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ECOSpace wins Scottish Design Award

09/06/2008

The new ECOSpace facility at Carnegie College (formerly Lauder College) in Dunfermline has won the award for sustainable design at this year’s Scottish Design Awards.

ECOSpace, architecturally designed by architects RMJM, structurally engineered by Create Engineering and completed in September 2006, is a highly sustainable training workshop run by Carnegie College  The £2.2 million centre aims to lead the way in training students in sustainable construction and encouraging environmentally sustainable work practices such as reducing waste, re‑using materials, using renewable resources and minimising energy use.

Paul Rodgers, RMJM’s Director, said “We’re delighted that ECOSpace has been recognised for its highly sustainable credentials by the Scottish Design Awards.  ECOSpace is an exemplary project which reflects the nature of the facility in its design and winning the award for the most sustainable design is great for the college and everyone connected with the project.”

The centre is the first of its kind in the UK, is built from renewable materials and incorporates renewable energy systems that minimises its energy use and environmental footprint.  For example, untreated green Douglas fir is used extensively in the structural frame, with careful detailing used to accommodate drying movement and prevent timber rot, thereby eliminating the energy normally used to dry timber and the chemicals used to treat it.  A particular benefit is the “living” feel of the exposed timber sections.

Alan Huey, Head of the School of Built Environment at Carnegie College, has commended the building for its ability to give students first‑hand experience of an environmentally sustainable workplace with green practices.  ”Students now recognise the benefits of a sustainable building - something they will take with them to the workplace and benefit communities of the future.”