven buildings on the 3.75 hectare site – preparing them for future occupation. The university plans to create an enterprise campus on the site which is located on Castle Meadow Road at the foot of Nottingham Castle and was formerly occupied by HMRC. The development has now entered its latest phase, with contractors being appointed to convert the site’s buildings and landscape to kickstart the creation of a new city centre campus for the university. Managing director of Nottinghambased Henry Brothers Construction Ian Taylor said: “This is a hugely exciting project for the University of Nottingham and for the city, and we are proud to be playing a part in it. “Henry Brothers has extensive experience of working with universities across the Midlands to improve their facilities. This is our first contract with the University of Nottingham, and we are really looking forward to getting on site in our home city to deliver some of the building work at Castle Meadow Campus.” Henry Brothers Construction has been appointed to strip out and refurbish buildings D and F on the site. On completion of the work in building D later this year, the facility will be used for longterm leases for the university’s industry partners, including leading global accountancy firm KPMG. The plan is for building F to also house industry partners – but predominantly innovative spin outs, start-ups, and scale ups on flexible licenses. It will include spaces for collaborative working, hotdesking, meeting rooms, and meeting pods. The refurbishment is due to be completed in early 2024. Henry Brothers appointed to Nottingham’s Castle Meadow Campus 20 highereducationestates News
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