Heatwaves and the school environment

The UK’s heatwave earlier this summer disrupted the end of term, with some schools finishing early, cancelling events or moving to online learning.

The extreme heat brought into sharp focus both the issue of climate change, and the importance of having a healthy indoor environment for pupils and staff in schools.

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) tackles the subject on page 49, looking at links between air quality, temperature and Covid-safety controls within school buildings.

The government’s sustainability and climate change strategy for education says that not only will all new DfE-delivered school buildings be net zero in operation, they will be designed for a 2oC rise in average global temperatures and future-proofed for a 4oC rise. This is so they are resilient to the risks of climate change, including increased flooding and higher indoor temperatures.

Richard Hipkiss, development director of the Modular and Portable Building Association (MPBA), takes on the subject of greener school buildings on page 40, and makes a case for volumetric manufactured buildings in shaping a net zero future.

Angela Pisanu, editor