Ashburton Learning Village
This £25 million flagship building houses Ashburton Community School, Croydon Music Service, Ashburton Library and mobile library for the housebound and the Continuing Education and Training Service.
Facilities for the 1,200 pupil school include:
- a three storey school building with modern, high-tech classrooms and science laboratories
- a flexible hall which can be used as a single space with a stage and auditorium, or divided into two separate spaces
- all-weather, floodlit sports pitches and multi-games area
- sports hall and extra gym and exercise areas with changing rooms
- sound proof music practice rooms and recording studio with all the latest technology
- a modern, well stocked loan and reference library with computers, access to the internet and a children’s area
- a range of adult education classes including fitness, dance, languages and art
The move to bring learning for all ages under one roof is not the only groundbreaking aspect of this development which has been described by George Ferguson, former president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, as “setting a new design standard for schools”.
Croydon is the first authority in the country to require major building projects to produce at least 10 per cent of their energy from on-site renewable resources. With this emphasis on the need for environmental efficiency, the accommodation includes:
- the largest solar panels to be installed in a building in the UK
- a rain water tank to feed toilets and service sinks
- movement sensitive automatic lights
- sun tubes for rooms without windows which magnify light coming into the room and reduce the need for electric lights
- floor to ceiling windows and sky lights in the library
- a brise soleil, a permanent blind that stops glare from the sun but allows maximum daylight into rooms
- air pressure tests to ensure the building’s heat insulation reaches the required standard
- school computer equipment locked into desks and activated by a main key to reduce the possibility of theft
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