With widely reported recognition that pupil concentration and attainment directly relates to the quality of the internal environment; coupled with increased awareness by local authorities to build both sustainably and with a focus on energy use, the design of education buildings is evolving.

From a pupil perspective, a classroom environment that maintains CO2 levels at below 1000ppm, and offers daylighting factors closer to 1000lux, generates the optimum condition for concentration and engagement. This must then be balanced with consideration of building heat gains, air flow and building efficiency, to ensure this environment can be created in a sustainable manner that offers long term economics for UK Councils.

The opportunity to align with sustainability credentials, and demonstrate a positive contribution to the learning estate, can be achieved through application of accredited standards such as Passivhaus, NZEB [Nearly Zero Energy Building directive] and BREEAM, however in determining suitability, focus must remain on long term maintenance, building management system complexity, and accurate energy-in-use modelling. This will ensure that authorities inherit an asset that both enhances the quality of the teaching environment, whilst demonstrably adhering to the expected running costs and forecasted estate efficiencies.

In setting a sustainability brief for a project, Holmes Miller work with our clients, focussing on an initial 5 targets, which can effectively guide project parameters, and ensure that sustainability and carbon efficiency remain integral from RIBA Stage 0 to completion.