PROJECT SUMMARY
Education / Charity
08 Mar 2005
Black Country Groundwork operate an educational project, with a market garden and sawmill. This building was designed in 2000, and built in 2001 by Greenbuilt, specialists in community timber frame projects.
This is a modest project, but the kind that benefits from sustainable construction principles, both in its everyday use, and in its role as a positive example. The Groundwork Trusts are involved in community landscaping and educational projects all over the country.
The sawmill project at Groundwork Black Country uses a mobile mill housed here in this building constructed of local timber, and produces simple timber products for use in its landscaping work.
The building is self-sufficient in its electrical needs, using photovoltaic panels and a wind turbine installed by 'Wind & Sun ltd'. This was an economic choice since the building is 300m away from mains connection.
Greenbuilt, AECB members based in Stoke, built the building, working with on-site volunteers to erect the oak frames as a team-building exercise.
The wall panels have been lined with screwed-on OSB, for ease of shelf-fixing etc. but also so that insulation could be retrofitted at a later date.