The iconic new building comprises a main reception/ foyer, administration offices and nine classrooms.
Ridge adopted the passive first approach by developing a dynamic thermal model to design the building’s façade, accommodate sufficient natural ventilation openings and mitigate overheating, without adopting mechanical ventilation or air conditioning.
The building is heated by high-efficiency condensing boilers. Heat is distributed around the building by radiant panels and LST radiators. To improve thermal comfort, the building has a central Building Management System (BMS) which monitors CO2 and temperature within each classroom. Local control can also be made by the staff to maintain a comfortable teaching environment.
To improve energy efficiency, the boilers are capable of providing a turn-down ratio of 20 > 1 (180 > 9 kW) and NOx levels of 33 mg/kW, which ensures the boilers range exceeds legislative requirements.
The building’s hot water requirement is covered by the installation of a single Mikrofill ‘loading cylinder’, which is designed to maximise condensing boiler efficiency.
