The University, which has roots going back more than 100 years and has approximately 19,500 enrolled students, began construction of new public-facing science and technology facilities in the summer of 2016.
The construction of the new technology facilities, outreach space and laboratories at the University’s Penrhyn Road campus, which was aided by £1.9m in Government funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), are benefiting the general public as well as current and future students.
Replacing the former teaching rooms on the second and third floors of the main building, the new chemistry and pharmaceutics laboratories are providing students at the University – which celebrates its 25th birthday this year – with an ultra-modern environment packed with the latest state-of-the-art equipment.
As with any science laboratory, the consideration of safety was of paramount importance when it came it to specifying elements such as the doors due to the use of flammable, toxic and dangerous chemicals. Additionally, because of the amount of traffic through the STEM department and thus the doors’ regularity of use, the university felt that reliability and durability were integral when it came to the ironmongery.
As such, Allgood supplied 15 doorsets with traditional exposed lippings. The exposed lippings provide extra protection to the door faces and ensure they can be easily repaired and replaced if necessary. Along with the doorsets, Alite levers, latches, surface maglocks and hinges were installed, providing the laboratories with fire protection for up to 30 minutes.
The Alite ironmongery range developed specifically for use in busy commercial environments was ideal for the Kingston University STEM environment – providing a robust and hard wearing ironmongery solution.
Speaking of the specification of Allgood ironmongery and doors, Vice Dean of Kingston University’s Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing, Dr Lucy Jones said: "One of the key aspects in the design brief for our cutting-edge new STEM facilities was ensuring we had a high level of fire safety within the laboratories and teaching spaces.
"Meeting rigorous fire safety requirements is so important in a STEM setting and the new facilities will significantly enhance our students’ learning experience. Allgood doorsets have helped us achieve this, with the company applying a special laminate finish to the laboratory doors to further boost fire door safety."
The L167 Dark Grey Sonae laminate was not the only bespoke feature that Allgood provided for the project as Michael Thornton, Site Manager for subcontractor ITC Concepts, explains: "Allgood supplied doors for the Kingston STEM project with apertures for the ironmongery ‘machined out’ in the factory.
"This offsite construction element was a huge benefit when it came to fitting the doors and saved us time and cost onsite. Speaking generally, Allgood was very efficient and timely – meeting build deadlines and providing support throughout the installation process".
Adnan Latif, Specification Sales Manager at Allgood said: "At Allgood, we strive to work closely with the end client, subcontractor and any relevant stakeholder, whenever possible, to ensure that the delivery and installation of our doorsets and ironmongery products is as smooth as possible.
"This was a really satisfying project for Allgood, with the new STEM facilities helping to significantly improve the learning experience of the Kingston University students.
"Through our doorsets and ironmongery, we are proud to have contributed to the safety of the state of the art laboratories and teaching rooms – helping to transform the learning environment for both current and future students at the university and encouraging uptake of STEM subjects."
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