Carbon neutral, green and sustainable- the £4.7m Youth Centre designed in the form of a caterpillar, is a true representation of the changing mindset of modern youth. Designed and built with the active participation of the youth of Romford, the new ‘My Place Centre’ in Harold Hill will be one of the greenest, carbon-neutral buildings in the UK.
Apart from using sustainably sourced timber and solar panels, the building will also feature high levels of insulation and the maximum utilization of natural day light and natural ventilation to reduce energy use.
Further adding to the sustainable features, the underfloor heating for the building was screeded by CSC with energy efficient floor screed- FlexiDry. FlexiDry F3 with a drying time of 21 days was laid at a thickness of 75mm over the underfloor heating, while the steel staircases were laid with 30mm of the same screed bonded with a resin.
When space heating is one of the major sources of energy expenditure in a building, underfloor heating is an efficient way of keeping the energy use low. By coupling the underfloor heating with the right floor screed, the energy savings can be further enhanced, keeping the energy use at the source to the minimum. FlexiDry serves to improve energy efficiency by acting as an efficient thermal conductor, transferring the heat evenly and without loss to the floor surface.
Another major feature that is essential when it comes to sustainable construction is minimal wastage and potential for recycling. By using FlexiDry, which is 100% recyclable, we were also able to keep the wastage to a minimum. Apart from recycling the small amounts of leftover screed mix, we were able to keep wastage to the minimum right at the outset, as the fast drying screed could be mixed as per requirement right at the work site.
When most green initiatives safely remain confined to the papers, the ‘My Place Centre’ is a demonstration of the metamorphosis of green thinking to effective action.
