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Flexible education space in a post-virus world

Improving space flexibility today, through the intelligent application of moveable walls

#moveablewalls #covid19 #socialdistancing #educationalfacilities

Given the current social restrictions imposed by the UK government in order to manage the spread of the coronavirus, education estate managers need to urgently implement plans that will allow pupils return to learning as quickly as possible, whilst being able to maintain safe social distancing guidelines. Part of the solution is to replace the dividing wall between classrooms with a moveable wall, allowing sufficient space for a class of 30 students to spread out and be safely taught by a single teacher.

These past few months have shown just how quickly and dramatically our world can change. Improving space flexibility today, through the intelligent application of moveable walls, will help future-proof schools, ensuring they can adapt facilities to meet the shifting needs of a post-Covid19 world.

Partitioning expert Style, has a wide range of cost-effective solutions, ranging from manually operated systems to market leading fully automatic systems, with some packages available on short lead times for rapid installation.

“We have been installing high quality moveable wall systems in education establishments nationwide for over 20 years,” said Julian Sargent, group managing director for Style.  “As the UK’s sole distributor for Dorma Hüppe, Skyfold and SWG, we are able to offer a truly comprehensive range to meet all budgets and location requirements.”

 

 

There is no doubt that school closures have helped reduce the spread of the virus within the community, but it is also clear that without a vaccine in place there can be no completely safe reopening. Using moveable wall systems to modify existing spaces to ensure social distancing is maintained whilst education continues, is going to be crucial in minimising the impact of Covid-19 on the development of young people today.

A market leader in operable wall solutions, Style operates nationally through four regional offices, and a London showroom. Winner of multiple awards over two decades in the UK moveable wall sector, Style offers market leading products, and prides itself on its people, systems and processes as well as its high attentional to detail, sustainability and health and safety.

 

www.style-partitions.co.uk

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DON’T LET GERMS HARBOUR ON YOUR DOORS OR WALLS

Protecting the internal walls of educational establishments is essential to maintaining an environment that stimulates learning and is more often than not written into yearly maintenance budgets. However, there is a solution that would greatly reduce the need for annual interior refurbishments whilst, more importantly, supporting risk assessments and protecting staff and pupils by reducing the spread of harmful bacteria.

 

Anti-bacterial protection sheet from leading UK manufacturer, Intastop Ltd, provides this all-encompassing solution for both walls and doors.

 

The Anti-bacterial protection sheet is enhanced so that the protection is impregnated into the sheet at the time of manufacture which permeates each layer to ensure that the product retains its integrity should it become damaged. And, because it has low water solubility and imperviousness to UV light, it continues to work for the lifespan of the product or up to 10 years.

 

“Schools and education facilities are continually looking for measures to enhance the health and safety of their staff, visitors and pupils at present,” said Lisa Turner, Marketing Manager Intastop. “The anti-bacterial sheet can ensure that no long lasting germs are left on walls or push plates of doors therefore, greatly enhancing daily cleaning regimes and protection. It will also protect internal walls in high traffic areas such as corridors or halls and keep internal aesthetics at an optimum for much longer.”

 

The impact protection sheet is designed to withstand everyday knocks, bumps and scuffs that routinely occur in schools and colleges and is easily fitted to doors, walls and cupboards to offer a high level of hygiene, protection, easy maintenance and cleaning.

 

Class ‘O’ fire-rated and achieves BS:476 parts 6 and 7, the sheet is can be ordered pre-cut, bespoke or can be cut on site by installers. It is available in a range of colours to stimulate learning or co-ordinate with existing schemes, and with an option to digitally print graphics and logos, can suit any interior design requirements.

 

Intastop has also developed a range of adhesives for the application of impact protection products. The range includes water based contact, hygienic cladding and spray contact adhesives.

 

For further information visit Intastop’s website www.intastop.com

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REGENCY DESIGN CREATES STUDENT FRIENDLY HAND SANITISING UNITS TO PREVENT CROSS CONTAMINATION ISSUES WHEN SCHOOLS REOPEN

Regency Design, the design and manufacturing business, has launched a bespoke series of automatic hand sanitising stations which come in a variety of sizes to help prevent cross contamination challenges as schools and universities reopen.

 

Complying with the Equality Act, the automatic hand sanitising dispensers have been created to accommodate schools and pupils of all sizes, from nursery and pre-school to senior and secondary schools.

 

To teach younger children especially about the importance of hygiene, Regency Design has created a specific nozzle that dispenses sanitiser in a foam bubble, to make the concept of hand sanitising more fun.

 

Zak Manhire, Chief Commercial Officer at Regency Design, says that the team has used innovation and imagination to make the sanitising units suitable for schools: “We have adjusted the heights of our sanitising units as well as creating a variety of nozzles to make dispensing the sanitiser fun and interesting,” he says. “They can also be fully customised with a school’s coat of arms or colour schemes, to make them an integral part of the environment.”

 

As well as schools and early education facilities, the sanitising units are also being delivered to colleges and universities, with positive feedback already received from campuses in Sunderland and Edinburgh.

 

The sanitising units are 100% Made in Britain, which as well as supporting the UK economy, also means they are quick to manufacture and deliver. 

 

Along with their hand sanitising units, Regency Design has created a full range of PPE, including face visors, which can help keep teachers and children safe when interacting in the classroom.

 

www.regencydesign.co.uk

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MEGAMAN® LAUNCHES FARRON INTEGRATED LED BATTENS

Megaman has released its new integrated LED batten, Farron, available with a flexible, in-built choice of wattage and lumen outputs. Farron is a direct replacement for T5 and T8 fluorescent tubes and is ideal for education, office or retail applications, providing a wide and even light distribution. Farron is also backed by an excellent five-year warranty.

With a beam angle of 120°, built-in opal diffuser and a colour temperature of 4000K, Farron LED battens are available in four dual wattage and lumen outputs -10/21W, 20/40W, 22/52W and 26/52W – that can be easily switched between, at the touch of a button. The fixture also comes in four sizes, 600mm, 1200mm, 1500mm, and 1800mm, all with a height of 65mm, and a width of 80mm. Farron is a traditional style batten that offers a simple yet effective solution for multiple applications.

As well as an optional built-in microwave motion sensor, Farron is also available with a three-hour Emergency option, which provides a back-up solution in the event of power failure.

The Farron also offers easy installation, with ability to connect both ends by 20mm conduit and 20mm knockout holes. Cable entries and through wiring allow for linear series connection between lamp fixtures and there is a direct one to one replacement of T5 and T8 fluorescent battens.

Most importantly, the battens are energy efficient with an averaged rated lamp life of up to 50,000 hours and efficacies of up to 100 lumens per watt.

Lee Bradshaw, National Sales Manager at Megaman UK commented: “Farron is the latest batten fitting from Megaman. With the dual wattage and lumen outputs built in, Farron can be easily altered at the touch of a button to tailor the fixture to the lighting needs of the location.

“The team at Megaman has ensured that the creation of this model is not only IP20 protected, but IK08 mechanically impact resistant as well.”

For more information on Megaman, please visit https://www.megamanuk.com

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New School Hall Wall

The main hall at Bohunt, a state-of-the-art secondary school in Wokingham, benefits from superbly adaptable space thanks to a contemporary DORMA Hüppe Variflex operable wall, installed by UK supplier, Style. Meeting the demand for a system with a particularly narrow stacking solution, the Variflex incorporates panels and pass doors that can be as little as 976mm wide, as opposed to the more standard 1200mm width, allowing the wall to be discretely arranged in a niche to one side of the hall.

“This is a great example of where we worked closely with both the contractor and architect to meet very specific requirements,” said Julian Sargent, Style’s group managing director.

Recognising this high level of commitment to craftmanship in the finishes and interiors section, Style recently won Gold in the prestigious FIS Contractor’s awards. It’s the 10th time that Style has won this coveted gold award and confirms their position as one of the UK’s leading moveable partitions specialist.

Bohunt School aims to promote a challenging learning environment where students can acquire the necessary skills, qualities and drive to achieve their dreams and ambitions.

As part of a £25 million project, Style was specified to create a flexible room configuration in the main hall. The main contractor, Dawnus Construction Holdings, had a specific requirement to have a slim stacking mechanism in order for the operable wall to fit in with the room’s structure.

Style worked with Dawnus Construction and architects, Re-Format LLP, to install a DORMA Hüppe Variflex operable wall to divide the hall on the ground floor of the building.

 

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With an acoustic rating of 55dB Rw, the hall can be divided to allow one half to be used as a refectory whilst on the other side teachers can run activities uninterrupted. Alternatively, when the wall is not in position it offers one open-plan area for assemblies and large events. 

When not required, the wall is stored neatly into a small recess, helping maintain the minimalist aesthetics of the room. Further complementing the contemporary interior décor, Style recommend a classic white melamine finish for the wall.

 

www.style-partitions.co.uk

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Mobile Phone Calls in Hotels, Restaurants, Offices and Public Spaces Can Be Irritating to Other People!

Storacall Teleacoustics offers a range of T900 wall mounted or desk mountable telephone hoods designed to reduce the disturbance and irritation of mobile phone use in public spaces by creating a zone specifically for conducting mobile phone conversations.

T900 hoods are competitively priced with the Acoustic Fabric £310, Faux Leather £289 and Real Leather £374. The quality, acoustic Insulation and design are as good as the best of the top end competitive products. The colour palette is an exciting mix of solids and mélanges across the full colour spectrum.

For further information please contact us telephone 00 (44) 1242 570995 or e-mail sales@teleacoustics.co.uk

www.teleacoustics.co.uk  

 

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RECORD ORDERS ANNOUNCED FOR CONTRACT FURNITURE MANUFACTURER

Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading contract furniture and fit-out specialists, has announced a record order intake, with £12.5m of orders secured in the last six months. This is a significant increase on the same period in 2018.

Contracts have been awarded for delivery through to 2020 and across a diverse range of sectors – private rental schemes, student accommodation, healthcare and education. A large proportion of the projects are for repeat clients – both developers and contractors – following Deanestor’s successful performance on previous schemes.

 

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The trend towards larger furniture and fit-out contracts of over £1m continues for Deanestor, requiring a high degree of technical design input and project management from its teams. The latest contracts to be awarded are also spread across the UK – in England, Scotland and Wales.

Commenting on the record order intake, William Tonkinson, Managing Director of Deanestor, said, “We are delighted with the performance of the business in the first half of this year. We have been very successful in diversifying into new markets which has provided a healthy forward order book and a solid foundation for the business in an uncertain economic environment.”

“We are the longest established furniture and fit-out provider to the NHS with a track record that spans more than 70 years. It is fantastic to see this work continue but also the success of our move into other areas such as high-quality kitchens for major private residential developments.”

£6.8m of the orders are for the manufacture and fitting of fixed furniture for new build-to-rent schemes and student residences. These include a contract to fit out 656 bedrooms and provide over 200 kitchens for student accommodation provider urbanest in London, and a third student project for the development arm of Mace in Oxford.

In the healthcare sector, Deanestor will be providing furniture for the £350m Grange University Hospital in Gwent for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board – another project for main contractor Laing O’Rourke.

Deanestor’s largest project in the education sector is a £3m contract awarded by Robertson Construction for the new £55m Inverurie Community Campus. The Mansfield-based manufacturer will furnish and fit out 360 rooms across the campus in just 26 weeks. This will include the manufacture of 1,950 metres of shelving, 670 metres of laminate and laboratory worktops, 400 base and wall storage units, over 80 teaching walls, and more than 500 items of metalwork.

Deanestor provides high quality contract furniture solutions to construction clients and contractors for healthcare, education, student accommodation, build-to-rent and laboratory projects – both new build and refurbishment. It offers bespoke design services to meet specific project requirements and is responsible for installation to provide a seamless approach for its customers and a single point of contact.

 

For further information, visit www.deanestor.co.uk, call 01623 420041 or email enquiries@deanestor.com .

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£3m education furniture contract

Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading furniture and fit-out specialists, has been awarded its largest ever contract in the education sector. The £3m project is for the manufacture and supply of furniture, fittings and equipment for the new £55m Inverurie Community Campus – one of the largest school construction projects in Scotland.

The contract is Deanestor’s third school project for principal contractors, Robertson Construction.

Due for completion early in 2020, the project for Aberdeenshire Council is being delivered by community infrastructure company hub North Scotland and will accommodate 1,600 pupils.

It will provide a range of amenities for the wider community, including a youth café, community centre, six-lane swimming pool, hydrotherapy pool, and other sports facilities. There will be multiple community spaces, creative hubs, dispersed dining areas and learning plazas, as well as state-of-the-art teaching facilities.

 

www.deanestor.co.uk/schools

 

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A Hero for all seasons

New ‘Hero’ furniture range offers style, function & sustainability for all seasons

Plaswood has launched a range of picnic tables called ‘Hero’ that twin style with sustainability to help transform external spaces with elegant but durable statement furniture.

The new, lighter weight range of Plaswood tables is made from 100% recycled plastic and boasts a unique new design that allows for easier assembly with a semi-fabricated option.

The new range reduces manufacturing offcuts waste by a whopping 90% making the furniture even more sustainable whilst providing landscape professionals, local authority specifiers, garden centres, builder’s merchant buyers and outdoor hospitality managers with a product that is re-made with the environment in mind. Hence the name ‘Hero’ range.

Products made from Plaswood require no annual maintenance, painting or chemical treatment prior to installation or during its long-life time, and does not leach chemicals, rot or splinter. Plaswood offers a sustainable, cost- effective and innovative alternative to traditional wooden, steel or concrete products.

 

www.plaswoodgroup.com

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