Energy Efficient Mechanical Design

The mechanical design of the building is being carried out by the Design Unit's Mechanical Engineer Geoff Carter. Together we have worked to design a building which will have low energy demands, thermal comfort from not overheating, good natural daylight and ventilation and is easy to understand and operate by the future building users.

The space heating system for the new science block will be a 2 zone system, split in to North and South zones, South zone being the sunnier side of the building thus not requiring as much heat when the sun is out. Each heating zone will be independently optimised by the building management system (BMS) computer, optimisation of heating systems means that the BMS will monitor how quickly the building heats and cools each day and calculate the latest time at which the heating zone can be switched on each morning to match the school opening and how much in advance of the end of the school day it can be switched off. The BMS does this through a learning process and will choose slightly different times each day for and off of each heating zone. This is of course all about reducing heating energy consumption.



 

DAYLIGHT ANALYSIS

  




 

THERMAL MODEL PEAK SUMMER DESIGN TEMPERATURE PREDICTION

  

DECIDUOUS TREE PLANTING SHADING ANALYSIS



Archaeology Find

Worcestershire Archaeology have spent this week digging exploratory trenches in the position of the new Science Block as the site was considered as a potential site of Archaeological interest during the Planning process due to its position by the Riddings Brook and River Severn. The dig has uncovered items of archaeological interest consisting of dispersed features from the Iron Age. These features include postholes and a large pit that could possibly be a storage pit. The pit has produced a few artefacts (pottery, burnt bone and fire cracked stone), and also contains a significant quantity of charcoal. The pottery includes briquetage (a salt container originating from Droitwich). The dig will continue from the 7th July.

 

 


The briquetage vessels can be seen in the centre of the picture below. Wet salt crystals are scooped up from the boiling pans and drained in these coarse clay vessels. The whole lot - salt and vessel is then distributed/traded. The Droitwich briquetage is very widely distributed (an industry dating back 2-3000 years) throughout the west midlands, from Somerset to Cheshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and into Wales.




Reconstruction of Iron Age Salt Making by Carolyn Hunt