Future Leaders Committee Event
Please join the CTBUH UK FLC on a tour of Mossbourne Community Academy, in which we will be discussing the structural and sustainable potentials of timber in the industry.
The tour will be guided by Lorna Edwards (Associate Partner, RSHP ) and Michelle Sanchez (Sustainability Lead, RSHP), followed by an informal discussion about the potentials of timber as a construction material. Michelle and Lorna run the office’s sustainability initiative, setting ambitious goals for the practice "to ultimately go beyond sustainable towards regenerative".
At the time of construction in 2004, Mossbourne was the biggest glulam structure in the UK and, at 8,300m² remains one of the largest timber frames in the country.
The design for Mossbourne Community Academy replaces the former Hackney Downs School and accommodates 1,000 pupils aged 11-16, with a special focus on teaching information and communication technology, as well as offering learning facilities to the wider community. It is a new sort of school for a new century and a powerful engine of regeneration in its own right – the architecture of the building expresses its significance and embodies the key themes of accessibility, openness and social inclusion. As well as using low carbon materials, the architecture is climate responsive through natural ventilation and the incorporation of the existing school within the new structure.
Lorna Edwards
Associate Partner, RSHP
Lorna is an architect and team leader with over 20 years’ experience who takes pride in her collaborative and pragmatic approach to working with clients, consultants, and contractors. Her stakeholder engagement proficiency and extensive experience in the cultural and education sectors has enabled her teams to deliver high-quality, award-winning buildings with complex briefs for clients, including the British Museum and London School of Economics.
She leads RSHP’s sustainability group and is committed to driving awareness and sharing sustainability knowledge with colleagues and others as a member of the LETI Pioneers Steering Committee. She is also a member of New London Architecture’s Expert Panel on Education and a strong advocate for careers mentoring in schools.
Michelle Sanchez
Sustainability Lead, RSHP
Michelle is an architectural designer and sustainability lead with a Ph.D. in Sustainable Architecture, specialising in Whole Life Carbon Assessment and Social Responsibility. She brings many years knowledge of multidisciplinary projects and specialism in environment design, whole life cycle assessment, embodied carbon and energy efficiency.
Michelle assesses all RSHP projects in key stages to make sure that they are as sustainable as possible, undertaking thermal modelling, WLC and embodied carbon calculations, and reviewing sustainability certification. She champions RSHP’s sustainable agenda, promoting it internally and externally.
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