upgrade trophy cabinet, picking up three RIBA regional gongs from the Royal Society of Architects of Wales – the Welsh Architecture Award, the Sustainability Award, and the Property Architect of the Year award went jointly to Andrew Tidy and Architype’s George Mikurcik. The judges citation praised an “extremely sensitive, very carefully considered building that focuses on health and wellbeing and sets the bar higher for the schools of the future.” Further awards are possible too: the project has been shortlisted for the National Eisteddfod of Wales’ Gold Medal for Architecture. Main contractor WRW has also been shortlisted for the Constructing Excellence in Wales Sustainability Award for the project, while Architype and Cygnum have been shortlisted for the educational building award at the Structural Timber Awards for the project.
the standard. Andrew estimates the passive building may have cost between 8% and 10% more than other new build schools in the area. But he says that given the complexities of the project, and the use of an innovative structural method, it’s not the best basis for a comparison.
The school has now occupied the new buildings for a year, though data from the first year of monitoring wasn’t yet available at the time of going to print. But Andrew Tidy says feedback has been hugely positive. “The simple operation of the new buildings, minus a BMS, as well as the comfort benefits, have both been highly commended as a resounding success,” he says.
He recounts one story that illustrates how the new buildings have improved the learning environment for kids at the school. He says that in one instance the parents of a child suffering from chronic asthma told the school of a tangible improvement in their child’s lung function since moving into the new building last September. “This is so encouraging, and some of the best feedback we have received,” Andrew says. “Fantastic.”
But he does think building to the passive house standard added something to the cost. He adds, however, that it’s difficult to gauge how much of this was down to lack of experience and market confidence — both of which should be temporary factors — and how much is down to more permanent costs, like passive house design. “This is still a relatively niche market in Wales,” he says. Because this was a complicated project, with a refurbishment element and two new buildings — only one of which was passive — it’s not easy to tease out the extra cost of meeting
The council’s next passive house projects may reveal more. Carmarthenshire County Council has committed to building two more passive house schools, one of which has recently started on site. Andrew says that given the success of Burry Port, the council may look to adopt a more formal passive house policy, but it isn’t quite at that stage yet. The local authority is, however, planning to train some of its staff to become passive house designers.
“I also feel we have captured the imagination of the children,” he says, through “introducing practical and creative lessons in recycling and natural materials through immersing the workspaces with tactile and thought provoking design.” This includes the use of recycled tyres, cellulose insulation, the larch cladding, and so on. “The new buildings are a life-size lesson,” says. “It’s incredibly pleasing and inspiring for myself listening to them, on many an occasion now, enthuse about their ‘new home’.”
SELECTED PROJECT DETAILS Client: Carmarthenshire County Council Architect: Architype & Carmarthenshire County Council Main contractor: WRW Construction Timber frame: Cygnum M&E engineer: Troup Bywaters & Anders Civil & structural engineer: Bingham Hall Partnership Energy consultant: Elemental Solutions Passive house certifier: Warm Mechanical contractor: Lorne Stewart Cellulose insulation: PYC Floor insulation: Jablite Windows & doors: Ecohaus Internorm Acoustic panels: Troldtekt Sheathing boards: Hunton Plasterboard: British Gypsum Airtightness products: Siga / Pro Clima Airtightness tester: Melin Consultants Larch cladding: Pontrilas Sawmills MVHR: Swegon Roofing: VM Zinc/ Bauder Marmoleum flooring: Forbo Rubber flooring: Nora Carpet tiles: Paragon Cladding: Pontrilas Sawmill Timber treatment: Osmo
(Below, clockwise from top left) The main timberframe KS2 building at Burry Port, seen here with Hunton Sarket T&G sheathing board; before larch cladding was installed over the timber battens; the Swegon Gold MVHR system; the curved walls of the brettstapel pod building; Larsen trusses in the KS2 building which were fully filled with Warmcel insulation;the stapled and sealed 18mm OSB on the inside forms the airtightness layer.
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