In the near future, the five floors of the Thames Tidal School will combine passive construction and an underwater turbine system, covering 100% of its energy needs.

Throughout history, cities on a river or other waterway have been the most prosperous. Tomorrow, they will undoubtedly be the ones saving the most energy. Along the banks of the Thames, west of Teddington, an incredible school may soon see the light of day.

Imagined by Curl la Tourelle Head Architects, the five-storey Thames Tidal School combines passive construction and a mini-power station covering 100% of the school’s energy needs. The building will be built using natural and renewable materials from local supply chains. Inside, various sensors will monitor carbon consumption by the school’s occupants, encouraging them to reduce their footprint in real time.

Tidal power

A stroke of genius: part of the construction will be underwater. This is by design, since huge turbines have been included to capture tidal power. “Tidal power is strongest at this location on the Thames, where the rise and fall of the water level can reach nearly seven metres,” explains Wayne Head, one of the firm’s three directors. Activated four times a day when high tide and low tide are reached, the turbines should be able to provide for the school’s daily power consumption.

While the school is still only in the concept stage, there is a real chance that it will come to fruition as well as become the greenest building in England. Feasibility studies have shown that the building will not only be capable of powering itself, but also of maintaining eco-friendly heating and cooling systems, and selling its excess power to the grid.

Tags: London, passive house, school, Thames, turbines