Doors are now open for an exploration of green building at the Somerset College Genesis Centre for Sustainable Construction. Built using a mix of traditional and modern building methods, it will offer a wide prospectus of education courses and resources, comprising of seminar/lecture theatres and ample exhibition space.

This unusual building has a series of pavilions, made using a wide range of different sustainable materials including clay, wood, straw and earth. The water pavilion ñ which houses the essential loos’ ñ demonstrates the latest systems and devices for water conservation, with surfaces around the hand basins made from recycled yoghurt pots.

Genesis has been built on top of the recycled material from the demolition of a Dutch barn and the college’s 1970′s Metric building. It has rubble and sedum roofs to provide a wildlife habitat and reduce the speed that rainwater enters the watercourse. Its energy is produced by renewable systems, including photovoltaics that provide electrical energy and solar panels that heat water. Waste wood and wood dust from the College’s own carpentry workshops help fuel the wood pellet biomass boiler. The Centre’s walls are insulated with recycled newspaper, wood and cotton denim jeans. The plaster is made of earth and lime, with llama or horsehair binding.

Ian Moore, Operations Director, spoke about the importance of the new centre, saying: “It’s an exciting development that demonstrates how centuries old construction materials and methods can work in harmony with recycled waste, modern materials and techniques to create low energy, waste reducing, streamlined and contemporary buildings.”

Contact: The Genesis Project, Somerset College of Arts and Technology,
Wellington Road, Taunton,
Somerset, TA1 5AX
Tel: +44 (0)1823 366743 or 366416
Email: www.genesisproject.com
Left: the completed Genesis Centre
Photo: © the Genesis Project