Contractor

Name : Agence pour l'Enseignement Français à l'Etranger

Construction Manager

Name : MEANDRE ETC

Contact : contact[a]meandre-etc.fr

Stakeholders

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Function : Designer

MA.TERIA

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Function : Other consultancy agency

LAIII

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Function : Thermal consultancy agency

ALTO INGENIERIE

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Function : Other consultancy agency

PANORAMA PAYSAGE

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Function : Other consultancy agency

ACOUSTIQUE VIVIE ET ASSOCIES

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Function : Other consultancy agency

RIO PLANO

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Function : Others

VERITAS

Contracting method

Other methods

Energy consumption

• Primary energy need : 86,00 kWhpe/m².year

Calculation method : Other

• Initial consumption : 235,00 kWhpe/m².year

Envelope performance

More information :

Cork board insulation.

More information

The building was delivered in 2022. We have little information on its actual consumption.

Systems

Heating system :
• Low temperature gas boiler
• Water radiator
Hot water system :
• No domestic hot water system
Cooling system :
• No cooling system
Ventilation system :
• Natural ventilation
• Nocturnal ventilation
Renewable systems :
• No renewable energy systems

Biodiversity approach

Mitigation actions on soil and biodiversity :

The Campolide district is emblematic because of the presence of a water table, an 18th century water reservoir, and an aqueduct that runs through the school site. Particular care has been taken to enhance the outdoor spaces, education and biodiversity. Thus, the infiltration of rainwater from the site is achieved through a choice of permeable soils. The playgrounds are real gardens where plants are an educational tool both in terms of vegetable gardens and fruit trees.

The observation of existing gullies, the recovery and reuse of calçada, the search for permeable soil materials with the landscapers to meet the regulatory obligation to infiltrate rainwater have been proposed, discussed with the owner. We organized visits, in particular to Campo Grande (landscaping carried out by the project's landscaper, Rio Plano), to an oasis courtyard in Paris with the principal, and to the nursery to choose local species adapted to the site. Finally, around the tree pits, bicycle and car parking spaces, the mineral soil materials were chosen for their porosity to improve rainwater infiltration.

The total surface area of calçada has been substantially increased and covers a large part of the kindergarten and elementary school yards because these limestones laid on a bed of sand create a flexible pavement that, like a fabric, follows the movements of the ground, guides the runoff of water, and is infinitely repairable. The remaining pavements, except for some traffic paths, are porous or fully permeable. The sports fields to the north and south are made of stabilized earth, and the cement pavers are laid on a sand bed. All these surfaces allow a maximum of water to infiltrate and recharge the water table.

Urban environment

Campolide is a neighborhood that used to be agricultural, then residential for the workers of the Alcantara factories, and now mineral, surrounded by commercial towers that deprive it of horizon without providing shade, of a highway avenue with traffic so dense that it makes the arrival of students unsafe. The place is noisy from the passage of cars and the air corridor that passes right over it. These are the first observations.

To breathe in the city, Lisbon, its Mediterranean climate, slightly humid in winter, dry and hot in summer with an average temperature of 28 degrees during the day, cool at night. Soaking up the site, its light, its atmosphere, spotting what makes its identity, the trees on the small squares, the calçada that follows the reliefs, that guides the flow of rainwater, getting to know the surrounding city, the habits, etc.
 

Resiliency measures in place

Heat wave: The sun and its race

The bioclimatic design uses the characteristics of the temperate subtropical climate to provide indoor comfort. The layout of the buildings and facades was chosen using the heliodon to visualize the path of the sun in different seasons. In this dense urban site, the surrounding high-rise buildings cast significant shadows on the school from fall to spring. Conversely, from spring to fall, the sun is higher and the shadows cast by the surrounding buildings are shorter and do not obscure the shadows cast by the high school, which must therefore be protected.

Cooling the building at night

To cool in summer, each classroom is also equipped with four secondary ventilation openings, two on the exterior façade and two on the wall facing the corridor. When they are open during the day, the breeze cools the bodies, and during the night, cool air fills the classrooms, cooling the thermal mass of the ceilings, floors and walls.

Air movers were installed in the ceiling to ensure an air velocity of one meter per second and guarantee a comfortable feeling even above 28°.

For budgetary reasons, the bay windows in the corridors were removed, leaving them open to the air. This last resort solution was fully endorsed by the Portuguese health services, which saw it as an appropriate response to the air quality issue that came back to the fore after the covid-19 pandemic crisis. The fact that the corridors are now outside, sheltered but not closed, made it possible to harmonize the cross ventilation provisions with fire safety.

• Land plot area : 22 000,00 m²
• Built-up area : 30,00 %
• Green space : 14 000,00

Product

Cork board insulation

Product category : Finishing work / Partitions, insulation

Cork is a local biosourced rot-proof material that provides very good insulation and ensures the perspiration of the walls. This material, which does not deform much despite changes in temperature or even under the effect of the passage of time, constitutes a very perennial base for rendering. The external insulation of the extensions and the rehabilitated buildings was carried out with nine centimeters of expanded cork panels.

Construction and exploitation costs

• Total cost of the building : 7 300 000 €

Indoor Air quality

100% of the ventilation is natural. The shallow depth of the building allows for optimal sweep for efficient cross ventilation. Sensors alert occupants to the need to open windows.

In each classroom, a CO2 control panel indicates to the occupants the level of air quality by coloured lights. Green indicates good air quality, orange advises airing the room and red indicates that ventilation is imperative. Experience has shown that this control system works best.

Users find it less anxiety-provoking than windows connected to sensors with automatic opening. Moreover, this responsibility, given to the users, has other advantages. On the one hand, it leads to education through the understanding of the system and, on the other hand, to changes in mentality with regard to air conditioning thanks to the experimentation of other solutions.

Comfort

Temperature level :

Thermal zoning has been carried out. The temperature set point is 19°C in the classrooms.

For cooling in summer, each classroom is also equipped with four secondary ventilation openings, two on the exterior façade and two on the wall facing the corridor. When they are open during the day, the breeze cools the bodies, and at night, cool air fills the classrooms, cooling the thermal mass of the ceilings, floors and walls.

Breathers ensure that the air speed in summer is one metre per second to guarantee a comfortable feeling even at temperatures above 28°C.

For budgetary reasons, the bay windows in the corridors were removed.  This solution was endorsed by the Portuguese health authorities, who saw it as an appropriate response to the renewed concern for air quality with covid-19. The fact that the corridors are now external made it possible to harmonise the cross ventilation provisions with fire safety.

The project management team has produced an educational guide for occupants to explain summer thermal comfort. This guide is available online here (in French).

Humidity control :

The use of the heating system allows the humid air to be dried out. Typically, in Portugal, heating is not used. In France, the public expects heating to meet these needs.

The school group is equipped with "class'air" probes that measure humidity, CO2, atmospheric pressure and temperature.

Acoustic comfort :

Acoustic insulation is provided between rooms. Acoustic correction in each room is achieved by acoustic ceilings made of wood fibre/cement (organic mineral type).

Note: the school is located under an air corridor. The Portuguese acoustic regulations, which are less strict than those in France, allowed us to implement natural ventilation.

Visual comfort :

The northern orientation of the classrooms, with large bay windows, provides soft and homogeneous light with close and long views of the green outdoor spaces.

For the rehabilitated buildings, the east-west facing facades are fitted with solar protection to avoid overheating and glare.

The provision of indirect light increases visual comfort.

• second-lighting by circulation for the classrooms
• sports hall illuminated by roof shed

Ergonomic design :

All the furniture has been designed at child height (sanitary facilities, washbasins, staircase step height, handrail height). Particular care has been taken in the treatment of traffic flows. The corridors, stairs and ramps have been designed to avoid jostling.

Carbon sink

Cork is a local biosourced material that has been used as soon as possible in the building industry. It can be found in exterior insulation but also in flooring and billboards.