Places features

The £2.5m building is made entirely of sustainable materials such as earth, timber and straw as well as more unusual materials such as recycled yoghurt pots and tyres.

Around 50% of the country’s carbon footprint is construction-related with 10-15% coming from the materials. The project aims to showcase how good design can be sustainable.

Five projects in the West have been nominated for the award.

Director of the centre, Ian Moore, said he wanted the building to influence the construction industry to become more sustainable.

"We're setting the standards for the rest of the country. We get lots of visitors, including architects, industry representatives and colleges.

"Our strapline is that we can demonstrate that sustainable design can be mainstream and individualistic.

"We need to be at the cutting edge."

Materials used include straw, timber and earth

Wind catchers

The idea for the building came to Ian after students were tasked to design an eco-friendly building. He then felt inspired to act on their creations and after six years of planning, the Genesis Project was built.

The building cost £2.5m in total, however £1.5m was construction cost which was paid for by the South West Regional Development Agency.

The centre is used as a learning centre for schoolchildren of all ages and is part of Somerset College.

It makes money through holding conferences and has a shop which sells an assortment of environmentally-friendly produce.

It uses green electricity which is provided by two panels on the roof and a boiler which burns recycled wood pellets. 

One of the most used rooms is the classroom which looks like any other but sustainability has been subtly worked into the design. The carpet is made from sustainable materials and the people who made it will take it away and recycle it once it needs replacing.

The walls are covered with breathable, eco-friendly paint and the room contains flaps which are like chimneys which 'catch' the wind. This provides the room with natural ventilation.

Recycled yoghurt pots were used in the toilets

Other rooms in the building are made from the earth which was taken from the actual site, timber and straw which are all breathable materials which absorb the moisture in the air well. No cement or binders were used. The building also contains 32 probes which monitor the moisture content.

The building also collects all rainfall which then naturally goes back into the atmosphere. This stops the water going to the drains which in turn prevents the nearby rivers from overflowing.

"I just want to get people to think about what we can do to reduce carbon emissions," said Ian.

He said it was a great place to work in and everyone who visits the centre leaves with a great feeling.

"This building can make a powerful statement and it motivates young people to think about the environment which affects everything we do. It inspires people to think about their lifestyle.

"It's a wonderful world we live in but we're destroying it. It's a lot to do with our lifestyle in particular the buildings we live in and work out of."