Meeting project aims and ambitions
Rockpanel’s Darren Gormer, “We were very pleased to be able to meet the aims and ambitions for this project. Rockpanel offers the widest range of surface design options. In terms of sustainabilty, our panels are made of up to 50% recycled material and are virtually maintenance-free. Rockpanel also has a positive affect on the bottom line, as its lightness and abilty to be easily cut and adjusted on-site means fewer installation man-hours, leading to savings in construction costs.”
Ashe Construction Ltd., were awarded design and construction of the works from RIBA Stage 1 onwards. The project was executed while the adjacent existing school buildings remained operational and was constructed using a SIPs building system to achieve Net Zero Carbon in Operation (NZCiO). Both contractor and architect viewed the project as uniquely special, noting that achieving NZCiO required a fabric-first approach. This involved selecting products that offered maximum efficiency and would ensure the ongoing operation of the building remained efficient and sustainable. Consequently, PV panels and sedum were installed on the roofs, highly efficient LED lighting incorporated, and mechanical ventilation used to control air circulation and temperature within the building. These and many other measures were always integrated with the particular needs of the school’s users in mind.
Established in 1963, leading external envelope solutions specialists, Stoneguard Projects Ltd., were responsible for the installation of external facades at the school.
Helping create a tranquil environment
Saunders Boston Architects, Adam Garner, “Using Rockpanel helps break up and reduce the massing of the elevated sports hall, making it an attractive feature in the landscape. We chose three colours (two greens and a cream) in vertical planks of varying widths and lengths, designed in such a way that the shards form random patterns, bringing life and reflecting the movement of the surrounding trees. The shorter colour wave lengths also reduce over stimulation within the brain, soothing pupils, helping create a tranquil environment.”
All Rockpanel decorative facades are made from a core of non-combustible basalt stone wool, an inexhaustible natural resource, which makes every panel virtually impervious to whatever the weather can throw at it. And at the end of their long life they can be recycled into new products with no loss of quality.
