Small Chemistry Seminars

Through the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme bids were commissioned for the innovative delivery of two new primary schools in Wales that demonstrated innovation and collaboration with local communities - including school pupils - in their design, delivery and management.  Such was the interest in the Sustainable Schools Challenge three successful bids were chosen to progress: these being Bontnewydd Community Campus in Gwynedd, Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Rhosafan in Neath Port Talbot and a new primary school in the Glyn-coch community of Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The approach taken by each of the three project teams will present the pathway taken for their exciting design and collaborative approach and will act as a blueprint for future school developments. They offer an opportunity to learn about sustainability, and also for learners to have an opportunity to be involved with the design (including appointment of a design team!) and delivery of these buildings, to shape the environment they will learn with and to understand how decisions taken today have an impact on their future.

Bontnewydd Community Campus, Gwynedd

• Aimee Jones, TACP Architects
• Richard Farmer, Gwynedd Council

Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Rhosafan, Neath Port Talbot

Glyn-coch, Rhondda Cynon Taf

• Daniel Jones, Willmott Dixon
• Nicola Millard, Willmott Dixon
• Jessica Roach, Willmott Dixon
• James Page, Stride Treglown
• Mark Morant, Arda Consulting
• Rhondda Cynon Taf representatives

Can an Energy Pod System be Used as a Means to Decarbonisation?
Ian Keeling, Principal Engineer, Cundall

As a national imperative there is a drive to reduce carbon emissions to meet the UKs carbon budgets. Using the Government’s thought leadership in Modern Methods of Construction the ‘Energy Pod’ project seeks to explore the opportunity to set out a standard design for low carbon modular off site produced plant rooms to act as a plug and play technology to decarbonise
operational buildings and sites.

The Energy Pod Research and Innovation Project takes on a whole system approach to decarbonisation. It is not, however, intended to address all elements from day one by itself. It is recognised that very few schools will be in a position to transfer immediately to an all-electric solution (such as Heat Pumps), due to the cost of the fabric improvements that are required to
make such systems viable.

The premise of the Energy Pods solution is to put in place a planned routemap for the initial installation of the Pods, but also the longer term interventions to fully decarbonise a site. The project team has developed the designs to prove the viability as a platform system, and has also put together a Design Guide for engaging Schools and Multi-Academy Trusts with the
Energy Pods pathway. This presentation will detail the current designs, as well as the proposed routes to get involved.

MIM Programme 18 months on
Christian Stanbury, WEPCo & James Jones, Sheppard Robson

Eighteen months on from Financial Close for the first MIM Pathfinder schemes, how is the programme developing, what are the challenges and lessons learned so far and what does the future look like?

Christian Stanbury of WEPCo and James Jones of Sheppard Robson will talk through progress to date – with the first primary schools completing and some large FE colleges on the drawing board – and set out crucial lessons learned around design, engagement, and delivery as well as the challenges of meeting ambitious Net Zero Carbon targets. Developing and designing projects in a challenging economic climate has created a volume of lessons which they are keen to share with the audience as well as how these are being applied to the forthcoming FE schemes.