BREEAM

 The new building that forms part of the extension and alteration of Western House Primary School is due to start on-site at the beginning of December and we are pleased to be able to announce that we will be working alongside main contractor Kier Moss to deliver the project. In the meantime, both the design team and the contractor have been working together to provide a building that is sustainable: socially, economically and environmentally.  As a part of this, the new building will be assessed under BREEAM, which is an environmental assessment method used for new buildings.  Related to this, please find below some information that relates to the new building.

Project Description – The project consists of a new standalone teaching block for Years 5 and 6, and a single-storey extension to the existing building to provide further space for the existing nursery.  The new building has been designed as a sleek single-storey pavilion that continues the architectural language of the existing school, and is located towards the east of the site, helping to retain the feeling of openness on the site and to make the most of the School's relationship with its existing landscape and green spaces; while the nursery will be increased in size by providing a new single storey extension on the end of the existing building, that connects back into the heart of the school.  While the latter is not included in the BREEAM assessment, it does embody the same ethos of social, economic and environmental sustainability.  

BREEAM Rating and Score – Very Good, 59.1

The Key Innovative and Low-Impact Design Features of the Building –

- Low water usage sanitary ware and fittings

- Low energy lighting system with daylight linking

- Building envelope to achieve U-Values that exceed the requirements of the current Building Regulations

- Roof mounted solar thermal/photovoltaic arrays to provide 10% CO2 reduction

- Design maximises the use of daylighting and natural ventilation

Basic Building Cost – £1,308.54 / m2

Services Costs – £567.72 / m2

External Works Cost – £233.24 / m2

Gross Floor Area – 856 m2

Total Area of Site – 2.009 ha

Function Areas and their Sizes – Teaching 558.5 m2, Group Rooms 53 m2, Admin. 45 m2; Total 656.5 m2

Area of Circulation – 76 m2

Area of Storage – 50.5 m2

% Area of Grounds to be used by the Community – N/A

% Area of Buildings to be used by the Community – N/A

Predicted Electricity Consumption – 28.17 kWh/m2

Predicted Fossil Fuel Consumption – 60.47 kWh/m2

Predicted Renewable Energy Generation – 7.2 kWh/m2

Predicted Water Use – 2.85 m3 / person / school year

% Predicted Water Use to be provided by Rainwater or Grey-water – N/A

Steps Taken during the Construction Process to Reduce Environmental Impacts –

- Preparation of energy use targets and keeping of records of usage with constant reviews of energy use

- Responsible sourcing of timber and the materials

- Minimisation of waste ensuring that as much as possible of what is produced is recycled or reused

- Achieving consistently high Considerate Constructor scores (Kier Moss are Associate Members of the Scheme)

  

Social or Economically Sustainable Measures Achieved/Piloted -

- The project embraces a holistic approach to sustainability that goes beyond green materials and reducing carbon emissions

- The construction process could be used as a learning resource for the school, feeding into curriculum lessons

- Low carbon technology and a thermally efficient building envelope will result in lower running costs when compared with a building of conventional construction

- Provision for on-site cyclist facilities and the development of a site-specific Travel Policy to reduce CO2 emissions associated with transport