BUILDING SCHOOLS FOR THE FUTURE
The solar- panelled roof of The National School ‘Green Building’
standfirst here, standfirst here, standfirst here, standfirst here, standfirst here,
A-STAR FOR ENERGY EFFCIEN A 46|
Nottinghamshire school has made plans for all new buildings to be carbon-neutral by 2016 look like child’s play with its revolutionary new
learning centre. A flat-packed, solar- powered, modular building, totally unique to the marketplace, was a prototype supplied by Blue Planet Buildings, fresh out of its research and development phase.
Pupils at The National School in Hucknall, have named it ‘The Green Building’ reflecting the pioneering technology that enables it to be completely self-sufficient. It is able to continually generate its own energy using a ‘solar skin’ that lines the entire roof, classifying it A+ on the Energy Performance Certificate, miles ahead of any similar structures. Caring for the environment is deeply embedded in The National School’s culture, as a Christian technology college, however choosing a contractor based purely on green credentials simply isn’t practical, as head teacher Dr. John Edwards explains: “The purpose of a school first and foremost is of course to
SUSTAINABLE FM | JUNE 2010
educate, and in order to deliver the high quality learning that we aspire to, we have to allocate our budget wisely. Going green is often seen by schools and similar organisations as a luxury that they can’t afford. Blue Planet Buildings gave us the opportunity to marry our need for cost- effective, flexible teaching space with our environmental values.”
The school’s student intake rose in 2008 to accommodate the increased demand for places, meaning subscription figures continued to grow year-on-year. As a result, the demand for classrooms intensified, with existing teaching space already in short supply.
Modular buildings offer a cost- effective and fast solution ideal for schools that can be quickly erected. Construction is usually scheduled over summer holidays so as to minimise any disruption to lessons, whilst also ensuring students don’t have to contend with the dangers associated with building sites. In January 2009, plans were drawn up in liaison with a traditional modular building supplier, for three extra classrooms, an office and toilets, in a structure robust enough to
withstand the school environment. Construction was due to get under way in the summer of 2009. After receiving various quotes for the project, the National School opted for long established contractors Robert Woodhead Ltd; who, having seen the proposed plans recommended that local entrepreneur, now Blue Planet Buildings CEO and former National School pupil, Derick Wilson come along and review the blueprint.
He said: “Our concept was originally designed to meet the demand for emergency accommodation in developing economies for which modular buildings were already being used. This meant we could simply superimpose our flat pack, eco-friendly take on the modular build over the existing plans – it was a next-to- perfect fit. This would enable us to match the timeframe and planning permission requirements already set out.”
Derick Wilson had the brainwave for a flat pack, solar powered version of the standard modular building after realising that it would conquer many of the challenges faced using known and
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64