Green light for eco-friendly campus

The first environment-friendly school in the Middle East is to be built in Dubailand. Owned by Taaleem, which also runs Dubai British School and Uptown School, among others, it will take children from nursery to grade 12. The first phase of students, from kindergarten to grade six, will start in September 2009. It will have a teacher-training college with accommodation and boarding facilities for students on site, which, at 2.7 million sq ft, will be one of the largest school campuses in the region when it is fully completed in 2012. The campus, which is yet to be named, will have an amphitheatre, a performing arts school, multiple sports pitches, a swimming pool and a mosque. The school fits in perfectly with the green building initiative announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. But Sadru Damji, Taaleem's academic development director, says the project was conceived long before the order came into effect in January this year. "We started planning this school four years ago because we believe it's an educationally sound thing to do," said Damji. "It's a small planet so we need to use our resources in a positive way. We also need to educate people to help the environment and we are leading by example to reduce our carbon footprint." The school – located off Emirates Road close to the Arabian Ranches – will feature a number of elements, which will not only reduce its emissions compared to those of other schools in the UAE but also provide a cleaner environment for staff and students. The design does not contain indoor corridors, which would have to be air-conditioned. There will be shaded outdoor walkways, recycling facilities, natural light beamed to all levels to cut down on artificial lighting and recycling of grey water from basins to irrigate the grounds. All the car parks will be located on the outskirts of the campus to reduce pollution inside, with solar powered buggies provided to enable people to get around the buildings. But the green school will lack one environment-friendly element – renewable energy. This has been considered but is not something that will be employed just yet. There will be solar panels and wind turbines – but for educational rather than energy generation purposes. Christopher Ileris, senior project manager at engineering firm Atkins, which has designed the campus, said: "The cost of solar panels are quite high at the moment so until companies produce them at a competitive price it's not worth it." When Taaleem – formerly known as Beacon Education – and Atkins began the project they estimated it would cost about Dh700 million, but with increase in the prices of concrete and other building materials they are unlikely to stay within budget. The project is out to tender with a view to breaking ground this month or next in order to meet the opening deadline, with prices per sq ft expected to be around Dh5,000. To ensure the school is considered truly green, the developers are following guidelines set out in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) system, which was established by the US Green Building Council and is in line with Sheikh Mohammed's initiative. Of the four different Leed rankings – certified, silver, gold and platinum – Taaleem has opted for silver because, said Damji, "we wanted to do more than just the basics". There is only one building in Dubai at present that has achieved platinum status, and as developers go up the scale, so the costs increase. To reach silver, the Dubailand school will cost about five per cent more than a non-green school, but over time those costs will be recouped thanks to savings on utility bills. "There is the potential to save 25 per cent on yearly running costs," added Damji. To achieve Leed status Atkins has to fulfil criteria for each credit, which include satisfactory air quality and sustainable sites, but the company does not see this as a problem thanks to early planning and in-house Leed-accredited personnel. Bridge Haug, Atkins' senior sustainability consultant for the Middle East and India, said: "If green principles are implemented from the start then it is not difficult to do. "For schools there is an emphasis on indoor air quality and materials used because some contain high amounts of lead. The elements considered go right down to the tables and chairs in each classroom. Some elements, such as the shaded walkways, create minimal extra costs, but it is better engineering that will make the difference overall." Taaleem plans to roll out the same principles in other schools. Its campus in Bahrain will also be built to Leed standards, while its existing institutes are already adopting some green initiatives. And with Atkins reporting that buildings use 50 per cent of energy worldwide and transport 25 per cent, both companies believe there is a lot of scope for the Dubailand school to take steps to be different. "We are adopting