Riverside Primary School in Perth will be one of the very first in Scotland to be built to Passivhaus standard when it opens in 2023.
Over 500 children will attend the Riverside Primary School, which is helping the local authority meet its zero carbon aspirations. Perth & Kinross Council is committed to making its schools as energy efficient and cost-effective to run as possible.
Passivhaus standard buildings use very little energy for heating and cooling. The new school will deliver a 60-80% reduction in energy consumption compared to the two schools it will replace.
The school was designed by Passivhaus specialist architects Architype and is being delivered by Robertson Construction Tayside. Acreo were subcontracted to construct the concrete floors incorporating Ravatherm XPS X installation.
Passivhaus buildings are made using an integrated design methodology, which means careful selection of materials throughout the project.
Insulation is of course fundamental to achieving energy efficiency. Ravago has supplied Ravatherm XPS X 300 SB to insulate the 2,500m2 floor. With insulation required at 250mm thickness, subcontractors Acreo used two layers of 125mm with the remaining areas having 75mm and 150mm installed.
Manufactured in King’s Lynn, UK, the product has a declared lambda of 0.030 or 0.031 W/m2K. The lambda value measures a product’s thermal conductivity: the lower the value, the bigger the reduction in heat loss.
This, coupled with Ravatherm XPS X 300 SB‘s 300 kPa compressive strength and closed cell structure, ensures a high loading performance and a low moisture uptake.
Mike Cowie, Project Manager at Acreo, said: “We were very happy with the service Ravago provided in terms of delivering on time and the ease of communication when delivery dates needed to be altered and re-scheduled.”
Adam Hilmi, Account Manager at Ravago Building Solutions UK, said: “There is a growing interest in the Passivhaus methodology, especially for educational and public buildings. Having provided solutions for other Passivhaus projects, we were confident in meeting both technical and logistical requirements. We look forward to seeing the finished school building in use next year.”