Monodraught provides Light and Air
Monodraught SunPipes and Sola-boost natural ventilation systems have been used extensively throughout the Seaside Primary School in Lancing, West Sussex to improve children’s wellbeing.
The school will accommodate up to 420 pupils and has been created from the amalgamation of two schools, is currently operating in a brand new 1200 square metre extension built to facilitate the West Sussex County Council ‘Age of Transfer’ project in Shoreham and Lancing.
Commenting for WYG Management Services, Roger Carter, Senior Project Manager says: “In conjunction with WYG Engineering we initially considered the current requirements of Building Regulations Part L and the various Building Bulletins that apply to the design of schools, which detail the standards that need to be achieved. Both promote the use of natural solutions. Working with the architect RH Partnership and lead contractor Willmott Dixon Construction, we chose Monodraught’s Sola-boost systems because they offer the optimum solution for natural ventilation in the classrooms and other areas. We have dealt with Monodraught before, so we worked with them on the specification, checked their recommendations against our own modelling system and then adopted their solution.”
The Monodraught Sola-boost natural ventilation systems were chosen as part of a thermal model for the building, to work in tandem with the underfloor heating. If sensors detect that temperatures and/or CO2 levels in the classrooms have exceeded maximum pre-determined settings, the Sola-boost units automatically respond by bringing in fresh, natural air from the outside.
A Monodraught iNVent natural ventilation control system monitors and controls the Sola-boost units, but teachers can also manually override the system via wall controls. However, the system reverts to automatic control after 20 minutes.
Sensors also control electric lighting in the seven classrooms, each of which is fitted with two Monodraught SunPipes. The sensors ensure that lights are only switched on when natural daylight from the SunPipes reduces to a predetermined lux level. Other SunPipes are fitted in a small hall, staff room, waiting areas and corridors, introducing a flood of natural daylight.
Summing up, Roger Carter says: “We are very impressed with the finished project, both with the aesthetics and the performance of the SunPipes and Sola-boost Windcatcher systems.”
Two other school projects which were part of the Age of Transfer project, The Globe School and Boundstone Community College, were also fitted with Monodraught Sunpipes and Sola-boost natural ventilation systems. The architects were RH Partnership on The Globe School and The Seaman Partnership on Boundstone Community College with Willmott Dixon Construction the lead contractor and M&E building services contractors LJJ Ltd on both projects and Gleeds quantity surveyors.
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For further information contact:
Professor Terry Payne, Monodraught Limited
Halifax House, Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP12 3SE
Phone: 01494 897700, Fax: 01494 532465