Interiors


New STEM labs at Kingston University help to inspire young students


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EW STEM facilities for both university students and for young pupils from the surrounding area


have been created at Kingston University’s Penrhyn Road campus as part of a £6.8m development. The scheme comprises two new


pharmaceutics and chemistry laboratories, an outreach centre and two mobile labs in a lorry, which will be used to visit local schools and provide interactive learning sessions. The facilities were developed to house


the latest equipment and audio visual aids, including interactive floors, acoustic ceilings, humanoid and patient simulator robots, virtual reality technology and forensic investigations kits. The University's Faculty of Science,


Engineering and Computing secured a £1.9m grant from HEFCE to help make its forward-thinking plans a reality. The labs were named after inspirational scientist Dame Professor Julia Higgins and astronaut Dr. Helen Sharman, the first Briton in space. Vice Dean of the Faculty Dr Lucy Jones


said: “Schools don't always have access to the kind of professional-grade scientific


equipment at Kingston University, so the mobile Lab in a Lorry and outreach centre allows us to make a real impact on STEM learning and approach outreach and community work in a novel way.” The internal fit-out and refurbishment


project was led by ITC Concepts, following a strip-out of the old laboratories. Alongside the new laboratories, an innovative new outreach space was


Solid timber grill ceiling gets around budget constraints


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HE THIRD phase of development at Northbrook College in Worthing has seen an extension and


refurbishment of the construction trades and engineering workshops and classrooms at a cost of £2.2m. It was designed by ECE Architecture,


which called for a solid timber grill ceiling for the common areas and reception.


Hunter Douglas Architectural, which also undertook the manufacture of 300 sqm ceilings during the college’s first two developments, supplied a further 300 sqm of solid timber grill in African Ayous stained to look like European Oak. The solid wood grill panels are


constructed using black aluminium dowels, which are clipped onto a black grid system,


making an unobtrusive suspension system but allowing easy access into the void. The architect specified both the slat thickness and depth, together with the spacing, to achieve the desired effect and to maximise technical performance. “The original specification was for oak,


but that is a very expensive option,” explains Kevin Taylor, technical sales manager at Hunter Douglas. “Because the budget was unable to stretch to that, we were able to undertake a value engineering exercise and recommend the use of African Ayous. It looks and feels like oak, which means that the client has achieved the desired look without having to compromise on quality.”


www.ecearchitecture.com www.hunterdouglasarchitectural.com


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created where the public can come and explore how cutting edge technologies are making an impact on people's daily lives. The centre will be available for local schools and community groups to use, helping inspire more children to pursue STEM subjects.


www.itcconcepts.co.uk


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