The 100m2 timber framed building at South Baddesley Primary School in Lymington has been designed by John Pardey Architects (JPA) and is being built by main contractor F & S Noble ltd. Made from local timber and incorporating a sedum living green roof, the centre will be a living learning tool in sustainability for both the school and local community.
In adopting a “Fabric First” approach for the centre, together with an airtight building envelope to eliminate uncontrolled air leakage, JPA suggested the use of Tradical Hemcrete, as its thermal inertia is a perfect counterpoint to the lightweight nature of a timber framed structure.
Lime Technology worked with JPA in the development of the project recommending their new pre-dried panel system Hembuild which offered the advantage of an ”off-site” system with Tradical Hemcrete infill as well.
‘The school were particularly interested in the use of Hembuild and Tradical Hemcrete, as one of the parents at the school had recently introduced a hemp crop as part of their farm diversification,’ commented Gary Lawrence of JPA. ‘The notion that the fabric of the building could have originated from the immediate locality was an attractive one, together with the knowledge that its use was indirectly supporting a local business.’
Hembuild can be supplied in a range of U-Values from 0.11 to 0.19 W/m2K to provide a thermally efficient building envelope. Its unique thermal inertia means that the system buffers changes in external temperature to keep a stable internal environment and greatly reduce the energy usage. Its offsite production process and use of renewable materials also has minimal environmental impact making the system ideal for this eco-friendly school.
By using Hembuild customers get the best of both worlds – modern methods of construction and inherent sustainability - with a quick build and a predictable programme at all times of the year, giving the thermal advantages of solid wall construction in a build time of lightweight timber frame.
Further energy saving measures at the school eco centre include a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery unit to ensure a good supply of fresh air to the space and an under floor heating system linked to an air source heat pump which can be powered by the school’s existing array of photovoltaic panels.
Set to open in June 2012, the ‘Fabric First’ approach and the use of the Hembuild system in this school ecological centre will significantly contribute to the building’s thermal performance.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
