WHAT IS FABRIC FIRST?

There’s a huge range of eco-friendly building materials around and it can sometimes be hard to understand what all of the terminology means. Read our straightforward explanation of a Fabric First approach - something you'll likely come across when investing in a “greener” outdoor school building.

What is fabric first?

Fabric First is a fairly new buzz word used to describe high performance building fabrics. It’s all about putting thermal integrity first in order to deliver the most cost effective fabric possible.

The key is it’s emphasis on ‘air tightness’ or air permeability’ as the primary focus of any building's construction.

How does it work?

You can do all sorts to buildings to improve efficiency such as install air source heat pumps and solar panels or cavity wall insulation, effectively “plugging the holes”. This approach along with the practice of increasing surplus energy supplies to meet growing consumption is becoming unsustainable.

Enlightened practitioners in design and construction know it makes smart sense to create a structurally sound, high thermal performance building at the start. So ultimately it should be about absolute integrity and a sound structure.

Rather than sticking a plaster on the issue, it is all about sustainability, cost effectiveness and high thermal performance.

So effectively if you implement Fabric First, Fabric Second, Fabric Last your building will automatically be of a higher standard than those required by Building Standards.

Does fabric first mean you use less energy?

Having started with your structure as tight as a drum, using Fabric First standards will mean less heat escapes so you can keep the thermostat turned down. In the summer the walls prevent hot air from entering, so you’re cooler without having to use air conditioning or turning on electrical fans.

It’s how we design and build the structure whilst selecting sustainable materials for an even more sustainable outcome. If your classroom building is built air-tight, you need less energy to heat and cool therefore saving the planet, and saving the school money.

The Extra Bonus: Less energy costs per annum soon start to accumulate allowing you to recoup any initial outlay.