From a cohort of final year students at Brambletye primary school, James Adams has been selected as the winner, in a competition to design an Eco-Classroom. Judged by Cowan Architects, the Cowan Prize was awarded at the School’s Sports and Speech day recently.
The competition asked for the 13-year-olds to use the basic principles of sustainable building design, following an architectural specification, to plan an Eco Classroom. It needed to employ straightforward construction techniques (that can be undertaken by the pupils), using locally sourced materials and striving to be low-energy and low-impact.
Speaking of the inspiration for his design, James said: “[it came from] a book I read called ‘Twister on Tuesday’, about the Midwestern plains of North America where, due to lack of tress for wood, they built houses into the hills made from mud and grass, much like an eco-house.”
Cowan’s Senior Architect, David Callin, said: “James’ design stood out above the rest due to its imaginative use of the site’s topography and its simplicity in design and construction. His design is sustainable construction at its most raw”.
Mr Callin came into the school to give a lecture, before hosting the competitors in a visit to the Cowan offices.
Looking into the future is Ian Purcell, Head of Science at Brambletye, who said: “Our plan is for next year’s students to implement James’ design, which is both exciting but still buildable.”
