The Earth Centre Building

This is a set of new teaching & learning spaces focussing on ecology and climate change which are at the core of the didactic structure of  ‘The Earth Centre’ . This new building is to be built at at Kingsley School, North Devon and will cater for all ages from Nursery to A-Level B-Tech. More information on that on this: Youtube video

The building is @1000m2 and is to house a 100x seat lecture theater, 3x science labs, open practical learning areas & independent study areas.

From a sustainability point of view the building has particular focus on the following concepts:

Passive solar design concepts in orientation and window sizing, shading and positioning.

Hybrid trombe wall system involving planted research ‘green houses’ with thermal mass in earth floor and rear walls to provide additional radiative solar heat gain into the interiors in the cooler months.

Re-using of the exisitng ex Kiltrasna Boarding House mass fill wall foundations removing carbon and energy heavy concrete requirements.

Use of renewable energy production in the form of ground source heating arays, solar PV and thermal panels on the optimal south facing roofs.

Intelligent heating and cooling systems which intuit and adjust natural ventilation and passive stack effects throughout the building. There is a north facing external cool air plenum available above a green roof which can be introduced to the labs to provide natural, filtered cooling air in Summer.

Use of CLT and glulam timber structures from renewable and local sources. Limecrete floors. Hempcrete walls. Miscanthus grass bale and lime rendered walls. Locally sourced larch cladding.

Full rainwater harevsting.

Biodiversity tapestry and intensive green roofs.