QueenElizabeth School - Sustainability Education Centre, Wimborne, Dorset

Developed from concepts by Dorset County Council, ARCO₂, using its unique experience of school bale construction on previous projects, produced the working drawings for this ambitious new building. Working under a Design and Build contract with Carillion PLC the building provides 5 temporary classrooms for art and music during the construction of a new secondary school.  However, rather than providing temporary buildings which would be later removed, this facility would be adapted at the end of its first phase of use to provide changing facilities for school and a cafe at ground floor with conference and meeting facilities over the first floor. The building is used to illustrate sustainable methods of construction and meet AECB Silver Standard. The construction is based on a glue laminated timber frame with straw bale infill and natural reclaimed lambs wool insulation. It also supports a bio-diverse brown roof. and includes the extensive use of wood based products, lime based renders and local western red cedar claddings and facias. At 710m²  this ambitious and highly innovative building represents one of, if not the largest Education Building in the UK constructed with Strawbale. 

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