Nature-Based Solutions in schools: a green way to adapt buildings to climate change in Solana de los Barros, Extremadura (Spain)

Mission

In a school located in Solana de los Barros (Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain), several Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) have been designed and implemented to minimise climate impacts, as part of the EU LIFE project myBUILDINGisGREEN. The implemented NBS consist of a series of green roofs, green facades, and other diverse NBS for shading and “water harvesting” that are intended to: (i) keep indoor temperatures low during hot periods and as such minimise energy use for cooling, (ii) create shade, and (iii) improve water retention around the buildings by minimising rainwater run-off. A rainwater-collecting system has also been implemented to feed the irrigation system needed for the maintenance of the green areas of the school. To enhance the effect of those NBS, more trees were planted in outdoor areas and an automated ventilation system was implemented for closing and opening windows in the school to cool and reduce the CO2 concentration inside the building during the night and morning hours. A permeable paving installation allows the growth of vegetation and facilitates the infiltration of water into the soil, reducing the amount of water going into the sewage system.

Local and regional authorities and the educational community of nearby towns and neighbourhoods were actively involved in the project to enhance replication potential. Moreover, specific stakeholders were engaged to explore possible modifications of the Spanish Technical Building Code and to discuss the possibilities of transferring the implemented NBS to other contexts. As part of the same myBUILDINGisGREEN LIFE project, additional pilot buildings located in Portugal were tested for NBS.