A sustainable, low-carbon design for Waingels College in Wokingham was at the core of the proposal. Construction of the £28 million design and build project started in March 2009, and involves refurbishing existing facilities, as well as constructing four separate two storey blocks using highly sustainable laminated timber.

Each of the four teaching blocks has a design stage Energy Performance Certificate ‘A’ rating, and are at least 60% more efficient than building regulation requirements. In addition, the timber frame has ‘locked in’ significant volumes of carbon.

Timber product manufacturers Schilliger Holz calculated that 14,265 trees were harvested from sustainably managed forests for the timber frame. This equates to 6,753 tonnes of carbon dioxide being removed from the atmosphere during the lifetime growth of the trees. Further low carbon and environmentally friendly features include a biomass boiler, natural ventilation, and increasing the biodiversity value of the project.

The project team also placed significant focus on waste management, with large volumes of demolition material retained on site for use at a later phase of the project, and manufacturer take-back schemes arranged to recycle insulation materials that otherwise would have gone to landfill. The project has recorded a diversion of waste from landfill in excess of 90%.