Introduction
Washwood Heath Academy is a secondary school (Opened in 1967 under the name of Washwood Heath Comprehensive School), located in the Washwood Heath ward of Birmingham. The school was extended in 1996 to allow for the Post-16 centre eventually becoming a specialist Technology College and renamed Washwood Heath Technology College. In 2013 Washwood Heath Technology College was converted into an academy and renamed Washwood Heath Academy. Proposals were made by Washwood Heath Academy, Balfour Beatty and Acivico to rebuild and modernise the academy and, in early 2018, demolition of existing school structures and construction of new facilities began.
Task
Solinear was delighted to be awarded this project and to work with Balfour Beatty and Acivico. Solinear was specified to design, produce, deliver and install bespoke solar shading for Washwood in varying colours and lengths parallel to glazed areas of the building. Our contemporary brise soleil was sought after to complement the modern new look of the academy whilst serving a practical purpose. Fins would range from 3-6 meters in length and incorporate six gradating shades of colour along the length of the brise soleil, from pure white to dark purple – purple being the school’s official colour.
Action
Solinear designed, manufactured and installed a significant volume of bespoke Solex Halo-400 elliptical profile, external, vertical fin brise soleil (constructed from corrosion resistant, mill finish extruded aluminium alloy to BS1474-6063-T6 grade material) to the glazed areas on the south-facing façade of Washwood Heath Academy. Fin colours comprised of RAL 9010 Pure white; RAL 7047 Telegrey 4; RAL 4009 Pastel violet; RAL 4001 Red lilac; RAL 4008 Signal violet and RAL 4007 Purple violet – reflecting Washwood’s signature colour.
See our special feature on RAL colours: www.solinear.co.uk/ral-colours/
Result
As with all our projects this highlighted the efficiency and organisation of Solinear, completing on time and to budget, but it also showcased Solinear’s versatility at designing, manufacturing and installing multi-hued brise soleil of varying sizes. We are thrilled with the outcome of Washwood and were delighted to contribute in making this project a shining example of collaboration and investment in the future. The students will be proud of their remarkable new premises and will be comfortable in their new surroundings thanks to Solinear’s striking and shielding brise soleil system. We received a great deal of praise for our work on this project which was very gratifying.
In March 2019 the school celebrated the official launch of the new building. The following bullet points from Acivico’s case study of the Washwood Heath Academy project highlight the consideration and professionalism of all those involved in this project:
· Project completed three weeks ahead of programme
· Project delivered under budget
· Early identification of risks and open book approach
· Considerate Constructor Scheme scoring – 39 – performance beyond compliance
· Extensive community and student involvement
· In total 40 subcontract business were employed on site with 22 being local businesses within a 30-mile radius
· Waste to landfill diversion: Total 177.01 tonne = 176.99 Diverted and 0.02 landfill
· Collaboration with planners from a very early stage of design ensured buildability on a constrained site, with the phasing solution allowing the school to maintain occupation
· Extensive research and collaboration with suppliers regarding the brise soleil solution
· The design solution has provided a reflection of the school identity to the community and a physical presence on the street
Dipesh Mistry, formerly Acivico’s Senior Architect, commented “This has been an enjoyable and successful project, ever since its beginnings back in 2016….I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you for your support over the years in delivering this fantastic build and I hope to work with you again sometime soon in the future. Well done everyone”.
We agree, fantastic job by all.
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