Quietly reflecting on the UK’s first GenZero school

Architects Hawkins\Brown develop award-winning biophilic primary school.

St Mary's Voluntary Catholic Academy in Derby is the first completed school in the UK to meet the Department for Education’s new GenZero specification and biophilic brief. Adjacent to the World Heritage Site of Darley Abbey Mills, St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy is a showcase for modern building practices and how incorporating biophilic principles can enhance the learning experience.

The timber-framed school comprises five buildings along a central canopy for each age group coupled with amenity blocks for learning resources. Natural materials were specified wherever possible to complement the natural aesthetic and each classroom is open to the outdoors, allowing the children to connect with the natural landscape. 

Winner of the AJ100 Sustainability Initiative of the Year 2024, Architects Hawkins\Brown embraced Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) design to achieve low carbon targets coupled with quick, quality delivery and minimal waste. The inclusion of solar panels, natural ventilation, heating recycling units and air source heat pumps all helped to achieve the project’s low embodied carbon – far below the target set by the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge. The site is net zero in operational carbon, with embodied carbon at 440 kgCO2e/m2, well below the 540 kgCO2e/m2 RIBA 2030 target and the services are designed to meet 100% of the school’s energy requirements throughout its future. 

Internally, the school also embraces the use of natural materials wherever possible. Troldtekt wood wool acoustic panels were also specified across many of the ceilings to help comply with ‘BB93 Standard: Acoustics in Schools’ which sets out the minimum standards for school acoustics in terms of sound reverberation time and internal ambient noise levels. Procured in an unpainted finish, the panels complement the building’s timber cladding and frame, contribute to the biophilic design and, importantly, control the acoustics in the building to provide a quiet environment for learning. Externally, wildflower seed roofs help attract wildlife and biodiversity, while the open site also includes playing fields, sheltered courtyards, hard play areas and forest. 

The Standard for acoustics in schools ensures that the acoustic environment in schools supports effective teaching and learning covering aspects such as background noise, sound insulation, reverberation time and speech intelligibility. It is designed to promote the acoustical health and well-being of both students and teachers.

For teachers, an acoustically poor environment can lead to vocal strain and fatigue due to raising their voices over background noise. For students, background noise, excessive reverberation and poor sound insulation can make it difficult to hear and understand their teachers, leading to increased cognitive load and reduced concentration.

Troldtekt wood wool panels excel at providing acoustic comfort with a visually attractive and sound-absorbing tactile surface coupled with high durability, resistance to impact and humidity and a long-life cycle of over 50 years. They also positively contribute to a building’s BREEAM, WELL or LEED points.