The Rural Regeneration Centre, Hadlow College
This iconic building is a showcase of low carbon and renewable technology. One of the first educational establishments in the UK to achieve PassivHaus certification it uses just 10% of the typical energy uses of an equivalent modern building. It was built using prefabricated structured insulated panels and was erected in just 3 days and water and airtight within 10 days.
Located at the award winning College Dairy on Blackmans Lane, the building is a sympathetic conversion of and extension to redundant calf sheds. It is the perfect location for small agricultural, horticultural or sustainable events.
Inside there are separate seminar rooms, a main exhibition centre, computer suite, and modern training facilities. It includes a visible energy monitoring display to showcase the consumption of the building with some of the practical on-site technologies such as a ground source heat pump, provision for a green roof and waterless urinals.
The centre is designed to focus on researching, developing, influencing and supporting the sustainable rural regeneration agenda in the UK.