The Architecture Centre
Sustainable school case study
Rogiet Primary School Monmouthshire
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© White Design
Sustainable design features armcel insulation W Sustainably-sourced timber Rainwater harvesting Building management system (BMS) Solar panels for heating Vertical axis wind turbine Passive ventilation system Natural daylight provides lighting Efficient thermal properties
Rogiet Primary School has already won a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ award for its design and achieved an overall rating of 78.18% across the standards categories, the highest rating for a school in the UK. The layout of the building is essentially 2 wings: the north wing accommodates the classrooms with large windows for natural light and the south wing accommodatES the school offices, entrance and community hall.
Project description The School has many sustainable elements of which most are integrated into the building and the surrounding landscape and some added to the building fabric. The overall outcome is a school building that educates its users and respects the environment. The building’s thermal performance is 20 pecent better than current building performance requirements. Achieved by filling the building wall cavity with recycled shredded newspaper. The entire school is constructed using sustainably-sourced timber. The internal and external walls are constructed out of timber stud walls and the larger frame members are glue laminated. The timber façade is constructed from untreated cedar to reduce the use of non-environmentally friendly wood preservatives. A large proportion of the building is constructed from pre-fabricated timber panels which allow for a much shorter time on-site. Rainwater is collected from the building roof and stored in an underground water tank; this water is
Updated: May 2010
then partially treated and used to flush the toilets. The building management system (BMS) is capable of sensing any uncomfortable temperature levels. If the building is too hot the BMS will open a window to allow for a fresh cool air supply and if the building is too cold it can heat spaces using an under-floor heating system. Building as a teaching tool The building has been designed to act as a teaching tool showcasing its design features for example various clear pipes show the rainwater that is being harvested, and plastic panels in the walls show the insulation within. The whole building has a layout specifically designed around learning, and the external spaces and roads on the site have been planned in such a way which means that children and vehicles never cross.
Rogiet Primary School, Monmouthshire
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Essential data
Further information
“BREEAM has set the standards to aim for and has encouraged the site team to interact with the school in developing sustainability as an embedded culture, thus encouraging future generations to live sustainably.”
Location Monmouthshire
Architects: www.white-design.co.uk
Completed: October 2009
Building Services www.mccannp.com
Project team
Structural Engineer: www.jubb.uk.com
Derek Downer, Head of Property Services, Monmouthshire County Council “With Monmouthshire County Council, who commissioned the building, and Willmott Dixon, our construction partners, we shared an innovative approach and an ambition to make Rogiet school an exemplar of sustainable design, which BREEAM has enabled us to measure and celebrate”
Client: Monmouthshire County Council Cost £2046/m2
Construction: www.willmottdixongroup.co.uk Ecologist: www. rpsgroup.com School: www.rogiet.monmouthshire.sch.uk
BREEAM rating: Excellent 78.18% © White Design
Craig White, Architect
Architect: White Design Building Services: McCann & Partners Structural Engineers: Jubb Consulting Construction: Wilmott Dixon Ecologist: RPS BREEAM Assessor: WD Re-Thinking
This case study was produced by the Architecture Centre. For more information about the centre visit www.architecturecentre.co.uk