GAJ (Godwin Austen Johnson), one of the largest British architectural and design practices in the UAE, said one of the projects designed by the group - Ladybird Nursery - located in Al Barsha, Dubai has been awarded the Leadership in Energy & Environment Design (LEED) Gold certification by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

 

The first, Ladybird Early Learning Centre, also designed by GAJ, bagged the LEED certification in 2016. 

 

According to GAJ, both The Ladybird Early Learning Centre and Ladybird Nursery have achieved the highest scores for a pre-school outside of the United States, with scores of 72 points and 68 points respectively, and are the only LEED certified nursery schools in the UAE. 

 

"Creating sustainable, healthy buildings is more about being clever with the design, understanding and working with the local vernacular architecture air infiltration and by utilising natural lighting where possible. It doesn’t need to be overly complicated," said Jason Burnside, the Managing Director of GAJ.

 

Completed in August 2022, the Ladybird Nursery is a single storey building with indoor and outdoor play areas. 

 

Each of the three age groups defined within the Ladybird Nursery has their own distinct area and all the spaces are accessed through the main reception for security and supervision. 

 

"We employed a number of both active and passive measures to achieve LEED Gold status including the installation of high performance variable refrigerant flow (VRF) units which are highly energy efficient providing zoned comfort with precise temperature control. We also specified LED light fittings connected to light and PIR sensors," noted Burnside.

 

The school, he stated, was designed with open classrooms and shared learning spaces to create an unrestrained and boundary-free environment using architectural features such as roof overhangs, deeper windows, and the overall orientation of the building for more passive sustainable design strategies.

 

"Walls and adjoining facilities are kept to a minimum to encourage flow and avoid inhibitory barriers and additional innovative learning and social spaces have been created within the nooks and corners of the building," he explained. 

 

"Small, coloured pods in the shape of small houses have been added as storage spaces," said the top official.  

 

Based on a points system, LEED certification is a globally recognised symbol of sustainability achievement providing a framework for healthy, efficient, carbon and cost-saving green buildings, he added.-TradeArabia News Service