FLOORING IN EDUCATION
role. It can represent as much as 40-70 % of a building’s whole life carbon footprint. This means that reducing the embodied carbon is a very effective way of reducing a building’s whole life carbon footprint. And this is the reason why government bodies, professional networks and organisations have highlighted the importance of reducing embodied carbon.
Specific to school buildings, the UK is taking steps to move closer to a net zero built environment by setting an embodied carbon limit of 550 kilograms of CO2e per square metre for new and refurbished schools. Awarded DfE contracts are dependent on meeting the embodied carbon limit. Scotland has led the way. In 2019, the Scottish Futures Trust introduced its Learning Estate Investment Programme which includes an embodied carbon limit of 600 kgCO2e/m². Since then, Scotland has applied Passivhaus principles to all new-build schools, incorporating the embodied carbon limit. Similar guidelines also exist in Northern Ireland and Wales. To meet the new limit, designers and main contractors need to select materials that are low in embodied carbon, and one of the best options to meet the new requirements is wood.
The difference in environmental terms is quite staggering. If you install a Junckers 22mm solid beech sports floor in a typical 690m² four-court school sports hall, it will contribute a carbon reduction of 9,660 kgCO2e. If the same size hall is fitted with a vinyl floor, +9,246 kgCO2e would have been released into the atmosphere. It is a persuasive argument for using solid wood. As a flooring contractor, if you have some basic knowledge of embodied carbon figures and how they impact a building’s carbon footprint, you will be able to advise the client, the main contractor and the architect. The above figures used to compare are obtained from publicly available EPDs.
BIOGENIC CARBON TARGET
Another key measure introduced by the DfE is a requirement to measure the biogenic carbon content of the building. Biogenic carbon is carbon stored in biological materials, primarily wood
and other plant-based materials. Plants, which of course includes trees, absorb CO2 during growth through photosynthesis. When incorporated into buildings, that carbon is stored and locked away from the atmosphere. By way of comparison, the carbon released from products made from fossil fuels is called non- biogenic carbon. Combustion of products made from oil-based plastics generates significant carbon emissions and increases global warming. This is why the DfE and other organisations are seeking to include more materials that contain biogenic carbon, such as wood. The DfE CF 25 Technical Manual outlines that designs should use natural materials to create a healthy learning environment, targeting biogenic carbon of – 20 kgCO2e/m² from sequestration (carbon capture) for the whole building.
Again, this may sound a bit too scientific and perhaps far removed from flooring installation, but when you understand how significant a contribution a humble wooden floor can make to the environmental impact of the whole building, and how by selecting a wooden floor will help specifiers and main contractors meet the new target for school buildings, it makes sense. Main contractors vying for contracts to build new or refurbish existing schools must demonstrate how they will achieve a reduction of – 20 kgCO2e/ m² for the whole building. Installing a solid hardwood floor from Junckers in a 690 m² four-court sports hall will contribute a figure of – 18,699 kgCO2e to off-set the total figure for the whole building. Needless to say, by installing more wood elsewhere in the school, the figure will be even higher.
If you work in the education sector of the market or hope to start, familiarising yourself with the new regulations will help you quote for jobs with confidence. You may even find yourself in a position to be able to provide help and advice – these limits, targets and requirements are new to everyone. By demonstrating your knowledge of what is needed you are well- placed to work closely with the main contractors shaping the future of educational buildings.
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