Sustainability Report

The project meets all sustainability certifications required for planning application, including BENG (Bijna Energie Neutrale Gebouwen — Nearly Energy-Neutral Buildings) and Energylabel assessments. No additional certifications were targeted: the design focused on real-world operational performance, low-carbon material choices, and long-term adaptability.

Embodied carbon strategies

• The embodied carbon assessment for LennaMare School was carried out after completion of the project, following industry-standard methodologies in accordance with UK RICS guidance and EN 15978 (the primary European framework for whole-life carbon assessment). The review includes material quantities, construction processes, and lifecycle impacts.
• The project places a strong emphasis on timber construction, using wood throughout the structure and envelope. This approach reduces embodied impacts, improves acoustic comfort, and maintains a clear connection to regional material traditions, all within the constraints of a typical education budget. 
• The roof structure is built using the Kerto® Ripa system, made from Kerto® LVL beams and timber panels.
• The interior finish incorporates perforated pinewood panels by Steward Design Panels, which also integrate acoustic performance. 
• The facade is formed from Woodlife-treated timber slats in rhombus profiles.
• Inner cavity walls consist of timber frame.

Operational emissions strategies

Operational energy performance has been fully modelled as part of the statutory Dutch planning process (BENG performance standards and energy label certification). The building currently performs at least thirty percent better than Dutch building regulations require, with the following specific reductions:

• 40 percent of the school’s total energy demand is supplied by on-site solar panels.
• Heating and cooling demand is 35 percent lower than Dutch building code limits.
• Regulated energy use for systems including heating, cooling, ventilation, hot water, and lighting is 13 percent lower than required.

Energy efficiency is supported by a combination of design strategies: a timber roof structure with north-facing shed roofs for optimised daylighting, a low-tech ventilation system that pre-heats and cools incoming air using the natural thermal mass of the schoolyard soil, and photovoltaic panels on the south-facing roof.

The building has been designed to become energy neutral over time through the future addition of further solar panels to match expected growth in student numbers.

The landscaping strategy further reinforces circular and regenerative principles. The schoolyard is largely unpaved, enabling natural rainwater infiltration, while an enlarged polder moat provides additional water retention, supporting climate adaptation at the site level.