Westborough Primary School – DCSF Zero Carbon exemplar refurbishment projectOver the past 16 years Cottrell and Vermeulen Architecture’s working relationship with Westborough Primary School has provided the opportunity to explore and test new ideas and ways of working. As a consequence we have been able to create projects of local and international standing that have influenced Government policy, pushed the boundaries of sustainable design, and created an exemplar of collaborative approach to development. In 1992 Cottrell and Vermeulen were appointed by the Governors to provide a five year Maintenance Plan, Estate Strategy and Master plan for this Edwardian School, which suffered from a typically fragmented and piecemeal set of buildings and spaces. The need for repair and refurbishment provided an opportunity to bring the built environment in line with the vision of the school and create a school appropriate to the needs of its community.

Biomass boiler

Wind turbine

Woodchip storage

Woodchip delivery

Biomass boilerlocated in bsement

Wind turbine

Buffer zone / PV roof

Buffer zone / PV roof

Best PracticeTowards SustainableSchools

1

22

33

44

55

66

18Conversion into creative space

77

8816conversioninto library

16conversioninto library

1010

99

15conversioninto SEN

15conversioninto SEN

girls'ch'groom

girls'ch'groom

boys'ch'groom

boys'ch'groom

flexible space:Hall / Dining /Club / SportsCommunity hire

flexible space:Hall / Dining /Club / SportsCommunity hire

wcwc

wcwc

mirror roommirror room

HeadHeadPPAPPA

com'ity/familycom'ity/family

ass.headass.head admin.admin.

Rec.Rec.lobbylobby

corridor throughcorridor throughmeet'groommeet'groom

1111

1212

1313

1414

17conversioninto library

17conversioninto library

CardboardSchool

CardboardSchool

NurseryNurseryNurseryNursery

Proposed access throughbuilding connects

external circulation

Outside area for SEN

Proposed circulation canopy cuts through building to connect with existing circulation paths.Improves connection with foundation zone.

Entrance area enlarged to

accommodate public entrance.

Ramps built out onto street edge.

Adapted reception & waitng

area for parents & visitors

Buffer zone insulates facade

Hall opens up onto buffer zone

/ canopy and games court

Games court rotated and pushed to allow for morespace in foundation zone.

Outside area for foundation stage,potential for development

Proposed wall for foundation storage

PHASE 1

PHASE 2

PHASE 2

PHASE 1

1. KS1 & KS2 2. Entrance 3. School hall / community

4. Foundationstage

Main reception/waiting area

Phase 1B

Phase 1

Zone boundary

Additional classrooms

Classrooms

Proposed external circulation

Library

Break-out spaces

SEN

Proposed internal circulation

kitchenkitchen

wcwc

wcwc

wcwc

permanentserverypermanentservery

wcwc

bio-massbio-mass

bio-massst'ge

bio-massst'ge

bio-massbio-mass

Best Practice

This Master plan provided the basis for a series of building programmes and research projects encompassing everything from the improvement of dining facilities and accessibility of the site to the construction of the internationally renowned Cardboard Building awarded the RIBA Journal Sustainability Prize in 2002. The school recently received the award for Sustainable Schools within the East of England at the DfES 2007 teaching awards.

Westborough is about to embark on a zero carbon development, which is part of a research project into sustainable schools lead by Balfour Beatty Construction. It will be a case study for reducing carbon in an existing school environment. To support this, Buro Happold’s Alternative Technology and Sustainability Unit are developing strategies for reducing their carbon footprint.

In formulating the best approach to the refurbishment Cottrell + Vermeulen has made careful assessments of the efficiencies of the existing fabric in order to work out how to work with the existing resources and minimise disruption. After seven years work with Westborough it has become evident that the Edwardian model of a school no longer directly reflects the school’s contemporary educational ethos. However, much of the built space works well within the functioning of a modern primary school.

Phase 1 is planned to provide a more appropriate entrance and school hall and community facilities and can be used a temporary decant space for the refurbishment of the educational spaces in phase 2. Phase 1 also plans to transform the schools efficiency by upgrading the existing fabric and providing renewable energy sources.

Phase 2 will complete the refurbishment and is focused around a ‘Lean, Mean and Green’ methodology.

Lean:Reducing the buildings energy demand by improving the passive energy performance of the following building elements/constructions:

thermal performance of the building fabric;•air tightness of the building;•utilisation of daylight;•rationalisation of the building footprint.•

Mean:Manage supply and demand more efficiently by utilising efficient technologies and energy management practises to improve the performance of the following systems installations:

heating;•lighting;•hot water;•IT/small power;•sub metering and energy management.•

Green:Utilisation of renewable/low carbon energy sources to provide the low carbon generation of:

heat;•hot water;•electricity.•