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Gilberts

Design On Learning About The Natural Environment

Connectivity between internal and external environments is going beyond the curriculum at a new school on the Isle of Sheppey: it is reflected even in the architectural design.

Literally central to the ethos, at least as far as the building construction is concerned, is the utilisation of natural resources solutions from Gilberts Blackpool. The company has provided eight bespoke high performance penthouse terminals, which provide an unobtrusive zero carbon solution to maintaining a bright, fresh environment within.

Main contractor Kier has designed and built the £5million Halfway Houses School for Education Funding Agency under the Priority Schools Building Programme. Kier turned to Gilberts- Britain’s leading independent air movement specialist- to develop a strategy.

Gilberts’ team devised an innovative solution that not only capitalised on natural ventilation, but also natural light within. Gilberts in-house designed, tested and manufactured bespoke terminals, each 4.6m x 2.2m, to both draw fresh air into the building via an integrated Mistrale VN75 high efficiency damper, and exhaust the used air, using passive stack principles.

Each terminal is topped with a double-glazed ridged rooflight to optimise natural light along the length of the school’s central corridor and break-out learning areas, and further reduce the carbon footprint by reducing reliance on artificial light.