Sevenoaks School Science and Technology and Sixth Form Centre

The thermally massive structure is naturally ventilated to provide good thermal comfort year-round. In the physics lab, natural ventilation openings incorporate light-proof louvres to allow for experiments which require blackout. Active cooling is avoided to most spaces by adopting solar shading blinds behind fixed windows, generous daytime natural ventilation rates and a night ventilation strategy to purge heat from the exposed concrete soffits. 

The central atrium acts as a lung, permitting efficient cross ventilation to all teaching spaces via acoustically attenuated permanently open vents. Those spaces which may be more prone to overheating have low carbon cooling provided by borehole water circulating through fair-faced concrete soffits. After it has cooled the spaces, this borehole water is recycled for WC flushing, reducing water consumption. Heat loss is minimised by insulation and airtightness levels which are 25% better than required by building regulations.

The MEP installation is tightly coordinated and integrated, sympathetic to the building's high architectural aspirations. Services are distributed horizontally around the perimeter of the building, serving individual rooms via a raised floor void, permitting long-term flexibility to rearrangement of rooms with minimal disruption to adjoining spaces. Heating, cooling and lighting are all demand controlled and there is a centralised BMS to provide control, monitoring and optimization of control algorithms.

The design team have been fully involved in the handover process, testing functionality, operation and dynamic response of the building systems. The building will be monitored and adjusted through the initial 12 months of operation and a post occupancy review will be carried out to assess the operation of the systems and the need for any proposed further adjustments.