The KIND Seed Environment Centre, Liverpool

The KIND Seed Centre brings together a range of energy saving measures in a building designed specifically to teach Liverpool children about the issues of sustainability, energy conservation and healthy eating.

KIND (Kids in Need and Distress) is a local charity which has just Celebrated 25 years of providing activities and support for children and their families in Liverpool.

The new centre is built in the garden of a long established former city farm right in the middle of Liverpool, close to the Cathedrals. The innovative building is highly insulated and its only external wall faces due south to obtain the maximum use of passive solar heat gain. Solar thermal panels combined with air-to-air heat recovery provide hot water for the underfloor heating and also for basins and sinks.

Heat recovery on the ventilation system reduces ventilation heat losses on the rare occasions when mechanical ventilation is required. Photo voltaic panels and (subject to Planning Permission) a large wind turbine provide electricity principally to provide power to the air to air heat pump which effectively triples the output of these inputs. They also power the centre or sell back electricity to the National Grid when demand is low at weekends and at night time. All rainwater is harvested in an underground tank and re-used for flushing toilets. All washbasin taps are controlled by electronic switches. All lighting is low energy and room switching uses automatic proximity switches which sense whether rooms are occupied or not.

The centre grows its own produce which is then cooked on site with the help of the children and eaten inside the light and airy interior or outside in the garden patio, on the first floor balcony or in the roof garden. Full height sliding doors open up the ground and first floors to the garden and balcony.

• Click on the thumbnails below to expand images