01 February 2013
Award Winning Application of Technal's Revolutionary Low Rise Glazing System
One of the first applications of the innovative new low rise glazing system from Technal has won a string of awards for design and architecture.
Forest Park School is a visionary new primary school in Hampshire for children with learning difficulties. Designed by Hampshire County Council's in-house architects and constructed by Morgan Sindall, the new building has created an inspirational child-centred facility which has now been acclaimed with a series of awards and accolades.
The school, which features extensive use of the revolutionary MODAL façade system, has won a top award at the Solent Design Awards which recognise the best designed buildings in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Commenting at the awards ceremony, the judges praised the building as "a highly specialised environment that avoided any institutional feel.... creating a wonderful and uplifting school where architecture and landscaping coalesce beautifully. This is a terrific resolution to a complex brief where the attention to detail has been superb."
The school has also received a Civic Trust Award and an RIBA award which was presented for the project's 'high architectural quality and contribution to the local environment'.
In announcing the awards, the RIBA judges said, "...a school cannot just be about facilities, it must engender a sense of wellbeing, even pride among pupils and staff. The architects have created an extraordinary place in which pupils feel special... in which the children's needs are primary to the design."
The Forest Park scheme is a collection of low rise buildings interlinked by a series of canopies and arranged around a number of courtyards. The outer walls are constructed of brick with inner façades of dark timber and glass, and a combination of dual and mono-pitched zinc roofs. The site's landscaping was inspired by the heathland that characterises much of the New Forest National Park.
Technal's MODAL low rise façade system was used extensively throughout, installed by glazing fabricator, Glassolutions Installation.
Finished in dark brown with contrasting bronze doors, MODAL is used as fixed light glazing and with FXi65 windows. Sound attenuated louvres provide additional natural ventilation, and the GXi sliding patio door, which is fully integrated with MODAL, was also specified, together with Technal's CD commercial door.
MODAL is a rapid-build low rise façade system - and the first in the UK to offer integral opening vents. It has an innovative modular design, which gives specifiers a much wider choice of configuration options.
The new school, which has been created following the amalgamation of two existing schools, provides accommodation for 72 children with special educational needs, aged between two and 11 years. Facilities include a library, IT suite, hydrotherapy pool, hall, children's kitchen for cookery activities, therapy room, office, dining room, soft play room, light room, specialist art room and extensive external play areas.
For further information about the MODAL rapid-build low rise façade system or to download a technical brochure, visit www.technal.co.uk/MODAL.
Editors' Notes
1. The MODAL system features a number of new innovations for low rise façades, including:
- Both glaze-in and glaze-out fixed lights that can be used on the same elevation without any alteration to the sight lines. This offers maximum security and ease of glass replacement wherever needed on the façade.
- Integral open-in and open-out vents incorporated in the MODAL frame to minimise the visible aluminium and ensure consistent sight lines.
- A fully thermally broken system which will achieve exceptional thermal performance and low U values - whether the specification is for a fully glazed façade, or incorporating the MODAL integral opening vents, or Technal's GXi sliding window and balcony door.
- Assembly using an innovative clip system for a high quality finish and faster installation.
- Sight lines are maintained at 65mm across the MODAL range of options for a more uniform and modern appearance.
- Drainage is fully concealed, with no unsightly caps on the frame or the vents, making it ideal for education applications.
- Variations for low rise façades include double and triple glazed units; fixed lights; integral opening vents; doors; an integrated sliding window and door system; insulation and infill panels - and many combinations.
2. Hydro is the largest supplier of aluminium glazing systems in Europe. Its Technal brand of glazing solutions designs, manufactures and distributes a fully integrated range of aluminium curtain walling, door, window and low rise framing products.
3. You can now follow Technal on Twitter @TechnalUK, on YouTube - www.youtube.com/user/TechnalUK and on Facebook - www.facebook.com/Technal.UK.
