Detailed design decisions were also made to reduce the buildings carbon footprint with the following :
• Reduce power usage by designing for natural light and ventilation i . e ., 65 % of buildings have no HVAC .
• The roof and walls are well insulated regulating heat transmission and reducing heat gain .
• There is no hot water supply to the ablutions .
• Limited hot water supply to kitchens and use of gas equipment .
• Light fittings are all power saving LED fittings with motion sensors to prevent unnecessary usage .
• Recreational spaces have large glazing with no requirement for artificial lighting during the day , however all glass is Low E and tinted with large overhangs preventing excessive heat gain inside the building .
• HVAC is based on a central chiller pipe system reducing HVAC power usage further .
• Reduced water usage with water saving urinals , limited shower facilities , and metering basin taps .
• Water wise plants were used requiring limited watering which was also limited due to dolomitic conditions . However , due to capital cost limitations , no solar heating was installed but has been planned for on the classroom and workshop roofs and as future covering for parking . This will be carried out in a second phase . In a similar vein , the harvesting of rainwater has been designed for roof rainwater run off on the workshops and will be used to irrigate
Sol-Tech 57