Ecospace Project

Presented by

Laura Dresser

December 2006

Lauder College

Incorporating Sustainability

Environmental Aspects

Difficulties Faced

Implications

Where we are:•Main campus in Dunfermline

•2 secondary campuses in Cowdenbeath and Rosyth

•30+ Employment and Enterprise Centres and Learning Centres in South East and Central Scotland

What we do:•Serve East of Scotland

•Demonstrate lead-edge practice in:

•Social inclusion

•Workforce development

•Serving businesses and local community

Reason for new build:•Leading role for Scottish Further Education in the development of a centre of excellence in sustainable development

•Construction industry in Scotland represents 10% of the country’s GDP

•Expected demand of 400 new construction apprentices in Fife over the next 4 years

•Demonstrating best practice in construction training for Scotland

Ecospace is to be the cornerstone of our sustainability strategy within the College

The project is to demonstrate value for money over the life cycle of the building, using sustainable and environmental measures

Architect’s Brief

•An exciting modern facility to train our future crafts people

•Best practice in waste reduction, re-use of materials, procurement of renewable resources and energy use minimisation

•Providing up to date technologies, ICT learning tools

•Incorporate sound sustainable and environmentally friendly measures

Project PlansExisting BuildingASPIRENew Workshops

Incorporating Sustainability•The outline specification of the project stated that:

‘material should be sourced locally and should, as far as possible, be natural materials in as raw and unprocessed state as possible’

•The outline specification also emphasises waste minimisation and the evaluation of the environmental impact of the project

•The environmental impact of all products used within the new building were considered before any purchases were made

•A BREEAM Assessment was carried out

Environmental Aspects•Use of Brownfield site

•75% of excavation material was retained on site (4000 cubic metres)

•This reduced the volume of traffic on surrounding infrastructure

•Sedum (green) roof

•Creates habitat for native flora and fauna

•Creates a horizontal composition in response to existing landscape scales

•Reduces rainwater run-off and

enhances building performance

•Rainwater harvesting supplies

grey water toilet flush systems

•Solar Panels

•Reduces energy consumption from conventional sources

•Total collector area of 50 m2

•Waveform system

•Supplies 45% of annual

energy DHWS load

•Annual emissions savings

of 5.7 tonnes CO2

•Timber frame

•Made from Douglas Fir

•Comes from managed forests

•FSC certified

•Breathing walls

•Insulated with recycled paper

•Oak cladding used for external walls

Other Sustainable Features:•Use of Northlight

•Solar gain panels

•Marmoleum flooring throughout

•Mat well at entrance made from recycled tyres

•Interior walls painted using environmentally friendly paint

•Porous paving used to form external access road

•Cycle racks to encourage use of

sustainable transport

Difficulties experienced:

•Difficult to find contractor interested in a project with green credentials

•Difficult to price unfamiliar materials

•Difficult to obtain competent quotes from sub-contractors

•Challenge to price the job keenly and accurately

Contractor difficulties:

•Accurate planning was difficult

•Lack of availability of locally sourced materials presented a challenge

•Design and detailing of sustainable construction technology wasn’t familiar to main contractor or many sub-contractors

Project Difficulties:

•Keeping costs down

•Excluding various materials and technologies due to cost savings

•Maintaining the integrity of the original project specification

•First time developer, especially of a sustainable building

How We Overcame Difficulties:

•Engaged fully in partnership approach and embraced learning willingly

•Shared financial savings with partners

•Engaged Modern Apprentices and other students and staff in unusual experiences such as the raising of the frame

Implications for the College

•The BMS will be used to monitor the behaviour of the new ‘green’ building in relation to our other campuses

•Introduction of ‘Green Practices’ Strategy

•Cycle-2-Work scheme

•Sustainability of BLCC

Official Launch: 2nd February 2007

www.lauder.ac.uk/sustainability