Austin-Smith:Lord undertook the role of Executive Architect in the development of a BREEAM Outstanding 472 pupil combined Nursery and Primary Welsh medium School in the Furnace area of Llanelli. The school’s imaginative design provides a variety of stimulating learning spaces. Arranged over two storeys the design maximises the views to the nearby coastline whilst minimising the building footprint. Courtyards, covered classrooms and a roof terrace have immediate links to classrooms and the ecologically rich woodland setting. Sustainability has been a key consideration in the design development with the aim of achieving a highly sustainable development. There are two different but connected aspects to this, zero carbon in use and a BREEAM design rating of Outstanding. A substantial 700m2 photovoltaic array on the school’s roof is really the only ‘big ticket’ item employed to achieve the zero carbon status. The other measures are simpler and smaller but together create a very energy efficient scheme. These measures include a highly insulated fabric, solar shading and solar control glazing, good air tightness, cross ventilation, solar thermal panels, air source heat pumps, highly efficient gas boilers, good levels of day light combined with efficient sensor controlled lighting. The completed project has been certified with an EPC of A+ (zero carbon in use) The school is focused around a double height hub or ‘heart’ space. This is a generous circulation space used primarily as an orientation space both for the school and out of hours community uses. Its provides an identifiable centre through which all users pass. It’s a place for impromptu meetings and allows for informal performances and learning to take place. Community use of the school is provided out of hours through rentable halls, meeting rooms and sports facilities. These facilities include a badminton hall to Sport England standards and a multi use games area (MUGA). These are complementary to the facilities provided on the site by local sports clubs and will be managed with their involvement. The existing scrub woodland setting has been maintained and enhanced. The potential flooding issues on the site have been turned to its advantage through the creation of attenuation ponds. These ponds and the scrub woodland provide an attractive environment for learning and preservation of the local ecology. All these factors create a truly sustainable school in social, economic and environmental terms. The most important part of that is the creation of a learning environment that the pupils, staff, parents and the community all enjoy using. ?