The
Centre is working with local architectural design firm NPS South West and Devon County Council on the design of the
replacement building for
The
ambition for the new building is to achieve zero carbon in operation (i.e. a
net energy balance of zero over the year), as well as achieving a BREEAM rating
of at least ‘Very Good’.
In
order to achieve this, the building has been designed with a highly insulated
and airtight envelope to minimise heat loss.
With very high specification in these areas, the building will be able
to make good use of incidental heat gains to maintain a reasonable temperature
during the winter. This design
philosophy is known as Passivhaus design and has a successful track record in
mainland
By
using minimal energy for heating combined with energy efficient electrical
appliances, the overall energy demand of the building is very low. The decision was made to make any additional
heating services electric, thereby allowing for a single type of renewable to
provide the building’s energy in the form of electricity. Photovoltaic has been chosen as the most
consistent renewable in terms of output.
The
design of the school has undergone several iterations to reach its current
stage. Although many specifics have yet
to be fixed, the building’s general form has been decided. It is to be a long building oriented along an
east-west axis. This allows the
classrooms to be placed along the north elevation which will minimise solar
gain and glare problems in the summer.
By making the north elevation two-storey, a sloping roof can be placed
at the optimum angle for the photovoltaic panels to maximise electricity
production.
You
can read more about the project on the school’s
website, or see the article from the local paper, the Express
& Echo.
