Green School is the first of its kind in New Zealand – both architecturally and in its educational offering. Take a walk on the Google Maps: School New Zealand/@,,625m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x6d144b801fcbae5d:0x999e1b73540cb3a5!8m2!!!16s/g/11h_759gp2?hl=en-US&entry=ttu The innovative and sustainable campus, located on a 60-hectare farm in Taranaki, is the work of BOON. Surrounded by rolling hills, next to the Oakura River and situated between Mount Taranaki and the Tasman Sea, it is an inspiring location for learning. “In terms of the brief for the architecture of the school, it was to be physically and environmentally stunning, and had to show the new school community that someone cared enough to create beauty in the environment. That was top of the list,” says BOON managing director, Glenn Brebner. Many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on which the school’s curriculum is founded, also needed to be included. The result is a collection of floating classroom pods perched within the environment – a ludic, visually appealing and inspiring concept. Entering the school is a process of discovery; not visible from the country road, a meandering walk separates the entry from the school grounds. “Moving from the entry and into the school, you pass through a cutting in the hill and arrive at the campus, it’s quite an exciting arrival experience, with few opportunities to see the campus buildings until you are standing in the environment.” Aligned with the Green School Bali concept, the idea was to transfer an equivalent vision to the New Zealand environment. The school caters deep learning for years one to 13 in an environment that aims to “open minds in ways no concrete box ever will”. Beyond mastering mathematics and literacy, students learn to think with innovative, creative and entrepreneurial minds, through student-guided, hands-on projects. This philosophy engendered the idea of building a school “without walls’’. “The climate here means that’s not necessarily going to happen in physical terms, but certainly in conceptual terms, the curved nature of the pods, the lack of obvious wall and roof, really created that sense that you aren’t in a box.” The design and construction of the three pod structures occurred over a 12-month period, says Glenn. “3D technology was used so that we could design it, and it could be fabricated from our model. Parts of the structure could then turn up on site and be assembled – that was the best way we were going to achieve it within the timeframe.” The exterior materiality of structural plywood sheathing covered in a recyclable PVC membrane allowed for the curves of the waka, which go in two directions. The PVC, a closed loop material, has a long lifespan – making it an ideal choice in terms of sustainability and lifecycle design. “The idea behind the waka is that at the end of its life, should that time come, this building can be disassembled, and elements of it potentially reused as opposed to going to landfill.” This level of consideration to the longevity of the building and how it will perform in the West Coast setting can be seen throughout. The design utilises passive measures, making the most of cross ventilation, natural light and orientation to the sun. Each pod is equipped with high-level insulation, vapour barriers and an underfloor heating system to maintain a constant temperature. “For the interior, we’ve used Plymasters plywood for material linings and a lot of the built-in joinery,” says Glenn. The fire retardant poplar ply allows the build to get the spread of flame requirements needed – a crucial aspect of educational structures. By planking the plywood and lapping it through the interior, a warm and enveloping space is created. “We knew that in the early stages of the school there were going to be a lot of the younger years spent here. To create a warm, inclusive and comfortable environment that made the learners feel safe and supported was really important. The waka interior is really designed to create that sense of nurture.” #eco #english #school #green #News_for_kids #New_Zealand #школа #новая_зеландия #английский #образование
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