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It is clear that the external aesthetics of school buildings and how they are developed moving forwards will continue to evolve
bespoke back-painted glass cladding panels with a unique, screen-printed monochrome mathematical design.
The glass was fabricated with a two- layer digital screen-print effect. An initial white application was applied, with a CNC control printing of the mathematical symbols. A solid secondary black back- painted layer was then added to create the black board effect.
Colour is key
As well as incorporating creative designs and imagery to support learning, colour is an important element. Different colours can often generate different impacts on students’ emotions and mindsets during the school day.
Red for example is a stimulant that can help to provoke conversation; improves performance/concentration and spurs action, while green is known to offer calming effects and reduce stress. The use of the colour yellow and its varying shades, including gold, is also a common colour in schools as it is found to be beneficial to learning as it creates a positive feeling in pupils and is optimum for maintaining attention and encouraging creativity. This is a factor not lost on architects BDP who in 2019 designed the Mulberry Park Community Hub with an eye-catching and equally functional gold facade. The £10m building, commissioned by housing association Curo, sits at the heart of Mulberry Park, the renovation of the former Ministry of Defence site on Fox
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Hill in the village of Combe Down on the southern fringes of Bath.
The development features perforated gold cladding panels, manufactured from a mixture of copper and aluminium, on the school hall and the third floor, cantilevered above the main entrance and Public Square. Complementary solid rainscreen cladding panels, also in a gold finish, feature at ground floor level, adding structure and providing an aesthetically pleasing, hardwearing layer that both benefits the learning and play of pupils and protects the building from the elements.
Summary Both St Albans School and Mulberry Park feature distinctive facade designs that not only stand out but also benefit the pupils and support their learning. They are clear examples that the look and feel of the external areas of a teaching environment are just as important as the internal spaces. With building design having an impact on a student’s ability to learn, and the benefits of integrating colour and creativity into all teaching spaces, both inside and out, it is clear that the external aesthetics of school buildings and how they are developed moving forwards will continue to evolve. As such, we expect demand for innovative rainscreen cladding that can help to create both functional and striking structures to continue to rise.
Simon Gregory is sales director at Proteus Facades
ADF JUNE 2022
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