Beacon Hill School serves students with high-dependency Special Educational Needs and Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. The brief from Newcastle City Council was to create a bespoke, stand-alone facility capable of accommodating 60 pupils.

Collaboration was key to the project and TG Escapes engaged in numerous client sessions to gather feedback and insights from all stakeholders to ensure that the design aligned with all their requirements.

The building will provide 10 classrooms including 2 PMLD bases, hygiene rooms, a staff room and a sensory room as well as ample storage for specialist equipment.

The TG Escapes net-zero in operation design follows biophilic principles and is built on a timber frame providing a low-carbon solution. Easy access to the outdoors was an integral part of the proposal and the building features a raised external area giving the students the opportunity to spend time outdoors with ease.

Karl Stokes, Managing Director of TG Escapes says; “We are very proud to have been selected by Newcastle City Council for this important project. It reflects our commitment to providing tailor-made, inclusive and sustainable learning environments. Our in-house design team have been able to create the exact spaces that the staff and students will need which is one of the benefits of using our sectional modular system.”

Work started onsite in the second quarter of 2023 and the building is due for handover in the first quarter of 2024. The value of the 1200m² project is circa £3.5m.

Special features and additional considerations of the building include:

• The use of natural materials, such as timber, at every opportunity.
• Soft pallet pastoral colours on walls where end users require it.
• Installing state of the art acoustics and lighting solutions to fit the brief.
• Utilising the best technologies like automatic door systems that work for wider door sets to accommodate large wheelchair access (circa 1250mm auto doors)
• Secure hoists and access platform lifts.
• Plenty of storage for equipment.
• Appropriate flooring solutions.
• Sensory spaces with fixed swings.
• An internal climbing wall to support pupil mobility, with a full risk assessment and additional fire treatment.
• All internal walls are reinforced with additional ply/OSB lining to provide a high impact robustness.
• Easy access to a secure outdoor sheltered activity space, that is fully DDA compliant.

As the project reaches completion, the TG Escapes team facilitated a student tour of the build. Teacher at Beacon Hill Shaun Whillis says; ‘’The students had a wonderful visit to our new building. By exposing students to real-life building processes, it gave them a valuable educational experience. It helped them understand the various stages involved in construction and gain insights into the future of architecture and engineering.’’

TG Escapes modular eco-buildings have completed over 800 buildings throughout the UK, using modern methods of construction, traditional materials and sophisticated technology, to create stand-alone net-zero spaces.

The innovative, bespoke, architect-designed system provides timber frame buildings to suit most locations and uses, in a variety of finishes including timber, composite cladding or render in a range of colours, and brick slips. Offsite construction minimises disruption, cost and risk.

TG Escapes offer a complete design and build service for permanent buildings specified for a 50 year+ life span. The biophilic designs using natural materials, connect the interior to the outside providing external views and ensure consistent working temperatures, optimum air quality, ventilation and acoustic comfort.

Customers rate them 4.9 out 5 based on 187 reviews and recent awards include Education Estates Contractor of the Year 2021, MMC Awards 2023 Project of the Year and Public Sector Innovation of the Year. TG Escapes are members of Construction Line Gold, STA Gold and Site Safe, and the Pagabo Dynamic Purchasing System.

For more information email
info@tgescapes.co.uk or call 0800 917 7726.

For more examples of SEND and SEMH buildings provided by TG Escapes visit their website.

www.tgescapes.co.uk

Middlesbrough College is the largest college in Teesside. The main college building has won numerous design awards as a landmark project in the regeneration of the area.

GM Contracts was hired as the flooring contractor. This project involved fitting 900 metres of stair nosing, which needed to be durable and reliable, in order to deal with the large amount of foot traffic throughout the campus. The design would also need to fit with the modern architectural style of the college.

The stair nosings had to incorporate slip resistant material to help  minimise the possibility of trips and falls. This also meant they needed to fit closely to the gauge of the floorcovering, while contrasting in colour to ensure the step edges were clearly defined.

The Approach

GM Contracts contacted Quantum Flooring, and Q-Range DUO was chosen as the stair nosing for the project. This profile is ideal for specification, as it follows the guidelines in BS8300:2:2018, The Equality Act, and Parts M and K of Building Regulations.

Q-Range DUO measures 55 by 55mm on the tread and riser, which is regarded as best practice for stair nosings. It offers a solid colour over both surfaces, making the step edge highly visible. This is very important in an educational building, where students with impaired vision must be encouraged that they can move freely through their environment.

The Outcome

The stair nosings were fitted with Q-Fix adhesive. This fully bonds stair nosings to most step surfaces, with no need for screws and plugs.

The Q-Range DUO stair nosings look great in Middlesbrough College. They are a specifiers dream, as they adhere to all safety guidelines. Thanks to Quantum and GM Contracts, Middlesbrough College students can navigate the stairways on their campus with confidence.

www.quantumflooring.co.uk

ROCKWOOL, the UK’s leading stone wool insulation manufacturer, has launched a new CPD (Continuing Professional Development) module to help roofing contractors and specifiers assess and mitigate potential fire safety risks for flat roofs used as additional functional space of a building.

Flat roofs are a common construction, especially in busy urban environments where space is at a premium. Leveraging flat roof space enables designers, developers and ultimately tenants to make use of the ‘fifth façade’ for a variety of social and practical purposes.

This CPD aims to improve understanding of the role of the modern flat roof, and how to identify and mitigate fire risks above and below the roof and is based on the recently launched whitepaper ‘Flat roofs: The functional fifth façade’.

From building services and HVAC equipment, to solar installations, and even social spaces like rooftop bars and terraces, the role of the roof is changing. This expanding remit, especially for high rise buildings in crowded cities, brings multifaceted challenges to specification and building design.

“By taking part in this CPD module, roofing professionals will learn about the implications of practical and social installations on flat roofs, and their impact on design and build,” explains Lisa Stephens, Product Manager – Building Envelope, ROCKWOOL UK. “The CPD also addresses the situation surrounding solar PV installations and how this is reflected in regulations and guidance.”

Participants in the ‘Flat roofs: The functional fifth façade’ CPD will learn about the requirements of the Building Regulations for flat roofs and the role of guidance documents like Approved Document B, or regional equivalents. The final section of the CPD outlines ROCKWOOL’s range of fire-resistant stone wool insulation products that are compatible with a variety of modern flat roof systems.

The new module is available through the manufacturer’s bespoke learning platform, ROCKWOOL Learning, or as a traditional in-person course. To learn more about the CPD, and to register for a place, visit: rockwool.link/ffcpd

Zentia, the UK’s market leader in complete ceiling solutions, proudly announces the launch of ‘Oplia,’ the latest family addition to its product portfolio. Formerly recognised as Perla, the renaming reflects Zentia’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of design and functionality in ceiling tiles. 

The range, launched on the 10th January, offers a diverse set of visual and acoustic solutions for interior spaces. All tiles within the range have a smooth, laminated finish for a sleek aesthetic. Oplia hA dB, Oplia hA and Oplia hA+ offer excellent sound absorption, Oplia hA dB and Oplia dB offer impressive sound attenuation properties, and alongside Oplia Triangles the range provides the ideal solution for a wide spectrum of communal interiors such as offices and classrooms.

Alongside white, 34 new exciting colours have been added to the range to experiment with design, create defined zones and assist with wayfinding. Each tile has a high light reflectance of 86% and extremely low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content, offering overall enhanced health, wellbeing and productivity for the end user.

The Oplia dB tile delivers an enhanced sound attenuation performance of 41dB, reducing the sound between adjacent spaces, and making it a great addition for private offices and boardrooms, or multi-let buildings. Alternatively, the Oplia hA dB is an ideal solution for flexible working spaces, with excellent levels of sound absorption and sound attenuation in one tile.

Also, within the new product family, the Oplia hA tile provides a Class A sound absorption rating and performs best in open-plan areas such as libraries and cafeterias. The Oplia hA+ tile has the highest possible a_w coefficient of 1.00 and has been designed for areas that require enhanced focus and concentration, with the light reflectance improving interior light levels, diminishing artificial light reflectance and enhancing user wellbeing.

Lastly, the Oplia Triangle tile system offers additional design freedom, formed with interlocking isosceles triangles, which when combined with our choice of 34 additional standard colours, can add a very striking and impactful visual element to any project’s interior.

Graham Taylor , Director, Sales & Marketing at Zentia commented on the launch: “The introduction of Oplia signifies our ongoing commitment to redefining the possibilities within ceiling tile solutions. With a renewed focus on amazing aesthetics and acoustic excellence, the new Oplia family offers a great canvas for architects and designers to innovate and create inspiring spaces.”

Complete Ceiling Solutions | Suspended Ceilings | Zentia

Demand for moveable walls from within the education sector has grown in recent years, with schools, colleges and universities all aiming to create adaptable space.

With moveable walls becoming increasingly integral to the smooth running of the curriculum, emphasis must be placed on maintenance and service of the system, minimising the risk of unscheduled downtime, or a degradation of acoustic and fire safety performance.

“With technological advance, moveable wall systems have become more complex,” comments Katie Mitchell, southern service and repair manager at leading partitioning specialist, Style.

“It is vital to have your partitioning wall regularly serviced and maintained by a professional with the necessary credentials to carry out a safe and thorough job.”

An appropriate level of competence might be CITB approved in-house training. Engineers should also hold an NVQ Level Two Operable Wall Installer certificate and have the necessary training for access equipment, such as PASMA and IPAF. For fully and semi automatic systems, engineers must have certified manufacturer training, with fault detection software and hardware available.

Finally, a service provider with a team of directly employed engineers, rather than sub-contracted, helps maintain quality management systems by ensuring continuity of care.

All Style engineers have been trained in health and safety, asbestos awareness, risk assessment, and PASMA. Style is also CHAS and ConstructionLine accredited and offer the only genuine UK nationwide breakdown and repair service for all types and makes of acoustic moveable walls and folding partitions.

“Aiming to minimise cost and disruption, we always aim to repair an existing system wherever possible, replacing individual parts or even re-fashioning worn components on occasions,” concludes Katie. “A well-maintained moveable wall can operate safely and efficiently for 25 years plus and key to that is a good relationship with a reputable servicing partner.”

www.style-partitions.co.uk