Architect Feilden Clegg Bradley had its work cut out designing this classroom building and drama studio at Bishop Wordsworth's School. It is located within Salisbury's Cathedral Close and had to be sympathetic to the surrounding buildings, including, of course, the cathedral.
It replaced a series of 30-year-old prefabs and because space was so tight it had to be constructed on the site of the existing pre-fabs, which meant work could only be carried out during school holidays. All this had to be done within the cost and area constraints laid down by the Department for Education and Skills. The solution was to build the two-storey classroom block from prefabricated units craned in over the boundary wall. The single-storey drama studio was built traditionally and will be used by the local community as well as students. The building is intended to be a contemporary reinterpretation of the other buildings in the Close.
Traditional materials, including handmade tiles and facing bricks, have been used to this end and terne-coated stainless steel has been used for the roof, window surrounds and to clad the first-floor link between the new building and the existing school. Terne-coating is a treatment that makes stainless steel duller to match the lead sheet cladding of existing roofs and dormers.
Project team
Client Bishop Wordsworth's School and Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education
Architect Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects
Structural engineer Structures One
Services engineer Building Services Design Partnership
Contractor George and Harding
Quantity surveyor The Hookway Partnership
Terne-coated stainless steel
Eurocom
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 301
Windows
Ideal-Combi
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 302
Brick
Ibstock
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 303
Roof Tiles
Keymer
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 304
Ceiling tiles range
A range of ceiling tiles that combine good acoustic performance and economy has been launched by OWA. Called OWAcoustic smart, they are made from mineral wool and are suitable for schools, offices, reception areas and leisure centres. The company says the tiles have a class 0 fire rating, and offer up to one hour's fire protection. They also have a humidity resistance of up to 90%. The company says the reduced thickness and weight of the tiles bring cost savings in material, handling and transportation. They come in five surface patterns.
OWA
www.owa.de
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 305
Space-saving radiator
Autron, a firm specialising in low surface temperature radiators, has launched a model that it says takes up half the space of other LST products. Called Slenderline, it measures 75 mm from the face of the radiator to the wall. Two versions are available: an open-bottomed model for bathrooms or toilets, where access is needed to clean under the radiator, and a fully enclosed model with a grille in the bottom of the front panel. Outputs range from 200 W to 4700 W.
Autron
www.autron.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 306
Health-conscious lighting option
Future Designs' new light fitting, the ABH Bed Head Luminaire, is suitable for hospitals and for general healthcare applications. It fits over a hospital bed, has uplighters and downlighters, and can incorporate gas-and-air supplies and communications equipment under a hinged front fascia. This means that the patient can adjust the light strength and select the light source using controls on the fascia. The luminaire takes T5 fluorescent lamps and PLC lamps for night lighting, and is suitable for continuous end-to-end mounting. It is available in duo colour finishes.
Future Designs
www.futuredesigns.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 307
Heavy-duty hingeing
Nico Manufacturing has launched its heavy-duty, low-maintenance door hinge, Load Pro. The company says the hinge is suitable for high-volume, high-specification use, without the need for lubrication, in schools, hospitals and commercial buildings. It can also be used for hanging fire doors. It is made from heavy gauge steel, and according to the company it is maintenance-free. The hinge comes with a 10-year guarantee from the maker, and it is available in several finishes, depending on the level of corrosion resistance needed. This includes a bright silver finish – Nico Supercoat 500 – that the company says offers up to 500 hours of salt spray protection.
Nico Manufacturing
www.nico.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 308
Emergency lighting back-up
Cooper Lighting and Security has launched a compact static inverter, the Menvier AC500VA/M3, which provides centralised battery backup for emergency lighting systems. The company says it will suit users whose cost and space constraints would ordinarily rule out a central battery backup system, such as schools, colleges, GP surgeries and nursing homes. It has a power output of 400 W that can be maintained for three hours. This is supplied at 230V AC, enabling any unmodified mains luminaires to operate at full output in emergency mode. It has four independently fused outputs, battery deep-discharge protection, automatic temperature compensation and a system status display panel. It measures 970 mm high, 530 mm wide and 400 mm deep.
Cooper Lighting and Security
www.cooper-ls.com
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 314
High-security locking
Medeco Security Locks has brought out the third generation of its cylinder lock mechanism for high-security applications such as hospitals, educational establishments and industrial and commercial premises. Called Medeco3, the company says the product is pick-resistant. Its locking pins must engage precisely with angled cuts in the key and it has a new slider mechanism. The company says the mechanism offers 13 billion key combinations.
Medeco Security Locks
www.medeco.com
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 315
High-velocity ventilation hood
Ventilation systems maker Ledaire Fabrications has developed a range of inducted air hoods for commercial and public sector kitchens. Fresh air is drawn in from outside and discharged inside the hood at high velocity. The company says this creates low pressure over the cooking area, drawing fumes and vapours out through the hood. The company says only 20% of the total air exhausted is heated air from the kitchen, and that the cooling effect of the fresh air also helps improve the efficiency of grease filtration.
Ledaire Fabrications
www.ledairfabricationsltd.sageweb.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 316
Product innovation One-stop-shop off-site designs
Kingspan has launched its biggest commitment to off-site construction yet, with a system called Kingspan Off-Site. This arranges the company’s product portfolio in a foundation-to-roof solution that includes steel framing, insulated panels and roofing products.The company has taken the concept a stage further by teaming up with HLM Architects, multidisciplinary consultant Arup and cost consultant Cyril Sweett to develop designs for the healthcare and education markets. It also includes healthcare facilities suitable for the NHS’ LIFT projects, ranging from GP surgeries to acute regional hospitals. There are also designs for single living and student accommodation.
The company says it has been inspired by Zen concepts in its designs, which introduce a sense of calm by avoiding jagged edges and maximising the use of natural light and ventilation. The approach seems to have paid off as the exemplar designs have won CABE’s stamp of approval. Kingspan says PFI consortiums and other clients can integrate the exemplar designs into existing schemes, combine its system with traditional construction or extract aspects of the exemplar design for a more bespoke solution.
Kingspan is investing £10m in the project over the next two years. The money is going into a 13,000 m2 manufacturing facility at its North Yorkshire plant. This will produce new products in addition to all the components needed to stitch together the company’s existing products.
The company has set itself up as a component supplier. Finished components and assemblies will be supplied to other UK off-site manufacturers for final assembly and site erection.
To deliver a complete package, Kingspan has also teamed up with a host of UK suppliers and specialist contractors, including British Gypsum for internal wall and ceiling linings, NG Bailey for M&E services, and Roger Bullivant for foundations.
Information point
Floor vibrations researchThe Steel Construction Institute has published Design Guide on the Vibration of Floors in Hospitals. It is based on a six-year research project commissioned by steel company Corus, which sets out to prove steel frames’ suitability for sensitive environments, such as operating theatres, where vibration has to be avoided. According to the publication, the testing of existing floors and numerical modelling has showed that steel composite floors came well within the minimum vibration standards set by the NHS.
Steel Construction Institute
http://shop.steelbiz.org
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 309
Clearer classroom acoustics
A new guide, Improving Speech Clarity in Classrooms, has been published by acoustics specialist British Gypsum. It explains how a room’s design, layout and internal finishes affect sound reverberation times, and how careful selection of ceiling and room linings can improve speech clarity. The company also says the relative position of a room’s sound-absorbing and sound-reflecting ceiling tiles can improve clarity. It says its Intel6 software can be used to predict sound quality, helping designers meet the DfES’ Building Bulletin 93 and Part E of the Building Regulations, which deals with acoustics.
British Gypsum
www.british-gypsum.com
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 310
Wood protection guide
Protective coatings maker Sikkens has launched a brochure called Professional Wood Protection for the Education Sector. It describes the company’s life-cycle costs model, details the product range and has six case studies.
Sikkens
www.sikkens.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 311
Ceiling guidance
Suspended ceilings maker Ecophon has launched a 290-page product guide called the Ecophon Handbook. It covers areas such as acoustics, fire safety, indoor climate and environmental influence and offers advice such as design recommendations, illustrated by examples. These include 50 areas in a range of sectors including offices, schools, healthcare premises, restaurants and commercial.
Ecophon
www.ecophon.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 312
Piping update
Durapipe UK has launched a CD-ROM containing details of its range of plastic pipes and fittings. It includes information on its five Durapipe ranges plus its other brands, including Friatherm, Vulcathene and Philmac Water. Information on the products includes design and sizing criteria, suitability for use and material specification. CAD downloads are also available. The CD-ROM is aimed at pipe system designers, consultants, installers, distributors and end users.
Durapipe UK
www.durapipe.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 313
Postscript
Online reader enquiry service
For further information on any of these products, log on to www.building.co.uk or fill in the first-class postage reader enquiry card inside the back cover.
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