Nor'West News: February 04, 2020

NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Tuesday February 4 2020 7
News
State of the art materials used at school
CATHOLIC Cathedral College’s
new office, administration and
classroom building is being
constructed using resilient,
sustainable systems, with timber
at its core.
Cross laminated timber,
known as CLT, forms the threestorey
$5.6 million building’s
structural framework and this is
just the beginning.
Catholic Cathedral College is
an integrated Catholic co-educational
secondary school. It was
founded in 1987 but its origins
go back more than 150 years.
The college is an amalgamation
of two schools – Sacred Heart
College for girls and Xavier College
for boys and today has a roll
of 460.
Catholic Education Office
manager Mike Nolan said the
urgent message of Pope Francis
relates to the need to care for our
common home.
“Cross laminated timber
brings a huge advantage to the
environment through efficient
application of the world’s most
sustainable, renewable, building
resource – wood. The primary
environmental benefit of this
type of construction, over a
more conventional steel and
concrete solution, is the reduced
greenhouse emissions associated
with the construction materials,”
he said.
CONSTRUCTION: Catholic Education Office manager Mike
Nolan and Catholic Cathedral College principal Tony Shaw in
front of a new cross-laminated timber school building being
constructed. ​
Timber construction materials
have lower embodied carbon
than traditional construction
materials, which is a measure
of the sum of all the emissions
generated during the manufacture
of the building products
and materials used in the new
building.
Wood takes in carbon dioxide
straight from the atmosphere
as the trees grow, resulting in a
small carbon footprint, whereas
steel and concrete have high
embodied carbon that cannot be
offset.
Said Mr Nolan: “Figures we
have received for a hypothetical
similar building using steel and
concrete on the level one and
level two floors, shows a net
increase of approximately 334
tonnes of carbon compared with
cross-laminate timber. Using
wood means a negative total
carbon footprint of 160 tonnes,
while steel and concrete would
add 174 tonnes to the environment.
“In simple terms it equates to
taking 110 standard cars off the
road for one year,” he said.
Work commenced on the new
WSP-designed building in July
and is expected to take a year
to construct. The building will
include a new administration,
reception, offices and staffroom
on the ground floor; four teaching
spaces and offices on the first
floor and the same on the second
floor.
The building will also feature
a heat recovery mechanical
ventilation system, low energy
lighting and elevator, and a high
rated thermal envelope reducing
the energy use of the building
when in operation.
Timber, in this application,
provides a resilient structural
solution, that is expected to sustain
minimal structural damage
following a major earthquake,
further adding to its sustainability.
“While the use of timber
in mid-rise commercial/
educational buildings is well
established in Europe, it is an
emerging technology type in
New Zealand, and we are excited
about timber’s resilience and
efficiency,” Mr Nolan said.
Free refills
to combat
plastic waste
GRAHAM CONDON Recreation
& Sport Centre is amongst
the Canterbury businesses aiming
to cut down plastic pollution
by providing free water bottle
refills.
The centre, along with Jellie
Park , Taiora QEII and Pioneer
Recreation & Sport Centre has
joined the network of RefillNZ
stations.
RefillNZ is a non-profit organisation
that enlists hospitality
outlets around the country
to allow visitors to fill up their
reusable water bottles from the
tap for free.
It provides a poster and stickers
to participating businesses
letting people know that water
refilling is available on site. The
network also provides information
about the location of public
drinking fountains.
RefillNZ founder Jill Ford said
66 cafes, hotels, vineyards, i-sites
and other hospitality businesses
are now involved in the initiative
across Canterbury, including
The Store in Tai Tapu, and
Laneway Espresso on Durham St.
Three campaigners are working
for RefillNZ to introduce new
outlets to the scheme with a goal
of signing up 150 sites around the
region this year.
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