John Wheatley College, East End Campus, Glasgow

Technology

The use of appropriate technologies is essential to the sustainability of the campus. Such technologies include:

• Water harvesting technologies to recycle rainwater. The recycled rain water has produced the single biggest saving for the college since it opened the East End Campus. The water is harvested on the roof and runs along corrugated channels.
• Biomass boilers which are carbon neutral.
• High levels of insulation well in excess of those required by building regulation.
• Passive ventilation systems and design features to create an optimal learning environment. Windows in public areas automatically open when the indoor temperature reaches 21 degrees Celsius.
• An inflated roof which responds to internal temperature changes and creates shade in social areas. This particular type of ETFE (Ethylene TetrafluoroEthylene) roof is one the first to be installed in Scotland.
• Air source heat pumps capable of focusing the latent heat in the external environment to provide space heating in public areas.
• Single crystal photovoltaic cells on the south facing roof section and further photovoltaic cells laminated in to the ETFE roof sections on the west facing roof sections make a carbon-free contribution to the building's energy requirements. The photovoltaic panels have proved very successful at creating electricity. The system was installed with the understanding that it would take a suggested five years to recoup its costs but early indications are that it may take less time than that.
• Solar collectors mounted in the roof to provide heat for the domestic hot water system.
• High-frequency frequency lighting system with automatic controls and motion sensitive are used to control the level of lighting in each room (it automatically adjusts the lighting level to complement external lighting levels and has manual dimmer control). The lights switch off automatically when the room is not in use.

As regards the learning and teaching aspects:

• The whole campus is a wireless enabled environment and laptops are available on loan to users.
• A security system allows users to circulate within the building with laptops/books etc.
• Plasma screens provide information, including transport updates, for instance the local bus company is working on a system to notify the building when buses will arrive.
• Disabled students will have devices so they can be located in the three dimensional space in the building and helped in an emergency.
• PCs, Interactive White Boards and digital projectors are standard in all teaching areas. Many of the projectors are Unifi 35 SMART projectors, a tidy alternative to ceiling mounted projectors. The projectors were introduced in January 2007 and came directly from the USA to John Wheatley College.
• Hearing loops are provided in the space, they are permanently installed in part of the campus and there is also a mobile loop system available.
• A mobile fume extractor has been purchased. This has proved to be a very cost efficient response to a real need. It has been much cheaper to buy one mobile extractor than installing a fixed system in the required rooms.
• The training kitchen has a ventilated ceiling rather than a canopy - the first of its type in Scotland.

Adding Value

The ubiquity of technology in the space will be of particular benefit to a community of users who have a range of needs and experiences and who may not have the opportunity to interact with technology elsewhere.

Subjects taught include Construction and the College will be able to respond directly to some of the priorities outlined in the Scottish Executive Green Jobs strategy by training construction workers in sustainable technologies. It is also hoped the quality of the College facilities will encourage more women to enrol on construction courses.

The investment in sustainable technologies is expected to pay dividends in future and savings from water recycling are already apparent.

John Wheatley College has always been serious from the outset at achieving the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) 'Excellent' standard. Architects, engineers and builders with a similar vision were employed on the project. The BREEAM Excellent award has now been confirmed.

Sustainability should equate to longevity. The new campus has been designed for a lifespan of 60 years including 2 internal reconstructions. The College's Easterhouse campus originally had an expected lifespan of 30 years but this has now been raised to 47 years due to good maintenance.