Hackbridge Primary School

Set between a conservation wetlands area of Metropolitan Open Land and the pioneering BedZED eco-village, Hackbridge Primary School provides a playful and natural haven for students in the London Borough of Sutton. The all timber building is a trailblazing example of sustainability, with the Passivhaus Plus design supporting the school’s achievement of becoming the first truly zero-carbon school in the UK.

Location

Sutton, UK

Area

1,865 m2

Status

Completed

Year

2019

Client

London Borough of Sutton

The innovative design strategy was developed in collaboration with an ambitious client and experienced design team. As the UK’s first ‘sustainable suburb’, the London Borough of Sutton wanted an inspiring and environmentally conscious school to continue the legacy of the neighbouring BedZED eco-village.

The council required a new two form entry school to complement their existing Hackbridge Road site. The sheltered landscape for learning supports the school’s nature-focused pedagogy, with the site providing a new gateway to unlock the wetland habitat beyond for the wider community.

Architype saw the unique site as an opportunity for the UK’s first truly zero carbon school, celebrating local ecology and enhancing biodiversity. Passivhaus Plus was put forward as a strategy to achieve zero carbon, and on completion it became the first education building to be designed to the progressive sustainable standard.

Designed as able to expand to a two-form entry school it actively generates more energy than it needs to run, thanks to its highly efficient design and strategy of low carbon technologies.

The building provides a light and spacious place to learn with lots of outside green space. It is closely connected to nature for a rich learning experience for students.

Emma Walford, headteacher, Hackbridge Primary School

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Architype Beyond 40

Vision

All vision

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Creating impact through estate-wide planning and insight

Net Zero Carbon Estates Strategies

Net Zero Carbon

How do you plan the best approach to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 for buildings of different typologies, ages, uses, and conditions?

Design

Themes of flora, fauna, discovery and habitat are evident in every aspect of the design. Physical links to the outdoors – such as extensive glazing and natural textures – actively promote interaction with nature.
This focus on the physical environment of the space is another benefit of using the Passivhaus Plus standard. Classrooms are full of fresh air, well-lit with large amounts of glazing designed for both solar optimisation and connections into the landscape. High performance triple glazed composite timber and aluminium windows frame views out to the surrounding Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.

This is a building that had to be an exemplar for zero carbon and sustainability. Architype rose to the challenge and helped us meet and exceed these aspirations. The result is a beautiful school that celebrates our natural world and inspires children in their learning every day.

Adam Whiteley, senior project manager, London Borough of Sutton

Expertise

Net zero carbon school

This project demonstrates how Passivhaus Plus enables exceptional performance alongside zero carbon technologies which lower operational carbon to below zero.

Placemaking at school

Architype established an engagement framework early in the design process to understand the pedagogical needs of the school and establish opportunities to integrate indoor and outdoor learning into the design.

Passivhaus Plus to achieve zero carbon

The rigorous methodology of Passivhaus Plus enables exceptional performance alongside zero carbon technologies which lower operational carbon to below zero.

A design informed by low embodied carbon

Embodied carbon, at 405 kgCO2e/m2 over 60 years is half the typical carbon impact of a new-build school building. Life cycle carbon studies informed the palette, favouring renewable, non-toxic components with low embodied carbon.

A sustainable landscape

The new building treads lightly on the site. Natural swales form part of the urban drainage strategy, with careful consideration given to the land’s wetland status, including permeable paving for water run-off.