The skills centre will be two storeys, with a ground floor area of 766m2 and a first floor area of 207m2, giving a total floor area of 973m2.

The centre will be open from 8.30-16.30 Mon-Fri with evening use of 18.00-21.00.

A pre-BREEAM assessment has already been carried out. It is a requirement that the skills centre achieves an ‘excellent’ rating and the Bridge Centre extension achieves a ‘very good’ rating (unless site constraints mean that the latter requirement conflicts with the obligation to achieve value for money).

(Note: BRE is a research, consultancy, training, testing and certification organisation focusing on sustainability and innovation across the built environment. The BREEAM assessment methods and tools are designed to help construction professionals understand and mitigate the environmental impacts of the developments they design and build).

Building site

The skills centre will be built on a former school playground. There are already two other buildings on the site, which will be extended/refurbished as part of the skills centre construction project:

1. The Bridge Centre, which is an independent building taking primary age children in danger of being excluded out of their mainstream setting for up to six weeks at a time. The Bridge Centre will be extended to ensure independence from the Pupil Support Centre building.

2. The Pupil Support Centre, which takes mainly excluded secondary-aged pupils for up to six weeks at a time. The kitchen in the Pupil Support Centre will be refurbished and converted into a catering and training kitchen, which will provide meals for the whole site.

_ Three temporary classroom units will be demolished as part of this project. The area where two of the temporary classrooms are located will be used to develop a kitchen garden for the Bridge Centre.

Integration of the new skills centre (left) with the existing site

Sustainability in the building process

The construction process will take into account sustainability principles, in terms of the cost and type of materials used to ensure energy efficiency, recycling and re-use, efficient use of water, waste management, landscaping, and wildlife considerations.

The building contractor will be required to:

 Select materials with low embodied energy and carbon miles

 Use timber products supplied from an accredited sustainable source

 Sort and recycle all waste and surplus materials during construction

Sustainability of the building

An all-encompassing sustainable management plan will be written to aid the understanding and management of the sustainable elements of the site.

_ Building envelope

The skills centre building will be highly insulated with mineral wool.

Prefabricated panels being delivered to the site

Heating

 The boiler in the Bridge Centre will be replaced with a gas-fired condensing boiler

 The skills centre and the Pupil Support Centre will be served by a new wood pellet biomass boiler (sited in the Pupil Support Centre)

 The existing gas boilers will be retained for use in the event of the biomass boiler breaking down

 A solar thermal system will be used for water heating, with solar panels fitted to the two roof planes with a south-west aspect

Boiler house and biomass storage

Cooling

 Windows on the south-east and south-west faces of the skills centre and the Bridge Centre extension will be protected from the sun by fixed, brise-soleil louvers

 A partial passive ventilation system will be installed in the skills centre to combat solar and internal heat gains

_ Appliances

 All white goods and information technology equipment to be purchased will be Grade A for energy efficiency where available

 Any old appliances from the Bridge Centre and the Pupil Support Centre that are no longer needed will be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner

_ Lighting

 Energy efficient lighting will be used both internally and externally

 Light levels and energy use will comply with BREEAM and Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) best practice guides

 All lights will have movement sensors

_ (Note: CIBSE represents building services engineers and their various specialties)

_ Water

 A rainwater recovery system will be installed and used to provide water for the skills centre toilets

 Water will be metered so that this can be used as a teaching aid for students

_ Recycling and composting

Recycling and composting will be encouraged through the provision of:

 External and internal recycling facilities

 Recycling bins for all occupiers in all areas of the building

 External and internal composting facilities

_ Recycling will also be encouraged through the development of an environmental site management plan.

_ External areas

 A sun-sheltered area will be provided for the skills centre

 New garden amenity areas will be provided for users of the skills centre and the Bridge Centre

Reduced utility costs

It is expected that the utility costs for the site will decrease over time due to the installation of a biomass wood pellet boiler and a gas condensing boiler, an electric only kitchen and the use of building materials with high-performing, sustainable qualities.

Reduced CO2 emissions

The building and services have been designed to achieve a minimum of 30% improvement in the CO2 emission rate (in excess of the UK Building Regulations Part L 2A 2006) by using a wood pellet biomass boiler combined with solar-powered hot water.

Educating students

Given that the purpose of the skills centre is to provide a teaching tool for basic vocational qualifications including construction trades, the building itself will provide an excellent practical example of sustainable construction. Features such as the water meter will also be used to educate students on sustainable practices.