Teaching Earth Sciences - Earth Science Teachers' Association

Can the design and construction of new
school and college buildings be compatible
with environmental sustainability?
Sustainability is all about meeting the needs of the
present without compromising the needs of future
generations. The need to reduce our CO 2
emissions
and energy consumption is one of our most pressing
concerns and according to CABE (The Commission
for Architecture and the Built Environment) “The
construction and servicing of buildings is responsible
for approximately 50% of UK carbon emissions.
Improving the energy efficiency of new and existing
stock is therefore essential if we are to achieve the
government’s target of a 60% reduction in CO2
emissions by 2050”. (See: http://www.cabe.org.uk/
publications/environmental-sustainability-and-thebuilt-environment)
This short article outlines how an ESTA member (as Head of
Geology and Assistant Principal with responsible for Estates,
Premises & Services) worked in partnership with architects
and construction teams on a project to create a new library
and learning centre in a Further Education college. One
challenge of this project was to discover how the design
and construction a new educational building that could be
compatible with environmental sustainability.
About the building project
The main aim of this project was to create light, airy
learning and teaching spaces in a new learning resources
block as a replacement for an existing library area. This
original library, housed in a typical flat-roofed building
of the 1960s, was cramped, had limited work areas and
insufficient computing facilities. The new three-storey
building (Figure 1) was planned to provide an inviting and
attractive learning environment where students could
easily access a library and learning resources and would
be provided with a range of work spaces and computing
facilities.
How did the project team plan to meet environmental
sustainability themes?
The team not only considered the environmental impact
from the design, construction and operation of the building
project, but also considered the environmental impacts with
respect to the materials and equipment that would be used
in the building upon its completion.
Environmental impact from the design, construction
and operation of the project
The following design features were included in the project
as an attempt to ensure the programme was compatible
with environmental sustainability:
Figure 1 The Learning Curve
• The building has a two-tiered roof with a “green
roof” at the lower level – a living roof planted
with Sedum (an alpine plant), to retain and
manage rainwater, help to improve air quality, add
insulation and provide diverse habitats for small
plants and insects (Figure 2).
• The design incorporated wind catchers – these are
40 Teaching Earth Sciences Vol 35 No 1 2010 www.esta-uk.net