Further information Skanska AB www.skanska.com
‘Green School’, Denmark
Contact Noel Morrin, Senior Vice President Sustainability noel.morrin@skanska.se
Case Study 4 Aspects of Sustainability
An old barracks in Odense, Denmark, was transformed into a state-of-the-art, sustainable ‘green’ school offering a healthy and economic indoor and outdoor environment using as much of the old buildings as possible.
This project highlights the following:
Social Aspects Human Resources Corporate Community Involvement Business Ethics Health and Safety
Environmental Aspects Energy and Climate Materials Ecosystems Local Impacts
Economic Aspects Project Selection Supply Chain Value Added
Project Introduction The primary aim of the project was to use as much of the old barracks as possible since a significant proportion of the existing architecture was reusable, particularly with its high ceilings which allowed for healthy natural ventilation; much of the original building material was reusable or recyclable whilst maximum preservation and reuse of the old barracks was desirable from an historical and cultural perspective. The project required the application of state-of-the-art technology to existing structures to create healthy indoor and outdoor environments in which to work and play; exciting environments which mixed traditional architecture with new, and buildings which were sustainable by design, in construction and in their operation.
Sustainable Construction The construction project was divided into two pilots to develop innovative and sustainable May 2008 4CS : V3
methods of minimizing energy usage in the construction process and waste from the construction site. Minimizing energy use in construction The construction process sought to identify areas of high energy usage by sub dividing the whole construction area into smaller units in which energy use was measured. Having identified areas of high energy usage it was then possible to develop creative methods to reduce this energy consumption.
Using the Three Rs Principle – ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ Waste from the construction site was identified as recyclable material in a similar fashion to the analysis of energy usage; by sorting waste from the site into much smaller fractions than had been used in the past, a far greater percentage of the material was identified as reusable. In total, 97% of the waste material was recycled which had
beneficial effects for the environment and the project’s finances. Material from buildings which had to be demolished was reused for the construction of parking areas after it had been crushed on site.
Environmental Aspects A material choice Surface materials used in the classrooms were chosen with care using life cycle analysis of all potential products to ensure that any negative environmental or health and safety effects were identified and avoided. This analysis was conducted at every stage of the product’s life cycle, from potential greenhouse gas emissions created in production through to hazardous emissions from end of life incineration or landfill. Energy usage To reduce the need for artificial electric lighting and the accompanying costs associated with this energy source, all rooms were designed to have access to daylight. Furthermore, all electric lighting in the building was designed to be manually turned on, but turned off automatically – merely by the absence of people in a room. Energy usage is constantly monitored for environmental and cost considerations; the data is highly visible and accessible on manual displays. The manual display of energy usage data also provides an educational resource which creates an awareness of energy and sustainability issues. A healthy indoor environment The buildings are automatically controlled to provide optimum temperature, carbon dioxide levels and external weather conditions. Sensors placed in appropriate positions in the buildings register possible mould and moisture levels, thereby providing early warning alert levels for building maintenance and ensuring the health of school children and adults within the indoor environment.
May 2008 4CS : V3