How we created one of the world’s most sustainable business schools

What makes EBS so green?

Green roofing

Architects BDP envisioned a building that was ‘visibly sustainable at every level’. Sedum plants on the rooves offer visitors an early glimpse of EBS’ ecological credentials.

Together with mature trees that were maintained through construction, they blend the building with the historic Wivenhoe Park.

The winter garden

The iconic feature of EBS, the winter garden is more than just a striking entrance.

By day, natural light pours through vast, arching windows to feed a rich array of air-purifying plants and maintain the building’s micro-climate.

By night, you’ll find cosy study spaces and meeting places nestled among the palm trees.

Wooden construction

You can’t grow concrete. But trees are regenerative, so EBS maximises use of certified-sustainable wood, inside and out.

That’s beneficial at every stage of the building’s life:

1. During construction, timber reduces the building’s embodied carbon footprint, having absorbed over 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere when grown. By contrast, concrete would produce CO₂, and making cement releases 7% of the world’s carbon emissions.
2. During use, wood reduces energy consumption by insulating the building 15 times more effectively than concrete and 400 times better than steel.
3. At the end of its life, the timber frame can be dismantled more easily and potentially reused, while other materials require polluting demolition and are often sent to landfill.

Solar power

EBS’ south-facing crescent takes full advantage of the sun. Across the roof, 244 solar panels generate around 90,000 kWh of electricity. That’s enough to run 50 flats from this building alone.

In fact, when paired with measures like LED lighting, efficient IT equipment, and smart meters, EBS is a net exporter of electricity.

The rainwater pool

Like many of EBS’ features, the rainwater pool is as functional as it is beautiful.

Here, rain is collected from the roof, then recycled for irrigation in the winter garden.

Passive heating and ventilation

As far as possible, heating and air flow in EBS are natural. The south-facing windows of the winter garden gather warmth, while a built-in system monitors the air temperature and opens windows for cooling.

This approach saves a tonne of carbon emissions every day — that's one economy seat on a flight from London to New York.

Other passive systems are at work: large amounts of insulation keep heat in during winter and keep it out in summer; and a large brise-soleil shades south-facing classroom and office windows.

When direct warming and cooling is needed, a clean, electric ground-source heat pump exchanges underground heat energy with the building and vice versa.

Plus, all the electricity generated by the solar panels creates extra heat which we efficiently repurpose. Combined heat and power schemes like this cut energy use by around 20%.

A recyclable roof

The Eden Project-style roof over the winter garden reduces the demands for electric lighting and heating.

What’s more, it’s made from fluorine-based EFTE plastic, which is low-energy to manufacture, highly resilient and self-cleaning during use, and recyclable at the end of its life cycle.