
THE HAREHOPE QUARRY PROJECT Environmental education, sustainable living and field studies in the North Penines, County Durham
ABOUT US Harehope Quarry people.Who are we, what we do.
ECO-CLASSROOM Environmental and sustainability education in a Walter Segal self-build eco-classroom
NATURE RESERVE Geology and wildlife in a quarry reclaimed by nature.
SMALLHOLDING Hens, carp, cattle and vegetables.
EVENTS AND VOLUNTEERING Events diary, other activities in development, volunteering.
SCHOOLS Environmental education opportunities for schools.
GEOLOGY Geological interpretation, geology garden, Frosterley Marble.
COMMUNITY ARTS Arts activities at Harehope quarry.
CURRENT PROJECTS Green woodworking, composting, charcoal making, Rock Detectives club.
HOW TO FIND US Location maps and contact information.
LINKS
HAREHOPE QUARRY STUFF Notes and photos on life in the quarry project.

ECO-CLASSROOM

The eco-classroom is available for hire as a venue for meetings or specific events.
The Harehope Quarry Project also runs ‘green’ birthday parties, has an education programme
for schools and holds regular volunteering days.

Email us for Venue Hire

The eco-classroom under construction, September 2005.

The Eco-Classroom is built from sustainable timber and entirely by volunteer labour. The building is powered by wind and solar energy and heated by a woodburning ceramic stove. Water is pumped from our own borehole by a solar powered pump, hot water is provided by solar water heating panels on the classroom's balcony. The lavatories are composting and grey water is treated by a constructed reedbed. The living roof is planted with sedum (Stonecrop) to provide a habitat for plants, birds and insects.
Built to Walter Segal Trust specifications it has been designed by architect Duncan Roberts.

The sedum roof with inset of oystercatcher chick hatched on roof.

Above is a view of the eco-classroom roof. The wooden structure is covered by a rubber membrane and surfaced with soil and gravel.
Sedum has been transplanted from the quarry floor and local gardens. There are many seedlings not obvious in the picture. The image below shows some of the sedum in flower in June 2006.

A section of the roof with bright yellow sedum flowers. Sedum is commonly known as Stonecrop.

A tall white painted structure with a glass and metal door two feet from the base.

The interior is to be lined with wooden boards covered with plasterboard and insulated with recycled newsprint. The floors are made from floorboards which have been recycled from beams from demolished buildings. The balcony will eventually be home to a solar water heating array. Water supply is to be provided from our own borehole via a solar powered pump. Electricity comes from our wind turbine and photo voltaic array, as at December 2005 the first fix of wiring and plumbing has been installed and will be completed as soon as we can finish the interior walls and ceiling.

Two views inside the classroom: under construction and completed.

The picture above left (taken just before Christmas 2005) shows the intitial lining of OSB or Sterling board. The ceiling supports are also in place ready to accept the final foil backed plaster board. The cavities will be filled mechanically with paper insulation. The boxes contain the parts for the solar water heating system which is to be installed on the exterior of the classroom.
The image right shows the completed interior (June 2008), and the room set up for a teacher training day.

Interior view of kitchen

The image above shows our well equipped kitchen and below the foyer with toilet doors and one of the composting toilets.

The foyer showing the toilet doors and community artwork, and the interior of one of our composting toilets.

Exterior view of the southern end of classroom.

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