Landscape Innovation at a School in Norway: FutureBuilt & BREEAM
Illustration: FutureBuilt Magasinparken skole near Oslo
Magasinparken Secondary School in Ski close to Oslo in Norway offers 800 students and teachers a learning environment where sustainability and high architectural quality are at the core of the design and development.
The project aims to set the standard for sustainable architecture with goals for FutureBuilt and BREEAM-Nor Excellent, creating an inspiring and forward-thinking school.
Innovation Elements: FutureBuilt ZERO-L
The innovation element focused on testing the methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions in landscaping. The project served as a pilot for the testing of FutureBuilt ZERO-L and contributed to the development of a calculation tool for greenhouse gas emissions in landscaping.
Following the ZERO-L calculations, further efforts were made to reduce emissions from landscaping. The calculation revealed that emissions from natural stone were significant, as it was assumed the stone was produced in Asia. As a result, a research and development project was initiated to explore the availability of new locally sourced stone and reclaimed stone.
EPD for Landscaping
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) will also be gathered for three products used in the landscape design to help increase demand for EPDs for outdoor materials and equipment.
The project explored several other innovation elements, such as considering solar panels integrated into building components like floors, windows, and screens, as well as the use of innovative low-emission materials.
Low-Emission Materials
The project has also participated in a focus group on low-emission materials organized by FutureBuilt. A number of materials not previously tested in the Norwegian market were proposed here. For most of these materials, the project was in a phase that would have required significant redesign, but some of the suggestions were carried forward and assessed in the detailed design phase.
Social Sustainability
The project conducted a thorough participatory process early on, even before it was approved as a FutureBuilt pilot. The project collaborated with consultants Byantropologene, who primarily helped document the participatory process carried out during the pre-project phase and assessed the process against FutureBuilt’s criteria. There was also engagement with the local community, as this group was somewhat underrepresented.
Sources
Magasinparken Ungdomsskole – Grønn byggallianse
Nordre Follo kommune – Magasinparken ungdomsskole
Also read: City Architect: Knowledge Gaps Hindering Sustainable Buildings
