The earth integrated Bellarine Secondary College Applied Learning Centre design brief included the following overall aims:

• to create a leading edge school facility that features a high level of sustainability in relation to energy, water materials and waste management.
  
• to achieve the above aim by utilizing 'off the shelf' materials, products and fittings to create a facility which enhances student and staff productivity, performance and health by providing a superior level of thermal comfort, natural day lighting and indoor air quality
• to create a building that is able to integrate into the educational curriculum to facilitate a better understanding and link between sustainability as teaching concepts and environmental building.

Energy Aims

• maximise the passive solar design and energy efficiency of the building envelope to reduce reliance on fossil fuel based heating systems by over 90%
• maximise natural cross flow ventilation and energy efficiency to avoid the need for refrigerative or evaporative cooling systems. Any supplementary cooling / heat purging is provided by exhaust fans
• maximise the use of ‘glare free’ natural daylight to reduce reliance on artificial lighting by over 80%
• utilise solar hot water to provide 70% - 80% of hot water
• high efficiency lighting system with automatic daylight sensors and dimmers

Water Aims

• conserve water by featuring 3 star and 4 star rated appliances, fittings and taps, as well as feature waterless fixtures such as a waterless urinal
• capture all rainwater to supply toilets, dishwasher and other non-potable uses to reduce mains water reliance by up to 90%
• treat all waste water to a quality suitable for reuse for landscape and vineyard watering purposes

• Materials
• utilise materials for structural and joinery purposes that are plantation and / or recycled and / or contain a high percentage of recycled content
• utilise low toxicity finishes for floors, walls, ceilings and joinery to create a healthy indoor air quality environment

Metering and monitoring

• water metering to identify water consumption for the facility
• energy metering and monitoring to better understand energy consumption patterns and howoccupant behavior effects and might further reduce energy use
• a fully featured weather station to allow for the recording and analysis of ambient indoor and outdoor conditions, wind speed and direction and rainfall

>>top