A timber-clad school with exposed pipes and solar collectors is giving pupils a lesson in green design.
The Langley Academy, designed by Foster + Partners, is the first academy to specialise in museum learning.
It features an enclosed, full-height atrium at the heart of the three-storey building. The social life of the school revolves around this assembly space for 1,100 students.
Inside the atrium there are three yellow drums raised above the floor on circular columns. These two-storey pods house the academy’s 10 science laboratories, reinforce the importance of science teaching.
The environmental features save 20 per cent in water consumption and approximately 150 tonnes of CO2 per year compared to a traditional academy and are used in the teaching of science and environmental issues.
Students can see the solar collectors on the roof and the workings of the exposed plant room, as well as the network of pipes that illustrate how energy is generated and carried through the building.
