Designs for Abu Dhabi's first boarding school have received a high grade under the city's measure of environmentally friendly buildings.
The emirate's urban planning council has awarded Cranleigh School's Saadiyat Island campus, which is set to open next September, a "two-pearl" ranking under the Estidama measure.
The 70,000-square-metre school, which will be one of Abu Dhabi's largest with places for more than 1,600 primary and secondary pupils between the ages of three and 18, has been designed to reduce energy consumption by 20 per cent compared to a typical school building and to reduce water consumption by up to 35 per cent.
The developer Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), said the Godwin Austen Johnson-designed building included a sophisticated fresh air delivery system controlled by carbon dioxide sensors in the classrooms.
The buildings are positioned facing the prevailing wind direction to get the best breeze. And display screens will provide students with real-time information on the school's energy and water usage.
The Estidama system has five levels of environmentally friendly building standards, starting at one pearl and going up to five.
TDIC said that the new school was its fifth project to win an Estidama pearl design certificate following similar awards for its Louvre museum scheme, which is currently under construction, and the UAE Pavilion on Saadiyat Island. Hilson Moran coordinated the project's sustainability initiatives as well as delivering the mechanical, electrical, public health, fire protection engineering and acoustics designs.
Construction work on the new school, in the Saadiyat Cultural District, began in July. Registrations are to be accepted from November.
"Our department worked hand in hand with the consultants and developers of the project to ensure that the best environmental practices are applied," said Nathalie Staelens, head of environmental services at TDIC. "This pearl certificate is proof of TDIC's commitment to enforcing the best environmental sustainability practices."
