highereducationestates 19 THE extent of RAAC discovered in Britain’s universities is a real concern. Cheeseparing in the public realm from government we expect; but for at least 15 universities to skimp on maintaining buildings with RAAC properly is surprising, even alarming. Granted RAAC can be hard to detect, let alone examine if it is safe. But there have been warnings about the problems of RAAC for over 30 years. In the 1990s, for example, concerns were raised relating to structural deficiencies in RAAC by both the Building Research Establishment and SCOSS (the Standing Committee on Structural Safety, operated by the ICE, the ISE and the HSE). In December 2018, the Department for Education and the Local Government Association made building owners aware of a recent building component failure in a property constructed using RAAC. In May 2019, SCOSS raised an alert to emphasise the potential risks from such construction, highlighting the failure of a RAAC panel roof construction within an operational school. This collapse was sudden, with no apparent warning signs. In September 2022, the Office of Government Property sent a Safety Briefing Notice to all property leaders, regarding the dangers of RAAC, stating that “RAAC is now life-expired and liable to collapse”. All these communications should surely have alerted university estates managers to the need for greater scrutiny of their buildings that were constructed in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Especially as it was well known that RAAC had a lifespan of only 30 years, and less if it suffered water ingress. Hopefully remediation can be speedily implemented, and lessons learnt. On a happier note, the need for post-occupation studies has been a constant theme in the built environment since time immemorial, but to date very few studies have been conducted or shared. So hats off to Hudson Architects who have contributed to this issue a fascinating examination of their work for Norwich University of the Arts. More of these studies please. Editor Andrew Pring Sales director Julian Walter Production Nicola Cann Design Sandra Cid Managing director Toby Filby The publishers do not necessarily agree with views expressed by contributors and cannot accept responsibility for claims made by manufacturers and authors, nor do they accept any responsibility for any errors in the subject matter of this publication. Publishers Stable Publishing Limited, SBC House, Restmor Way, Wallington, Surrey SM6 7AH, England. t. 020 8288 1080 f. 020 8288 1099 e. [email protected] leader and content The examiners fail to satisfy Andrew Pring Editor [email protected] inside this issue S/Oct 2023 23 Post-occupational review Hudson Architects revisit their work of nearly two years ago for Norwich University of the Arts. 26 Design solutions Fostering community across a thriving campus. 29 Flooring Contemporary designs in student accommodation. 32 Tiling How to instal porcelain wall and floor tiles in a modern atrium and washrooms. 26 29
Warwick’s Faculty of Arts Building shortlisted for Stirling Prize THE University of Warwick’s Faculty of Arts Building is one of the six projects shortlisted for the 2023 Stirling Prize for Building of the Year. The winner will be announced on October 19. Architect for the scheme, which was completed in late 2021, was Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and the main contractor Bowmer & Kirkland. Keith Bradley, Founding Partner of FCBS, said: “Being shortlisted for the Stirling Prize is very special as an acknowledgement of our work with Warwick University as well as with the wider consultant and contractor team on the Faculty of Arts Building. “What we have created together is a place that students, academics and other staff want to be - facilitating interactive learning and research in a set of ‘live’ physical spaces - having returned from the digital world that dominated in the Covid years. Warwick Faculty of Arts is a place that connects its people and the wider natural landscape setting. Essential requirements for wellbeing that makes Architecture a Social and Environmental Art." Nestled within the landscaped campus of the University of Warwick, The Faculty of Arts building unites the Arts and Humanities Faculties, and has become the cultural focus of the university. It is composed of four light-filled pavilions set around a grand central stair, with each pavilion housing teaching spaces, offices and academic clusters. In place of a traditional atrium at ground level, a sculptural wooden stair spirals around a series of spaces for use as studios, exhibition and event spaces. The RIBA judging panel said: “The impressive new Faculty of Arts building for the University of Warwick brings together the departments and schools of the faculty under a single roof for the first time. It is evident that this simple mission became the driving principle behind the entire scheme, to create a vehicle for collaboration and cross-pollination of the arts, whilst drawing inspiration from the site’s unique parkland context. Here the architects have woven these two agendas into one cohesive design concept that has been executed with skill and craft.” Among other firms working on the project were MCW Architects Services, Buro Happold, Nagan Johnson, Montresor Partnership, ARUP, Derry Building Services and LUC. MORGAN Sindall Construction’s North West team has started building the University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLan) new Veterinary School. The contractor has collaborated with its supply chain partners to embrace innovative Modern Methods of Construction, notably the use of delta beams within the new build structural frame. This solution will significantly reduce embodied carbon within the building and accelerate the project timeline to ensure the timely opening of the School. The four-storey building involves a partial refurbishment of a current building on UCLan’s Preston Campus. When complete, the nearly 50,000 sqft School will provide a state-ofthe-art centre of learning for students studying a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across the veterinary and animal sciences. The new building, which is being built to universal accessibility standards to ensure that students with a range of learning needs are supported, will include several purpose-built training amenities, including high-specification anatomical skills laboratories, simulated operating theatres, diagnostic suites and pharmacies, microscopy labs, dental rooms and immersive teaching facilities. As part of the project, elements of the already existing Greenbank Building will be refurbished to include a dedicated area for kennels, the installation of new simulated consultation rooms and a physiotherapy suite. Incorporating the School’s strong ‘one health’ ethos and integration of sustainability goals, the new development aims to qualify for a BREEAM Excellent rating. The project aims to be completed in the first quarter of 2025. Construction starts on UCLan’s state-ofthe-art vets school 20 highereducationestates News
City Campus Gloucester on track WORK is progressing well on the University of Gloucestershire’s new City Campus development in the centre of Gloucester. The external facades of the building are now taking shape with new windows installed on all elevations. Many of the windows have been supplied by Crittall Windows – the same company that fitted the original windows for the Bon Marche store in the 1930s that later became Debenhams. The new windows are close replicas of the originals, but double glazed for energy efficiency. Morgan Sindall Construction, which is carrying out the work, has faced significant challenges, not least the need to strip significant amounts of lead paint and to investigate archaeological remains as they are uncovered. This university aims to start operating from the building next summer, with teaching commencing at the start of the new academic year in September 2024. The School of Health and Social care will be the first occupants of the building, along with Gloucestershire County Council’s new Gloucester Library and the new Health and Wellbeing Centre – a partnership project between the university and One Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board. University of Gloucestershire ViceChancellor, Stephen Marston, said: “This has been a challenging project, repurposing a complex and rather rundown old building to meet the University’s needs. But we can now begin to see what a transformation of the building it will be, with original Art Deco facades restored, a striking glass wall on Kings Square, and inside, a fantastic environment for students and staff. “We are now just a year away from realising the vision of creating an exceptional new teaching campus, bringing new life and vibrancy to the heart of our city, and giving a powerful boost with our partners to the regeneration of the historic centre.” FIFTEEN UK universities have closed or partially closed areas containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) since the Government’s warning in June about the potential dangers to structures built with the material. Lectures have had to move to other areas of campus, and some student accommodation has also been affected. In August, 82 universities responded to a BBC News request for information: 58 said they had no RAAC; 15 said they were affected; and nine were checking. Among those affected, RAAC has been found in eight University of Edinburgh buildings, including teaching, laboratory and office spaces. At the University of St Andrews two Students' Association venues have been closed, with work expected to last until next summer. At the University of Sussex, work has begun to replace roof panels containing Raac in five buildings, but all are structurally safe and no buildings are entirely closed. And at Brunel University London, three buildings have closed. The Government’s June warning was followed a more urgent communication on 31 August. In response to the heightened concerns, AUDE issued a statement saying: “RAAC concrete has been used most often in flat-roof areas, so it is difficult to access, maintain, survey and replace. The RAAC issue affects different universities in very different ways. Our oldest and our newest universities (built after 1996) are unlikely to have RAAC for instance. Understanding more about those university-specific plans is vital in being able to understand the scale of the issue, and also the likely costs and timescales of remedial works. “The change in priority level announced by the Government on 31 August has brought new urgency to a national situation. Universities will want to re-prioritise in the light of the Government’s action.” AUDE has asked its members for their initial estimate of the scale and complexity of the problem in their universities and will make public the results in due course. Universities take action to remediate RAAC buildings highereducationestates 21 News
Learning lessons: a look back at how well Duke Street Riverside performs It’s now well over a year since Hudson Architects’ landmark, award-winning project Duke Street Riverside completed on site at Norwich University of the Arts. Jack Spencer Ashworth, Senior Associate at the practice, assesses how well they delivered on their performance brief THE first thing to say is that the new building is working brilliantly for our client, Norwich University of the Arts (NUA), and it looks as stunning now as it did at the opening ceremony. The eightstorey building, which occupies an important riverside plot, is an elegant addition to the fine city of Norwich. But we mustn’t simply bask in the glory of a job well done. After more than a full year in service, it is important that we reflect on the data that tells us how well the building is performing in-use. We now know that the building is using over 90,000kWh of gas and 340,000kWh of electricity per year. This equates to a little over 100kWh/m2/year - slightly better than a typical building of its size but well short of the 2025 and 2030 RIBA targets for operational energy (75 and 55kWh/m2/year respectively). Applying current carbon factors tells us that the annual energy usage equates to around 66 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Whilst the building contains many sustainable features, including a green-roof, heatrecovery ventilation, air-source heat pumps and natural ventilation amongst other things, we know that there are other solutions, such as photovoltaic panels, that could further drive down the building’s energy requirements. Design work started on the project back in 2017, in what feels almost like a different era. So what might we do differently now, given the chance? The first thing to reflect on is the existing building that occupied the site. Nowadays we tend to advocate, wherever possible, for retaining existing buildings, or at least retaining the primary structure which invariably contains a significant amount of embodied carbon. The existing building was a 1970s block of student accommodation comprising 100 bedrooms, around the same number of bedrooms as the new building. Could we have retained the old building and refurbished them to modern standards? Perhaps. But against that, this was a dilapidated structure with a condemned basement carpark; the building was poorly arranged on the site; and it was very tight to the River Wensum with a hugely underwhelming street presence. In addition, NUA bought the site with the intention of providing, not > highereducationestates 23 design solutions
only student accommodation, but also much needed teaching and studio space, including a 300-seat lecture theatre. Such a brief could not have been accommodated within the existing structure. NUA have a proud tradition of re-purposing existing city-centre buildings, but this project called for their first new-build. The new building contains a number of high-carbon materials including concrete, steel, brick, aluminium and glass. Could low-carbon alternatives have been used instead? In some cases it is possible they could. It’s worth drilling down into this a little. The building contains a lot of concrete (about 485 cum) - it’s used in the piles, foundations, floor slabs and the retaining walls of the basement. This amount of concrete comes with a heavy carbon price tag but it’s hard to know how much of it could have been avoided - especially in the sub-structure. Concrete with a lower carbon content (using cement alternatives such as GGBS) could perhaps have been used but at a significant cost. Easier savings might have been achievable in the floor slabs - instead of concrete (poured onto a steel deck) we could have considered cross-laminated timber (CLT), a relatively new strategy that is increasingly being employed. If we were designing such a project today, we would work with the structural engineer to produce a carbon report to analyse the structural design and look at options for optimising structural efficiencies. The lower levels of the building utilise a conventional steel super-structure. We were keen to consider glulam timber but came up against intractable issues. The heavy loads of the eight-storey building, combined with wide spans needed for the large teaching spaces on the lower levels, proved too great. Not long into the design process, the new Regulation 7(2) was introduced following the appalling Grenfell Tower tragedy which banned any combustible materials from being used within the external walls of residential buildings more than 18m high. Consequently timber frame was no longer an option for tall buildings in the UK. The resulting steel frame contains more than 200 tonnes of steel with a further 59 tonnes of steel reinforcement within the concrete. The upper levels of the building are formed using a panelised light-gauge steel frame. Although still using carbon-hungry steel, this is a highly efficient building method with far lower volumes of steel than a conventional framed building and significantly reduced site waste. Initial design options looked to clad the building in a light-weight rain-screen cladding but this was vetoed by the council’s conservation officer who insisted on a red brick to meet the requirements of the conservation area. While it looks fantastic, the 170,000 bricks used to clad the building come with a significant carbon price-tag. If we are to stay within the UK’s carbon budget then rules for conservation areas may have to be re-thought to allow lower carbon materials to be used. Using our in-house carbon tool we calculate the total embodied carbon to be around 2,485 tonnes - equivalent to the annual footprint of over 200 people in the UK. This gives a square metre rate of 564kgC02e/m2 which is only just shy of the RIBA 2030 target for schools (their nearest relevant category at 540kgC02e/m2) and well below the 2025 target. By that metric we appear to have done extremely well and may well have the highly efficient light-gauge steel frame to thank for the good result. On the other hand, the 2030 target is supposed to be very ambitious and we appear to have got very near to it without embodied carbon having been a priority. This is puzzling and suggests that either the RIBA targets are nowhere near ambitious enough or that our calculations have missed a significant amount of carbon. Embodied carbon is still entirely unregulated in the UK and, while there is a standard assessment procedure (developed by RICS), different tools and building scales and typologies will often produce very different results which makes comparison extremely difficult. Regardless of how well the building performs against the RIBA benchmarks, 2,485 tonnes is a lot of carbon. When added to the operational energy over a standard 60-year building lifespan, this gives a total whole-life carbon footprint for the building of 6,445 tonnes of CO2. It is so important that we do not shy away from these numbers - they are big and they are scary but we know there are ways of significantly reducing them to levels that can then be viably offset to achieve Net Zero. This is the challenge we must all face up to – and we know the university is now measuring its total carbon footprint and is actively taking steps to reduce and mitigate it. www.hudsonarchitects.co.uk Images: Joakim Boren 24 highereducationestates design solutions
ess. building forum the education 9th - 10th November De Vere Cotswold Water Park Shaping environ nurture, engage do busine connect. meet. 2023 nments that and educate co.uk ate” 8 1080 ation facilities. ”, tailored he latest trends , build or lities join us co.uk -events.co.uk www.eb-forum.c call now: 020 8288 Share best practice and explore the latest in design, build and delivery across all types of educa With a dedicated seminar programme, “Shaping environments that nurture, engage and educa meetings, drinks receptions, lunches and gala dinner. Our unique formula brings the community together providing the perfect platform to discuss th and developments whilst also offering endless networking opportunities. Attend as a supplier delegate As a supplier you will have unprecedented access to the key decision-makers involved in the design, build and management of all types of education facilities. Book your place - [email protected] Attend as a project delegate If you are involved in the design, management of education facil as a complimentary delegate. Secure your space - [email protected] stable- [email protected]
THE pandemic brought about a tectonic shift in how students interact with and connect to learning environments. Thanks to technological advancements and a focus on hybrid learning, we as architects and designers have the unique opportunity to redefine conventional student spaces. In designing the Student Centre at the University of Sussex, we relied on principles of spatial flexibility and cultural inclusivity to provide students and staff with a renewed in-person campus experience. Our aim was to create an open and accessible space that helps evoke a sense of belonging, and also a sense of pride and ownership, with both University students and staff. With the Centre situated in the heart of the campus at the juncture of the residential area and the academic area, we wanted to create a space that helps foster a sense of community across the whole of the University of Sussex campus, and we worked closely with the University and its key stakeholders to create a ‘home away from home’ for its diverse student groups. In developing the initial brief with the client, we visited several other centres in higher education institutions around the country to understand what could work and what wouldn’t. Inspired by what we saw, we designed the Student Centre as a new facility that brought together a number of separate student-focused services from around the campus into an easy to navigate central destination. This translated into a unique facility designed to support the University and the students of Sussex, which we believe can also inform other universities who are looking to undertake a similar journey. Located within the ground and first floor of the student resident building, the Student Centre is dedicated to student support, student services and study. The 6,000 sqm refurbishment comprises a welcome space, flexible study and social spaces, a 24-hour help desk, and confidential one-to-one spaces, including discreet meeting pods. In addition, the Centre includes a small café, a space for students to meet for lunch with their own food, additional welfare spaces, and areas for staff to hot desk, and to convene. Having delivered a number of projects for the University of Sussex previously, including the campus masterplan, we went into the project with a good understanding of the historic context of the campus in which the Centre is based. While we were keen to reflect, and honour this, we also wanted to introduce a distinctly sustainability-led design approach to the space. We also wanted to ensure that we used this universal Fostering community across a thriving campus As ideas of inclusion and sustainability take centre stage, are universities equipped to reflect these changes in building design? Dianna Fletcher, Director at ADP Architecture, says yes, and points to their work on the Student Centre for the University of Sussex 26 highereducationestates design solutions
location to really reflect the University’s brand: confident, progressive, and unafraid to stand out. As part of the new building design, the main student space on the entrance level is imagined as a large open-plan area, with bespoke, environmentally friendly timber screens creating different and more intimate ‘zones’, to be flexible and easily reconfigured over time. Several bespoke joinery features further delineate the space, as well as form natural landmarks and focal points within the building. To better integrate hybrid learning systems, and the needs of neurodivergent students, we introduced informal study spaces in the form of discreet beach-hut inspired pods, complete with state-ofthe-art IT systems. These pods allow for relaxed exchanges and group collaborations, while also serving as a quiet space for students wanting to carry out more focused work. As an ode to the natural elements that define the campus, the wider interior scheme is designed to reflect the Sussex coastline, the Southdown hills and Brighton itself. On the ground floor rooms are inspired by the Brighton seaside, while on the first floor they draw from the South Downs that surround the campus. Where possible, it was important that we reused existing materials and integrated them in the design layout, and so upcycled and vintage furniture was specified to populate all of the key break out spaces. In specifying new materials and finishes, suppliers’ eco-credentials were always prioritised, helping the project to achieve a BREAAM ‘Excellent’ rating – and putting one of the University’s guiding principles into action in a clearly demonstrable way. As well as giving plenty of design cues as to how the Student Centre could be used by different groups, at different junctures in the day, the design was also purposefully left open enough for students to make the space their own. We are therefore excited to carry out an in-depth evaluation later in the year, to find out how the Centre and its facilities are being used, and, more importantly, how it is feeding into the overall student experience. Our hope is that by focusing on creating a warm, welcoming, digitally enabled and highly functional space, we have provided students and staff with a place to study well, be well and live well throughout their time with the University of Sussex. www.adp-architecture.com highereducationestates 27 design solutions
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UAL provides inspirational and sustainable accommodation ARCHWOOD House, a new purpose-built student accommodation scheme in Peckham, was commissioned by the University of the Arts London (UAL) to house its students. Tasked with creating proactive and forward-thinking spaces for residents to live and study in, architects Nelson and Long specified an array of solutions from Forbo Flooring Systems’ contemporary portfolio to make this happen. Forbo’s Coral entrance flooring, Allura Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT), Tessera carpet tiles, Eternal de Luxe Decibel general purpose vinyl and Surestep and Safestep safety floor coverings were all installed throughout the building. Comprising 343 bedrooms and 50 studios, Archwood House, which opened in September 2022, provides students with accommodation close to UAL buildings. Alicia Nelson, Co-founder of Nelson and Long, comments: “Our client’s brief was to create innovative and inspiring spaces for UAL’s creative students to learn and grow in. It was also important that the spaces equipped students with the tools they needed to have a successful time at university, from studying to socialising. Sustainability was top of the agenda too, so we needed to carefully consider the materials we specified to ensure we met the requirements. “Because of the variety of high-quality and sustainable products available within Forbo’s portfolio, as well as its reliable customer service, we opted for a variety of Forbo floor coverings for Archwood House, including its Allura LVT and Tessera carpet tiles. “We specified Forbo’s Allura LVT in a variety of colourways for a few different areas of the student accommodation, including the games room and common room which are situated in the main building. The warm colours that Forbo’s Allura LVT are available in helped to provide a stunning backdrop for each space which then enabled us to build out, incorporating different textures and colours to the overall design. “We then opted for various designs from Forbo’s Tessera collection, because they are durable, textural and give a residential feel to a commercial space. Forbo’s Tessera Layout in the Graphine colourway was the perfect solution for the stairs, cluster corridors and other high traffic areas, thanks to its hard-wearing nature. The understated grey shade also complemented the neutral colour palette we were using for these areas.” Alicia also specified Forbo’s Tessera Chroma carpet tiles in the Pathway and Tuxedo colourways, which were installed in the bedrooms and the cinema room respectively to give the spaces a more homely feel. Not only this, but Forbo’s Tessera Chroma carpet tiles are made with 62% recycled content by weight, aiding in creating a more sustainable scheme. This was combined with Forbo’s Eternal de Luxe Decibel vinyl floor covering in the communal and studio kitchens. This solution served a double purpose: It reduced impact sound by 17 dB and provided an R10 slip rating, both of which were key to creating healthier and safer spaces for residents to live in. With safety in mind, Alicia also specified a range of Forbo’s safety flooring. And to maintain the condition of the interior floor coverings, Alicia opted to use Forbo’s Coral Classic entrance flooring system in the Mouse Grey colourway. Alicia explains more here: “We wanted a solid barrier matting, that would reduce the walked-in dirt that you’d expect to see in a city centre university accommodation. With students coming and going all day, it was key to install an effective entrance flooring system to reduce cleaning and maintenance” www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/ studentaccommodation www.nelsonandlong.co.uk highereducationestates 29 interiors
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educationdab.co.uk 31 event preview Learning Places Scotland THE 6th edition of Learning Places Scotland will take place this November, in partnership with the Scottish Government. It is the only event to focus specifically on Scotland’s learning estate, from early years through to further and higher education. This year, a new event will be taking place alongside Learning Places Scotland – EdTech Scotland – an exhibition and conference dedicated to in-class educational technology. This year’s conference will be held under the title ‘Connecting Learning Environments with Learning Experiences’ and covers the following five themes: Suitable, Sustainable Estate, Low Carbon, Inclusive Growth and Digital. Over 100 expert speakers will be discussing the features of a modern educational setting, giving real-life examples of how to overcome challenges and offering an insight into the future of the learning environment in Scotland. Jenny Gilruth MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills will be addressing delegates on Day 2. Other highlights include sessions such as ‘Addressing an aging education estate to meet its zero carbon agenda’, ‘A fresh air approach to delivering learning environments’, ‘Does it matter what students think of their school environment?’ and ‘Online security and digital safeguarding’. The Learning Places Scotland exhibition is a valuable source of manufacturers and suppliers, with all the main players represented, including Alpha, Altro, Arboles, AtkinsRéalis, Community Playthings, Delabie, FEW, Forbo Flooring Systems, Joint Design Direction, KBS Controls, Kenoteq, Keri Systems, Knauf Ceiling Solutions, Logspan, McAvoy, Metal Technology, Morrison Construction, SaintGobain Ecophon, Scottish Procurement Alliance, SIG Design & Technology, SimonsVoss, SMC2, Spaceright Europe, TG Escapes, Twinfix, Versa, Yewdale and Zentia. The Awards Dinner is always incredibly popular, where the education sector celebrates excellence and achievement, and attendees can network in a more informal setting. EdTech Scotland is an exciting NEW exhibition and conference, taking place within Learning Places Scotland. It has already generated a lot of interest and is expected to be busy, particularly with those involved in shaping students’ learning experiences and educators themselves. Conference delegates will discover the future of digital learning and how technology can support teaching and learning. They will also have the opportunity to attend workshops on STEM and supporting neurodiversity with virtual reality. Attendees will be able to see inspiring demonstrations of the latest technology from exhibitors including Lightspeed Systems, Neve Learning, Opus, Scottish Online Lessons, Switchshop Limited, Trilby TV, Vex Robotics and 2Simple. Learning Places Scotland is supported by the Hubs, Scottish Futures Trust, Scottish Funding Council, SAUDE and Architecture & Design Scotland. Sponsor Partners are AtkinsRéalis & Morrison Construction. Learning Places Scotland will take place on 14-15 November 2023 at the SEC Glasgow. The exhibition is free for all to attend. The conference is free for those directly employed in schools, colleges, universities, government and local authorities. A fee applies for private sector delegates. For more information or to register your place, please go to www.learningplaces.scot www.edtech.scot Learning Places Scotland - Connecting Learning Environments with Learning Experiences 14-15 November 2023 | SEC Glasgow
MAPEI preparation and fixing products have been used to complete a surface installation at Nottingham Trent University’s Health & Allied Professions Centre. The project, which was completed by Sheffield-based tiling contractor, W F Fearn, for Henry Brothers Midlands, included installation of porcelain wall and floor tiles throughout the centre’s atrium and wash rooms. A gateway to the Clifton Campus, the new cutting-edge centre serves as the base for the university’s Institute of Health & Allied Professions. The property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard provided architecture, interior design and principal design services from concept to completion. With flexibility of use in mind, multi-use spaces have the potential to provide fully immersive experiences, for students studying Adult and Mental Health Nursing, Paramedic Science and Public Health. The recent works carried out by W F Fearn spanned a total floor area of 1600 sqm. Prior to installation of the new tile finishes, the atrium floors were primed with low VOC resin primer - Primer G, before being smoothed with Mapei’s fibre-reinforced smoothing compound, Ultraplan Renovation Screed 3240. Mapetex anti-fracture membrane was then installed with Keraquick S1, – a quick-setting, very low VOC deformable cementitious adhesive - and Latex Plus admixture for increased flexibility to S2 classification. Tiles were installed with Keraflex Maxi S1 deformable standard setting cementitious adhesive. www.mapei.co.uk Serving up safety in the kitchen CROSSLANE is a student accommodation real estate company specialising in acquiring, developing and managing purpose-built student accommodation assets across the UK and Europe. In September 2019, it completed Trinity View, a new-build development in central Coventry, which is managed by Prime Student Living, part of the Crosslane Group Earlier this year, following a review and subsequent future-proofing advice from their insurance company, Adam Bennett, a Crosslane Senior Project Manager, was tasked with installing some additional safety measures to ensure hobs within the kitchens couldn’t be left on inadvertently and fire doors couldn’t be wedged open. He says: “I was looking for high quality, practical solutions. In a previous role I had experience of Prefect Controls, who are better known for their heating controls, but I recalled they provided safety equipment too, I was very comfortable using their products. HobSafe was perfect for the kitchens - affordable, reliable, easy to install and robust enough to cope with vigorous use!” HobSafe is designed to prevent hobs from being left on if the person preparing food is distracted. It is installed between the power supply and the hob, usually next to the main cooker switch. When the button is pressed the power connection is made and the hob will operate in the usual way. The in-built timer can be set to 15, 20, 30 or 45 minutes and when the time elapses the hob is switched off, if more time is needed the cook simply presses the button again. The DorWatchers are a magnetic device fitted to both the door and the frame, typically on kitchen and fire doors in student accommodation. If the door remains open for more than a minute an alarm will sound, alerting people in the locale, and prompting them to close the door to prevent the drift of smoke from cooking to corridors where fire alarms could be activated. www.prefectcontrols.com Nottingham Trent University installs new wall and floor tiles 32 highereducationestates interiors
advertisement feature Activity floors in schools, including sports halls, dance and drama studios, PE and assembly halls and gymnasiums, are more often than not put through their paces with high usage and foot traffic to be expected. As well as selecting a floor with a long lifespan and low life cycle cost, safety is a hugely important factor for schools. Schools may be held liable for accidents that occur on their premises. The floors in their sports halls, dance spaces and other activity halls need to be chosen correctly when new, and properly maintained throughout their lifespan to reduce the likelihood of accidents. Keeping the floor clean and in a good state or repair takes it a long way, but today it is important that the floor complies with EN 14904, the European standard for multi-purpose sports halls. Floors are designed to provide a safe surface, allowing users to perform at their best, but suitability and safety can change over time due to wear and tear and is also dependent on the way the floor is maintained and repaired. Different types of flooring will have different lifespans, will wear in different ways, and can be more or less easy to repair and maintain according to type. Loss of performance and risk of injuries often go hand in hand and school building managers need to be aware of the condition of their floors. Scenarios where floors can fail include - Wear and tear causing loss of slip resistance resulting in slips, falls and injury Synthetic floors, e.g., vinyl and linoleum will wear smooth resulting in loss of slip resistance. There is no practical way to restore this. A solid hardwood floor which is periodically resealed ensures the slip resistance will be largely constant through the floor’s life. Failure of welded or glued seams in synthetic sheet floors (e.g.,vinyl and linoleum) Seams within synthetic floors are usually a weak point and can be a trip hazard if they fail. Repair needs to be done by a specialist contractor which is often expensive, and the repair will rarely be as strong as the original seam. Hardwood floors do not have seams – tongue and grove wooden floors cannot fail in this way. Generally, hardwood floors are easier and cheaper to repair than synthetic floors and can be fully refurbished. Loss of strength through long-term impact-risk of the floor breaking under impact Many “system” floor suppliers selling synthetic floors will use components from multiple sources which means it can be very difficult to be sure exactly what has been installed on any given project. Synthetic floor system “manufacturers” (they are usually purchasers of other company’s products and don’t manufacture anything themselves) usually do not publish detailed specifications of their materials so they can have flexibility of price and supplier when pricing floors. However, this means the client has little quality assurance. For load bearing parts of the floor such as the timber deck and battens, long term impact resistance will vary, and deck repairs to vinyl floors are a major undertaking. Rubber pads etc. can vary in quality resulting in permanent compression. Solid hardwood floor manufacturers will supply a floorboard all made from the same material and the better manufacturers will provide a detailed specification of all materials within the system, including the undercarriage. Therefore, what is supplied to the client will be very consistent and more clearly defined. Older floors may not comply with current safety and performance standards Activity floors will usually comply with EN 14904. Compliant floors offer levels of safety for users including the right level of slip resistance, shock absorption, surface deformation, and other performance related criteria. It is not mandatory for floors to comply with this standard, but in our experience, it is almost unheard of today for a designer to specify an activity floor that does not comply with this standard. Many client bodies, including the Department for Education, insist on this standard for all sports and activity spaces in schools and colleges in England. The floor manufacturer should be able to produce a test report from an independent lab that proves the floor complies with all relevant parts of EN 14904. Tel: 01376 534 700 Email: [email protected] Instagram/Twitter: @junckersfloors Website: www. junckers.co.uk School Activity Spaces – Are you offering the best and safest sports, dance and activity floors to your students?
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