Brine Leas Post 16 Learning Centre has had planning permission approved, and we have now started the full detail design.

As we know, sustainable buildings start from good passive design strategies. It is crucial to have the correct orientation, shape, form, room layout and building fabric as the starting point in minimising energy usage as well as maximising occupants’ comfort.

The new Post 16 building has been orientated to benefit from passive heating in winter, but without excessive heat gain in summer. The south facing elevation is dominated by a deep roof overhang designed to stop high angled sun in summer but allowing desirable low angled sun in winter. This strategy allows for the use of larger glazed areas without excessive solar heat gain and glare.

We have carried out a comparative assessment between the carbon performance of utilising natural ventilation and mechanical ventilation for the school. The result shows that by having mechanical ventilation the school’s annual carbon emission will be lower than that of natural ventilation. This is mainly due to higher energy saving from recovering the heat that would otherwise be lost in natural ventilation, compared to the fan’s energy consumption. Mechanical ventilation can also ensure that the required indoor air quality in terms of air changes and CO2 level will be satisfactorily met. With good control strategies, the use of mechanical ventilation can be further restricted only to periods when it is required, such as during winter months when CO2 levels are generally at their highest; making it an energy-efficient mixed mode ventilation system.

The general environmental philosophy is to use ventilation introduced by the displacement effect. By introducing air at low level just below room temperature, heat is pushed to high level. The warm air is then extracted for heat recovery whereby it preheats incoming fresh air. The high room heights act as a reservoir for the warm air and exposed mass absorbs heat. In summer the building can be purged with night air to recharge the exposed mass with coolth.