DESIGNING OUT LIABILITY

摘要

The design of school buildings has been dominated by the sustainability agenda in recent years. Local authorities have enthusiastically embraced the issue and, as a result, new school buildings are being designed with innovation to be as energy efficient as possible. Green roofs, micro-generation, thermal and energy efficiency, natural ventilation, social sustainability are all boxes to be ticked at the design stage of most, if not all, new school projects. The architectural community has also embraced the challenge of designing sustainable schools and those architects who specialise in sustainable design are finding that local authorities are more interested in speaking to them. There is a commercial advantage in green design. This has been driven by a programme of regulatory change from Government which is intended to combat the threat of climate change. Building Regulations are increasingly stringent and will continue to demand higher levels of efficiency and sustainability. The designer who can design above and beyond the current regulatory framework effectively future-proofs their design. This is an attractive proposition for a local authority which itself is encouraged to deliver projects which have the future in mind. The very term 'Building Schools for the Future' exposes the predominant strategic thinking.