Timber Project: Howe Dell School - Hatfield

Features

• Green oak open rainscreen cladding
• Low embodied energy
• High U value for energy conservation
• Custom-designed concealed fixing details
• Extruded aluminium mounting battens
• Prefabricated panel system

Hertfordshire County Council required the construction and subsequent use of the Howe Dell School, Hatfield to address environmental issues. The materials would have a low carbon footprint and heat loss from the building had to be kept to a minimum.

Green oak was specified by the architect for the open rainscreen cladding. As well as being cost-effective, this untreated timber had minimal environmental impact as it had not undergone energy-intensive processes such as kiln-drying. It also offered a high U value of 0.18 in line with BREEAM criteria.

The panels were produced off site and installed with a concealed fixing method specifically designed by BCL for these prefabricated panels. This met the challenge of using untreated timber and which allowed for the movement of the material over time when affixed to extruded aluminium battens employed for strength and durability,