One of Australia’s greenest schools and setting a benchmark for most private and public educational facilities in this country. With a barrage of sustainability awards under its belt, the school has achieved one of the highest achievements in sustainability excellence this country has to offer.
The Peregian Springs State School in Peregian Spring Queensland has had the great honour to be rated as Australia’s first Green Star Education Design v1 primary school, reaching a 4 Star Green Star rating as awarded by the Green Building Council Australia (GBCA).
It has been slated as the absolute epitome of green building excellence by the country’s highest sustainability authority, which is proving to be an enviable title as the school now also boasts the pre-highest enrolment rate in the state.
Developed by Broad Construction Services Queensland, the 5,643 sqm learning facility was designed by Grey Puksand and Woodheads architects. Froth Sustainability Consultants were acquired in order to create a legitimately sustainable educational environment.
The foundation of the designs energy efficient principles have been a model of passive building practices. Innovative logic saw the location and direction of the building as a key priority. In positioning the building in its most ideal location natural sunlight is able to infiltrate the classrooms making excess use of artificial lighting obsolete and shading can be placed in the most effective position in order to maintain a comfortable interior temperature environment.
Cross ventilation techniques were also incorporated in order to alleviate excess heating and cooling usage and increase fresh air. Further additions include solar electricity, 80% of building supplies reused or recycled stormwater treatment facilities and increased an increased emphasis on non-car transport alternatives.
Through these initiatives the school has seen a 60% or 200,000 kg reduction in carbon emissions annually. This is a clear indication, along with the increasingly enrolment growth at the school, that green, low harm building initiatives are an important, worthwhile and lucrative industry facet.
Not only did developers undertake this extraordinary feat with such commendable results, but the project was completed almost a month before its projected completion date.
This is only one of the schools in a very long project list by Grey Puksand, who have a view to continue with their sustainability efforts in an educational environment. Queensland is clearly using its environmental elements in order to create spaces that are low energy and high innovation.
They are arguably the national leaders in this area of development and are offering a fantastic promotion of industry growth in an incredibly environmentally conscious way.
