32 | FACIL ITIES
SPECIALIST CL ASSROOMS
Specialist measures
From eye-catching ‘wonder’ walls and iPad- compatible software to bespoke furniture, there’s no more siting on the old school bench for today’s pupils, says Simon Fry
specialised rooms, these classrooms now bristle with hi-tech equipment. Familiar with the kind of interactivity offered online, in museums and at visitor atractions, children and their parents increasingly expect education to be engaging and modern. Schools, colleges and universities are ready to meet these challenges, whilst keeping one eye firmly on practicalities. Design and fit-out company Eos Interiors recently completed an eight- week refurbishment at the University of Northampton. “Crucial to the success of a project is that the fast-track process enables the work to be completed on time and to budget,” says Eos’s Peter Leach. “There is often the requirement to
W
hile teaching subjects like science, music and food technology has always required
communicate with multiple clients and consultants and Eos Interiors organises weekly meetings to ensure all parties can be involved in any key decisions.” The £500,000 project fited out
20,000 square feet of library space, meetings rooms and offices. Contrasting carpet colours and textures help define zones and break up large areas cost effectively, while wall colour and bespoke signage assist with way- finding and area-zoning, creating a coordinated and corporate scheme. High-quality, bespoke joinery was made cost effectively and locally using sustainable, polished MDF. An extensive number of bookcases, display units and built-in furniture areas were created to assist with room division, provide storage and display areas and add impact, while savings were made by ensuring existing technology could be incorporated into the new furniture. Desks were interlinked with side panels to carry power and data cables, avoiding the need to install power boxes or channel out the concrete floor, which would have been difficult and costly. Low- cost solutions, like repainting existing doors and frames, rather than fiting new ones, allowed the university to maximise its budget potential without compromising the feel of the space. Innova Design Solutions combined
the old and the new when transforming a 150-year-old former coton mill into Burnley’s University Technical College. The company designed, manufactured and installed five state-of-the-art science laboratories and prep rooms, marrying contemporary furniture with original stonework, aluminium windows and steel bracing. Designer Pete Cunningham says: “It was designed to be a bit more dynamic and fluid, to allow movement around the space. We also incorporated separate theory and practical areas, with a break-out area and working pods for small groups to carry out experiments, and then room to come back together as a group, as well as shortened lines of communication to make presentation easier for teachers.” Innova also revamped two ICT suites at Bradford’s Challenge College, incorporating features like teacher walls housing interactive and more traditional white boards with storage space behind to reduce cluter and help concentration. Saw-tooth perimeter desking ensures space efficiency while brightly coloured service unit panels with ventilation grills aid cable management. “We incorporated ambient lighting and split the space up to give it the more grown-up feel of a trendy office environment, rather than a typical school tech room.” During the holidays, Innova designed
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