PROJECT SUMMARY
Educational
07 Feb 2005
The field study centre is used by around 10,000 local schoolchildren each year, as well as community groups and adult learners. The design brief was to build a centre that would inspire and educate generations of youngsters about their impact on the natural environment. The building has been built to be near carbon neutral in its space heating and hot water requirements, with electricity use vastly reduced by high daylighting levels. Overall the building was designed for significantly reduced CO2 emissions compared to having designed it to the (then current) 2002 regulatory standards. Ongoing monitoring of the centre's energy and water consumption will continually assess whether these dramatic targets are being genuinely achieved - in the short-, medium- and, hopefully, long-term. (see monitoring section)
The building is " an enlightening educational resource that inspires us to take positive action for the environment. " Mike Moreton, SCEEC
The building design incorporates the following:
- Structural rammed earth blockwork & lightweight interlocking clay block partitions
- Waterless urinals & low water usage sanitaryware
- Rainwater collected & used for flushing toilets and general cleaning uses
- On-site "separation and compost" sewage treatment system
- Clean burning wood stoves for space and hot water heating
- Natural clay plasters
- Ecological self levelling and self colouring floor finishes
- Natural paints and finishes throughout
- Home-grown cedar shingles for upper rooves to collect rainwater
- Passive solar design as key to building's orientation and position
- Super-insulated British made timber 'I' beam structural frame
- Sheep's wool and recycled cellulose fibre insulation materials
- Turf roof to the lower rooves of the building to replace lost habitat area
- P.V/Thermal hybrid Solar panel to provide summer hot water in addition to stove
To see details of events at the centre or arrange a visit: www.bbowt.org.uk/pages/education/sutton.htm
SCEEC press release press releaseBBOWT.doc (104 Kb) |
wood burnt to date BBOWT baskets July 05.pdf (5 Kb) |
Visitor numbers to date BBOWT Visitors July 05.pdf (5 Kb) |
Electricity used to date BBOWT Electric July 05.pdf (5 Kb) |
Water used to date BBOWT Water July 05.pdf (5 Kb) |