Overview
Highfield School in Letchworth consists of three large multi-storey teaching blocks serving the education of nearly 3000 students from the local community.
The Brief
From the outset the buildings where deigned to provide a sustainable naturally ventilated space for the students and teachers with minimal running costs and low maintenance requirements for the ventilation system. All corridors had a requirement for natural daylight as well as natural ventilation and had to allow for both air and light to percolate from the roof down to ground floor level three floors below.
Our Solution
The three separate teaching blocks are fitted with 25 No. large ventilation turrets each 3500mm wide x 2200mm wide x 1400mm high and 12 No. separate roof lights of the same dimensions to flood specific areas with natural daylight. The ventilation turrets have an external perimeter weather louvre system with integral UPVC modulating volume control dampers fitted to the rear. These are controlled by a standalone weather station that tracks the prevailing wind to open and close the dampers for optimum ventilation from the corridors below.
The top of each unit is fitted with a high-performance polycarbonate roof to provide high insulation and maximum daylight.
