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Horticulture Centre, Berkshire College of Agriculture

Ridge was originally appointed by the Client for the build of the College’s Learning Resource Centre, a building notable for its sustainability and ‘green’ credentials. Following the success of that project, the Client reappointed Ridge for Phase II: to provide new teaching space, replacing existing temporary classrooms, to be used for teaching horticulture and vocational construction skills.

The campus sits in a conservation area and historical parkland; the College offices are accommodated within the “Manor House”, which holds a Grade I listing.

Four new buildings have been constructed; whilst each building is bespoke to its function the ethos behind their designs will focus on environmental issues such as the use of a biomass boiler - it will be fully sustainable as the college proposes coppicing on the estate.

• The first building is for a new Horticultural and Science Teaching Centre. The building is directly overlooked by the Manor House so, whilst planned to be a flagship, this building has to be un-obtrusive. The construction is a timber frame with straw bale walls and timber cladding; it also features a zinc panel wall. The sedum roof sits alongside photovoltaic roof panels and the building incorporates a system for recycling rainwater – this will be used within the building as well as to water the plants, which will form part of the teaching facility. Natural ventilation will reduce running costs and any environmental impact.
• The second building is a General Teaching space. Accommodating nine classrooms, the single-storey building is brick and render with some timber cladding. The roof design is barrel-vaulted and is naturally ventilated. Part of the general teaching block is for learners with learning difficulties and disabilities (LLDD).
• The third building is a Vocational Skills Workshop, which provides ground floor classrooms and a modern teaching space for practical teaching of construction trade skills (brick-laying, decorating etc).
• The fourth building will be animal housing.

Demolition of existing teaching areas was phased to avoid interruption to the ongoing curriculum.

One of the key aspects of the project is to introduce a bio-mass boiler within the zone for vocational skills but the heat output will be used for heating the other new buildings and has been sized to manage existing College buildings at a future date. As the College can produce their own wood chip they can be self sustainable, but also use the growing of the willow coppicing as part of the education curriculum.

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