A newly built school in Copenhagen, Denmark has incorporated 10 solar panels for each student it can accommodate.
The C.F. Møller-designed CIS Nordhavn is clad with 12,000 solar panels that will produce at least half of the school’s annual electricity consumption, a total that is equivalent to about 70 detached houses. The myriad panels will also be used as part of the school’s academic strategy. Students will be able to follow the energy production and utilize the gathered data in subjects such as physics and mathematics.
A close-up of some of the solar panels used in teh school's construction. Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.
Four smaller sub-schools, separated in relation to the age of the students who will occupy them, divide the large building. The classrooms for the youngest students are the largest in the school because all of the functions — such as outdoor areas, areas for drama and theater facilities, and spaces for activities and exercise — are gathered in and around the classroom.
Each of the four sub-schools sit atop a shared base, which houses common areas like the foyer, sports facilities, cafeteria, library, and drama facilities. The separate area for the classrooms allows them to be closed after school hours while the base can remain open.
Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.
Part of the base is also used as a communal roof terrace that acts as the schoolyard for the students. Because the school sits on the waterfront, the schoolyard has been raised to the top of the shared base to prevent students from wandering too far from the school or too close to the water.
Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.
In total, the school encompasses 26,000 sm of space and can accommodate 1,200 students.
Photo courtesy of C.F. Møller.
Related Stories
| Nov 26, 2013
Construction costs rise for 22nd straight month in November
Construction costs in North America rose for the 22nd consecutive month in November as labor costs continued to increase, amid growing industry concern over the tight availability of skilled workers.
| Nov 25, 2013
Building Teams need to help owners avoid 'operational stray'
"Operational stray" occurs when a building’s MEP systems don’t work the way they should. Even the most well-designed and constructed building can stray from perfection—and that can cost the owner a ton in unnecessary utility costs. But help is on the way.
| Nov 19, 2013
Top 10 green building products for 2014
Assa Abloy's power-over-ethernet access-control locks and Schüco's retrofit façade system are among the products to make BuildingGreen Inc.'s annual Top-10 Green Building Products list.
| Nov 18, 2013
ASSA ABLOY, CertainTeed team up to tackle classroom acoustics
The new alliance has uncovered easily accessible solutions to address these acoustical challenges and reduce the sound reverberation that further complicates noise issues.
| Nov 15, 2013
Greenbuild 2013 Report - BD+C Exclusive
The BD+C editorial team brings you this special report on the latest green building trends across nine key market sectors.
| Nov 13, 2013
Installed capacity of geothermal heat pumps to grow by 150% by 2020, says study
The worldwide installed capacity of GHP systems will reach 127.4 gigawatts-thermal over the next seven years, growth of nearly 150%, according to a recent report from Navigant Research.
| Nov 5, 2013
Net-zero movement gaining traction in U.S. schools market
As more net-zero energy schools come online, school officials are asking: Is NZE a more logical approach for school districts than holistic green buildings?
| Oct 30, 2013
11 hot BIM/VDC topics for 2013
If you like to geek out on building information modeling and virtual design and construction, you should enjoy this overview of the top BIM/VDC topics.
| Oct 28, 2013
Urban growth doesn’t have to destroy nature—it can work with it
Our collective desire to live in cities has never been stronger. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the world’s population will live in a city by 2030. As urban populations swell, what people demand from their cities is evolving.
| Oct 18, 2013
Researchers discover tension-fusing properties of metal
When a group of MIT researchers recently discovered that stress can cause metal alloy to fuse rather than break apart, they assumed it must be a mistake. It wasn't. The surprising finding could lead to self-healing materials that repair early damage before it has a chance to spread.
