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Case Study 1

Name of Project: WISE (Wales Institute for Sustainable Education)
Name of Applicant: Centre of Alternative Technology (CAT)
Total Cost of Project: £5,167,034.00
CAE Contribution (9%)*: £30,000.00

Group / Institution Information:

The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) was founded in 1974 as a research, demonstration and education establishment with the aims of informing and enabling people to adopt more sustainable living lifestyles. It is based in a disused slate quarry near Corris, Machynlleth.

CAT’s demonstrations include; photovoltaic roofs, wind and water turbines, biological waste management, hydro railway, exemplar low carbon emitting buildings, organic gardens and an information and shopping service.

In addition, the centre has 30 years experience of facilitating a year round programme of residential courses. The total amount of visitors to the centre per annum is around 65,000.

Project Background:

Building the Wales Institute for Sustainable Education (WISE), which is a state of the art building complex for research and development, information transfer and business support. The 2105m² development includes a laboratory, 3 technical workshops, 3 seminar rooms, 200-seat auditorium, new catering facilities and accommodation for 48 people. It encompasses the latest in innovative sustainable design, with curved rammed earth walls, energy monitoring equipment, integrated photovoltaic roof, maximum passive solar design, composting and low flush toilets and roof gardens. Nestled into the edge of the site it adds to the visitor circuit and demonstrate cutting edge sustainable architecture and technology that seeks to be in keeping with the surrounding countryside.

Previously, most environmental seminars at CAT took place in buildings at odds with the issues being discussed. The WISE building demonstrates a replaceable, cost effective, example of a sustainable building and technology for students, visitors and business to draw inspiration and ideas from. The latest technologies, such as building, energy, water, sewage, monitoring and contract management systems is on interactive display for people to engage with.

CAT has experienced rapidly increasing demand for a venue to accommodate larger sustainability education events. WISE will draw on CAT’s 30 years of experience to educate a wide range of participants in the principle of sustainable development, enhancing Wales’s capacity to take advantage of new markets and opportunities.

The project aims to make life long learning in sustainable technologies both accessible and affordable. It will equip people from all sections of society with the knowledge and tools required to have a real and lasting positive impact on sustainable development.

Objectives:

Promote the sustainable and efficient use of natural resources,
Promote environmental education and improve public understanding of environmental issues,
Exploit the economic opportunity for diversification and growth of eco-tourism and eco-courses at CAT,
Broaden the economic base of rural communities, by enhancing opportunities for diversification among business (including forestry, agriculture, construction, energy generation and tourism), voluntary and environmental groups and individual entrepreneurs,
Broaden the competitiveness of CAT and other rural enterprises by enhancing opportunities for increased efficiency and reduced costs through sustainable development,
Reduce economic leakage from the local economy through networking and development of local purchasing supply chains, for CAT and other organisations in Mid Wales,
Expand the tourist market and income to mid Wales by raising awareness of the area as a leader in eco-tourism and as a node of sustainability excellence.
Engage and inform 65,000 visitors per annum on sustainable development issues,
Increase CAT’s capacity to house visitors,
Increase the number of environmental seminar and conference participants from 200 in 2002 to 1400 in 2007.
Offer more courses to local people and visitors,
Build facilities by their planned date to achieve the Building Research Establishment’s BREEM rating of excellence and to exceed their best practice criteria for environmental performance.
Use and monitor the effectiveness of cutting edge materials, energy systems, biological systems and construction techniques during development.

Outputs:

This is a highly ambitious and far-reaching project which has great potential, and may well become one of Wales’s national flagship projects with regard to sustainable development. In terms of total projects costs, this project represents one of the largest CAE has been asked to support, however, it also represents on of the most high profile and highest scoring projects. The WISE project meets every criteria set out by CAE and enshrines a great deal of what sustainable development entails.