all consultants, contractors, and subcontractors have been using to
ensure that most sustainable practices are employed in the design,
specifying and construction of the school. The LBC looks at the
place, water, energy, health and happiness, materials, equity, and
beauty. The essence of a living building is a regenerative building
that connects the occupants to food, nature, and community. It
must be self-sufficient and stay within its local and site resources
but most importantly it must have a positive impact on the humans
and nature that it interacts with.
The material choice of the architecture has been driven by
these principles and informed by traditional, natural building
materials and methodologies. The site is in a river valley and
the rounded stones are used as gabion walls, dry packed ‘werf’
walls, storm water swales, building cladding and paving. Natural
stone locally sourced are cut into slabs that are used as basins.
Rammed earth walls are constructed from the clay rich soil found
on site. Where traditional clay bricks are used, the mortar is made
from local lime and sand. Earth plasters are used extensively, and
are made from sand, clay and lime. A similar mix is used on the
floors with an organic binder. Reeds found in the valley are used
as traditional ceiling cladding. Using recycled materials is another
strategy employed to ensure a reduced carbon footprint. All the
classroom doors are recycled Teak and Oregon pine doors reclaimed
from old buildings in Paarl.
Photovoltaic panels on the Heart of the school turn the sun’s
rays into energy. Design strategies like natural ventilations, thermal
mass, maximum daylighting, and orientation ensure a very low
energy demand from all the buildings. The Thermally Activated
Building System (TABS) is a combined heating and cooling system
with pipes embedded in the earth floors that will be used to control
the building climate in the extreme winter and summer conditions.
The heat generated from microbial breakdown of organic material
in the compost heaps for the permaculture gardens will be used to
heat up the TABS system in winter.
Borehole water supplies the school with drinking water. All
the rainwater is captured in dams and storage facilities to provide
irrigation for the edible landscaping. The wastewater is treated on
site in such a way that the byproducts can be reintroduced into the
water system.
The Green School in Paarl will be a true living building, the building
design, landscaping, services, and technology employed have all
been done in a way that will form part of the learning at the school.
Architects: Gass Architecture Studios
Project Watch 15