The natural trees that form the main framing will be visible on the inside of the building and act as a visual teaching aid for structure and support. The recycled timber is used in the floor, wall and roof make-up.

 

For the first time at Cranleigh, the latest insulation material will be used, which is made from recycled newsprint and telephone directories. The building will be heated with a state-of-the-art wood-pellet boiler, using pellets that are now produced in Surrey. Rainwater will be collected and re-used for the Grounds Department. Even some of the soil, removed for the pad foundations, is being reused to form an earth embankment that will form a shallow amphitheatre from where picnicking viewers can watch performances on the open front deck that will act as a stage on such occasions.

 

Cranleigh is the first school in the country to bring together all these different elements in such a way and we hope it will serve as an exemplar to other schools’ development programmes, architects and the wider public, as the debate for greener building continues to grow.