The new £5 million college has a precast concrete central core comprising wall units, floors, beams, stairways and hollowcore units all manufactured off-site and erected to a just-in-time delivery schedule.
Architects for the project set out with the aim of achieving high thermal performance levels, the lowest possible energy demand (energy footprint) and the highest levels of comfort for the users of the building.
The use of precast concrete contributed substantially to the creation of a high thermal mass building where energy conservation and comfort levels were paramount. The use of twin-skinned insulated panels provides a 20% improvement over Building Regulation U values, making a useful contribution to the BREEAM rating.
Concept architect Teather+Walls of Norwich set out to design a building that would take account of current needs for the lowest running costs and the effects that climate change might have in the future. From the outset, the college building was designed with the aim of achieving a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’.
These qualities have been enhanced by the inclusion of advanced environmental systems in the design, providing controls over both temperatures and C02 levels. In summer, the building can benefit from night purge, with the cool night air automatically allowed in via electrically controlled apertures to lower the fabric temperature, resulting in high daytime comfort levels.
