Sheffield College

Sheffield is a city proud of its green credentials. The brand new Sheffield City College is one of the city’s greenest major developments to date.

Praised by local planners, the inspirational new college enhances Sheffield’s civic pride and complements a wider strategy to make Sheffield a sustainable city.

Making Its Mark

Sheffield City College’s defining features are a huge curved glass atrium and trio of high roof mounted wind turbines.

The striking campus has been deliberately designed to raise the profile of sustainability initiatives and further education as well as the aspirations and achievements of students.

The building, which opened in September 2010 and replaces a former split site, minimises carbon dioxide emissions through natural ventilation and daylight, and passive night cooling, and generates energy from low and zero carbon sources.

Green Credentials

Four wind turbines, three of which are roof mounted, are located 48 metres above the ground. The building incorporates 260m2 of photovoltaic cells on the south facing façade.

A rainwater recycling system incorporates a large balancing pond that not only provides an ornamental landscape feature but helps with drainage by channelling water from the car park and the college roof. Rainwater is also stored in underground tanks for flushing the toilets.

All of the building’s heating and hot water needs derive from a local district energy network, which provides recycled low carbon energy generated from incinerated local waste.

Sedum roofs on the children’s nursery and catering wing encourage biodiversity, absorb pollution and rainfall, help to reduce the risk of flooding, provide warmth in winter and cooling in summer. A large portion of the site is being landscaped into a ‘parkland’ style area.

The Sheffield College Environmental Strategy

The Sheffield College is a key educational organisation and employer in the city, and is determined to play its part contributing to a healthier, cleaner and greener environment.

The college’s environmental strategy includes a green travel policy and recycling initiatives, which covers all of its campuses: Hillsborough College, Norton College, Peaks College and Sheffield City College.

Staff and students are encouraged to reduce car journeys, switch to car sharing, use public transport or opt for cycling and walking. Hillsborough College campus, like Sheffield City College, has composting facilities to process organic waste, which is then used by horticulture students

Timber from woodwork students is recycled to a charity providing work for disabled adults, who sell on the wood as kindling. There are segregated waste bins at all sites.

A new extension to Peaks College also comprises a wind turbine, solar panels, rainwater harvesting, a sedum roof and a green wall. The environmental features will provide upto 10% of the building’s energy through renewable sources.

So far this year, the college has segregated at source and send direct to a recycling facility, 47% of waste, excluding food composting and material removed by the council and contractors, and is set to increase that.

Main Contact Name: David Battell, Estates Manager
Main Contact Email & Telephone: David.Battell@sheffcol.ac.uk and 0114 2602600
Further information/website: www.sheffcol.ac.uk
Share with us: www.twitter.com/sheffcol www.facebook.com/thesheffieldcollege