GSS and Kier Eastern win top international award for environmental best practice

A £13 million redevelopment project which has been designed by GSSArchitecture has won the top international environmental award. The International Green Apple Award for the Built Environment has been awarded to St John Fisher Roman Catholic High School in Peterborough.

The special awards ceremony took place at the Tower of London on 14 June when the main contractor, Kier Eastern, and GSS were presented with trophies by leading actress Carol Royle. There were several dozen awards in different categories, but the overall winners were Kier Eastern and GSSArchitecture for their £13 million redevelopment of the Peterborough school.

Two of the school’s new buildings were actually constructed from large plywood panels. Technically known as cross-laminated timber, the load-bearing panels were constructed to very fine tolerances in the factory and then assembled on site using large cranes. The timber for the panels came from sustainable managed forests. The panels, which provide good thermal mass and minimise air leakage, allowed the buildings to be very rapidly constructed. They were then highly insulated and clad in weather-proof, fire-resistant panelling, brickwork and render.

GSS partner Tom Lyons explained, “Apart from the special panels, other sustainable features included ground source heat pumps which draw naturally occurring heat from the earth, solar hot water collectors mounted on the south facing roofs and a wind turbine located at the front of the school.”

As well as providing first class facilities, the new buildings serve to highlight the importance of energy conservation to the students and the wider community, who also have access to the facilities. The development included a library; sports hall and all-weather pitch along with music, drama, and ICT rooms. These are located around a courtyard garden with an oratory in the centre. The scheme also included a number of new and refurbished classrooms.

The client was the Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia and the project was jointly funded by the diocese, Peterborough City Council, and central government.

The GSS design team was led by partner-in-charge Tom Lyons with partner and project architect Will Assheton and associate Jonathan Hunter.