First PassivHaus newly constructed school in Spain. Brains School by DL+A arquitectos

Description of project by DL + A Arquitectos

Sometimes one is lucky enough to be involved in processes that can only bring good things. When they accepted our two proposals: Propose “new educational spaces” and that it was a record of not consuming non-renewable energy, we saw that this could only bring “good things”.

The fact that the classrooms in this new high school building are open-plan, expandable and equipped with all the cutting-edge technologies, was nothing new. Yes, it was that learning could take place outside the classroom itself.

A family of spaces, formally similar, like the silhouette of an old key changed in scale, with a circular perimeter bench, host these encounters.
 
The first one in the access, wants to disappear towards the outside with a specular facade between adult trees. It is the host, for a teacher to have a conversation with parents, without hiding. He also teaches, under overhead lights, the activities of the school.
 
The second, in the heart of the ground floor, encourages work in small groups of students, tutorials from a teacher, moments of individual relaxation.
 
The third is the best. A bleacher-library space open to a surprising raised garden. Two giant sliding leaves (and sophisticated to meet Passive House Premium standards), at many times of the year, turn the stands where some rummage through their ipads, into a single space, with the garden where others are lying on the grass or sitting on benches. circular about 4 adult trees, they learn whatever.
 
From the outside, the raised garden with large deciduous trees (the slab breaks to leave 1.25 meters of topsoil), wants to tell that there is studied and learned in another way, looking at exterior utopias of other times. Its artificial lighting, under the trunks, projecting the glasses on the facade, produces attractive and unreal images.
 
The materials of the school are: green screen-printed glass, floating, for all the facades. The exterior mirror glass access key, which wants to not exist, only reflect things. The English courtyard of the basement gym, facing a bare concrete wall, full of climbing plants.
 
Inside the gym we have put some recycled portholes from other works (fireproof glass) so that the students can look into their machine room.
 
Let them see where the Canadian wells go, how aerothermal works. How far does photovoltaic energy go? All air quality and CO2 controls for each space. Where batteries are plugged in and stored for gray days. With arrows and white paint signs, so that they understand and feel proud. The discussion about the building itself and its strategies as a teaching window.

The first new PassivHaus school in Spain...
The first school disconnected from the network...
The first school that reflects the trees on its facades...

Project Technical Data

We work from the beginning in a school that can work disconnected from the grid, highly efficient, operating using energy from renewable sources. The design starts from a condition of low energy demand for heating and cooling with data of 10 kWh / (m²a) of heating and 10 kWh / (m²a) of cooling), under the Passivhaus Plus standard: Practically all the energy consumed comes from sources renewable.
 
To achieve this goal, a strong continuous thermal insulation is installed without thermal bridges (ψ≤0.01W / (m2K), a high level of tightness throughout the envelope to the passage of air and high qualities in the glazing (Ug≤0, 08W / (m2K), with tripalit glass on the north facade.
 
In addition to these requirements, essential in Passivhaus, the building is designed taking into account compactness, orientation and wind control and the integration of vegetation. It is proposed in front of the classrooms to the south and west, the placement of deciduous trees for protection from the sun in summer, and passage of it in winter.
 
A ventilation system with heat recovery guarantees optimum quality and renewal and of indoor air. The supply air to the heat recovery unit is pre-heated or pre-cooled by Canadian wells. In this way, the recuperator will consume less energy to heat or cool the ventilation air.
 
Regarding the production of renewable energy, 141 m2 of photovoltaic panels are arranged on the roof, which generate electricity for self-consumption.
 
Regarding the control of the ventilation and air conditioning system, by measuring individual comfort conditions by classrooms (temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration), and a great definition in instrumentation and control of renewal air and air conditioning water, Passive energy sources (Canadian wells) are prioritized over active production sources (aerothermal), as well as reducing electricity consumption through the variable flow design in their distribution. All this, reflected in a monitoring system that allows the parameterization of the system and the monitoring of comfort conditions in real time
 
In the open spaces of the plot, a permeable landscaped environment has been configured, a forest of birches and maples, generating around it an environment of comfort, favored by the absorption of solar radiation, evapotranspiration and the mitigation of heat through shadows and surfaces refreshing, minimizing the amount of paving
 
The building is designed thinking that it can be a reference model in the students' learning about efficiency and sustainability, making them participants in the building's energy cycles and processes. To this end, the arrival of the Canadian wells to the heat recovery unit, the photovoltaic panels or the CO2 controls are made visible and accessible through information screens when entering the building. A benchmark school in sustainability.
 
The building focuses on this Passivhaus strategy as a challenge; other approaches, other strategies, are possible for the discussion about an architecture that you would like to improve on what you found when you arrived. Innovation in design and constructed building encompasses all scales of design and has been exciting and fun. In the meetings when starting, there were many, many people, around the table. Many of us learning.