Architects

RMJM

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Contractor

Muir Construction

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More information

Andy Parker
Hall Farm
Thickwood Lane
Colerne, Chippenham
Wiltshire
SN14 8BE
United Kingdom

Tel: 01225 743089
E-mail Andy Parker

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Wednesday, September 20, 2006 · Dunfermline, Scotland

Opened in September 2006 ECOSpace provides a 1600m² teaching facility for the construction and energy departments at the College, with an integral section, named the ASPIRE Centre which offers real work projects for students with physical and learning difficulties.

The single storey building was constructed using sustainable processes and technology and showcases the best use of Scottish products.  It was designed by architects RMJM, constructed from renewable resources and incorporates renewable energy systems which can be viewed by its users.

The centre aims to lead the way in training for sustainable development in construction by encouraging the integration of environmentally sustainable work practices such as waste reduction, re-use of materials, procurement of renewable resources and minimisation of energy consumption. It also features workshops which will train future craftspeople from across Scotland and help the redevelopment of many of the lost skills of the more traditional crafts in construction.

ECOSpace at Lauder College

Carpenter Oak & Woodland were commissioned by the project’s main contractors Muir Construction to provide the building’s structural frame.  This was constructed from a combination of green Douglas fir beams and glue laminate sections.  The frame also incorporates steel cross bracing and steel bolted connecting plates to create a single storey building with a roof of varying heights, part of which supports a sedum roof.

The team from Carpenter Oak & Woodland created the frame off site at their timber framing yard in Wiltshire and went onsite in winter 2006 to erect the completed frame with its distinctive ‘triangular’ roof line.

The exterior of the building is clad using green oak, whilst internally the distinctive oranges and creams of the Douglas fir provide a palpable warmth to the building that would never have been evident had it been built in steel.