PREFACE
Since the launch of the joint Scottish Executive and Convention of Local Authorities ( COSLA) school estate strategy Building Our Future: Scotland's School Estate, the Scottish Executive has, in partnership with others, been promoting the sharing of good practice in school design with stakeholders through national conferences, workshops, guidance publications and other projects.
The purpose of this publication is to encourage continuing improvement in school design and to build on lessons learned. It follows on from previous guidance on School Design (2003), Research on Acoustic Design in Scottish Primary Schools (2005), Design and Construction of Sustainable Schools Vol 1 and 2 (2005) and Post Occupancy Evaluation (2005). These publications are available to download from the Scottish Executive website. 1
The Scottish Executive commissioned a Project Team comprising Drivers Jonas Mott Macdonald and members of Sarah Wigglesworth Architects and Hawksmoor Engineering Ltd (Acoustics), to research and prepare a guidance document that would assist internal environmental design. This guidance covers internal air quality ( IAQ), heating, ventilation and acoustics in school buildings, in response to points that have been raised recently by stakeholders through conference and seminar discussions, school visits and post occupancy evaluations. The document suggests ways in which local authorities might consider improving internal environmental comfort to create better learning and teaching environments.
Research has indicated that the Building Bulletins, produced by Department for Education and Skills ( DfES), and guides published by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers ( CIBSE) are often used when preparing briefs for internal environmental conditions in many Scottish school projects. This document is not intended to replace those publications but, rather, aims to provide advice and guidance to help with school design in the Scottish context and to deal with some of the conflicts that arise between the various environmental factors.
This guidance is not intended to be prescriptive. Rather, it seeks to highlight potential solutions that local authorities might consider using to help them deal with and resolve these conflicts. The conclusions reached and the design solutions offered are the work of the Project Team and are, in large part, generic solutions. It is for local authorities and their advisers to assess their needs and consider whether these would help determine an appropriate solution for their specific projects.
During the research the Project Team conducted interviews with a number of people involved in school design, including local authority and school staff as well as private practice architects and engineers. A workshop, involving industry professionals and local authority representatives, was held to consider and discuss a draft version of the guidance. We would like to thank all those who contributed towards the development of this guidance.
SEED (Scottish Executive Education Department)
March 2007