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Aim for natural
ventilation where possible.
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Balance the comfort needs of those with special needs and
others.
A school of the future should provide a comfortable and even
temperature with a good level of ventilation for all its users
including those with special needs. Guidance is provided in
Building Bulletin 87.
While natural ventilation is preferable, studies have shown
that school users often
don't open windows as needed to provide adequate ventilation.
Therefore automatically opened vents and windows may be needed.
To avoid this complication and to prevent ventilation heat
losses, some form of mechanical ventilation has been advised
by some designers; controls should be made easy and comfortable
to work. This may also be an issue in a built-up area where
opening a window results in noise and poor air quality.
Good
indoor air quality in schools is a key design issue. A good
target is between 1,000 and 1,500 parts per million of carbon
dioxide in the indoor air. For classrooms which are densely
occupied, this implies an air change range of 8 litres per
person per second of fresh air, considerably above the standard
minimum requirement.
Good ventilation is important in toilets. Wall type combined
extract and supply
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fans
are now available to assist with heat recovery and should be
used in preference to normal extract-only fans.
Air conditioning
is not generally required in schools and should be avoided because
of its high cost and energy consumption. It may be needed locally
in some existing schools where there is a high concentration
of ICT and poor control of external and internal heat gains.
This should not be necessary in a well designed new school using
thermal mass and night ventilation. Computer servers produce
a lot of heat but can withstand higher temperatures than people
and may be
located in separate areas. Flat screen technology is reducing
the heat load caused by computers.
Some SEN pupils require different room temperatures and levels
of ventilation which can be difficult where a variety of users
are present. It is generally better to err on the cool side,
although some SEN pupils may need to keep warm due to lack of
mobility or some other medical reason. Refer to Building Bulletin
87 for more information.
Drinking
water supplied from the mains should be easily accessed from
water fountains or dispensers. These should preferably be located
in circulation areas, as provision combined with toilet facilities
is potentially unhygienic. For hygiene reasons, paper cups or
similar should be provided. If positioned well, visual supervision
should prevent vandalism.
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