Aedas R&D

Under the Technology Strategy Board’s Building Performance Evaluation programme, Aedas R&D have been commissioned to assess two schools post completion for both energy and functional performance. The study will be looking to understand how educational buildings support learning excellence by comparing their performance, comfort and usability and seeing how they can improve and reduce their emissions in operation. These evaluations offer the potential for future projects to benefit from lessons learned.

Case Study A
The environmental approach to the design of Loxford School, developed in close collaboration with Max Fordham, aimed for a naturally cross-ventilated building with simple controls. Feedback from CO2 sensors installed in classrooms prompt users to open windows instead of relying on an automated Building Management System. Active chilled beam cooling is used in the high ICT density central blocks where it wasn’t possible to achieve natural ventilation. A number of other low carbon measures have been integrated into the design, such as ground source heat pumps, vertical external louvres and good access to daylight throughout.