Skinners' Academy - Hackney, London

The £25m Skinners' Academy was a joint venture by the London Borough of Hackney and the Skinners' Company. The school catered for 900 secondary and 250 sixth form students and is located on the north bank of the New River in Hackney, north London.

The design provided an exciting and inspiring learning environment for all students as well as flexible extended use by the local community. With internal zone control, linked automatically to central main plant services, the Alerton BMS System permitted energy efficient our-of-ours use of the sports facilities, teaching areas, dining hall and performing arts spaces.

It total, there were almost 100 small BMS outstations located under false floors, in ceiling voids and in risers, which serve local zones and systems. A notable feature was the 200+ actuated air intake louvers built into the building facade that provided fresh air to classrooms to maintain CO2 levels. This was balanced by extract air via motorised altria windows, mechanical ventilation or Windcatcher Turrets on the top floor.