The project consists of 3 interlinked school buildings of 3 to 5 floors each with a basement for parking facilities, totaling around 22,670m2. The three buildings are connected at ground floor and through the parking area. This new elementary school will house classrooms, music rooms, art rooms, science labs, workshop areas, offices, an auditorium/theatre, and two gymnasiums. The building complex will also house the central heating, cooling & power generating plants for the College.

We were appointed during design stage as the LEED Sustainability Consultants for the IC Elementary School.Our role throughout the design, tender, and construction stages is to advise on the sustainability features and steps required to ensure that the development is on track to meet the desired LEED Gold rating. 

We were thus continuously involved with the project managers, architects, engineers, and other specialist consultants and produce customized LEED reports summarising the status of the project in terms of sustainability credentials –providing guidance as to the type of actions, specifications, and supporting documents needed for a smooth LEED certification process.

Part of our responsibility entailed carrying out a dynamic thermal modelling analysis as well as daylighting simulations of the proposed buildings, in order to assist on the most cost-effective and suitable energy-efficiency solutions for the IC Elementary School –taking into account the local coastal Mediterranean climate. The aim is to lessen the buildings’ cooling load, as well as overall energy consumption, while maintaining comfortable thermal standards. A Measurement and Verification Plan is also being implemented in order to monitor energy usage. 

Additionally, given the nature of the project, particular importance was paid to creating a healthy indoor environment for the kids, through the promotion of low-emitting and nontoxic materials, paint, and finishes, as well as proper ventilation levels.