Natural energy illuminates and ventilates new school building
Extensive use of Monodraught Sunpipes provides natural lighting for new classrooms in an 1100 m2 new building at Goodmayes Primary School in Ilford. Monodraught Windcatcher natural ventilation is also used in two classrooms to provide natural ventilation where cross ventilation cannot be achieved by opening windows.
The school celebrated its centenary in December 2009 and is changing from 2-form to 3-form entry. The new building provides eight more classrooms, a nursery, hall, reception area, staff room and offices.
Tim Pearce of design-and-build contractor Neilcott Construction explains, ‘We need natural lighting in corridors and in certain areas of the classrooms that were too dark. In two of the classrooms, we also required natural ventilation because cross ventilation couldn’t be achieved by opening windows. We have used Monodraught system on previous projects, and for the Goodmayes school building they installed a total of 26 Sunpipes and two Windcatcher systems.’
On the ground floor, Sunpipes are installed in the large kitchen, nursery and toilers. On the first floor, they are fitted in classrooms, cloakrooms, toilets, corridors, stairs and stores. A daylight control system controls illumination levels from electric lighting to reduce energy costs.
The two Windcatchers have motorised volume control dampers linked to a Monodraught iNVent intelligent controls system with temperature and CO2 monitors.
