Merrylee Primary School by Austin-Smith:Lord, United Kingdom

November 15, 2009 Category: Education, Public Buildings

Located in Glasgow, United Kingdom, The Merrylee Primary School is the School building for £ 7m Southside Glasgow was designed by Austin-Smith: Lord for Glasgow City Council, recently completed and has received praise from the local community and its headmaster. Boasting an impressive range of sustainability and design features, the shape of the building was designed in response to the formal grid of neighborhood and address the existing Notre Dame Elementary School at the Annunciation west of the site. Rather than resorting to the usual barriers to physical safety associated with many schools today, the building has been designed as an integral part of the local environment and community.

Merrylees of teacher Liz Mahindru said: “The kids and the whole community has been fantastic. It is a place everyone is proud of and a facility that I never imagined would be available. On paper it seemed incredible, but the reality is even more incredible. ” The primary school was designed using the sustainable maintenance of lightweight construction methods that do not cost more than traditional construction. Energy and cost saving methods included: using 10% recycled materials from sources including newspapers recycled for filling wall cavities, orient the building to make best use of natural light, using natural ventilation and d ‘stack ventilation chimneys for every classroom, using certified wood in construction and materials with low emissions of VOC for interior finishes.

Following a series of discussions, Scottish Power has agreed to provide partial funding for a wind turbine that provides up to 12% of the total electricity consumption of the building. This has been accompanied by funding from Glasgow City Council and the Energy Savings Trust. An eco-dedicated classroom space, looking toward the turbine allows a facility for school projects on sustainability. A playground unique outdoor “urban jungle”, designed in consultation with the Forestry Commission, Merrylees School’s Environmental Committee and Parent Council and the Land and Environmental Services Department of Glasgow City Council, has a suspension bridge, a large tree felled with a cargo net for climbing, the price of dens, newspapers seats and benches.

Merrylee Primary School by Austin Smith Lord in Glasgow United Kingdom