The new lift will enable the school to comply with Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) regulations and provide ease of access to all facilities within the building as pupils use the futuristic learning space to explore cyberspace, outer space and the physical space in and around the school. A class from St Francis will be based in part of the building and pupils from other local schools and the wider community will also use the facility.
The £750,000 project was instigated by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and designed by London architectural practice Studio E. The borough is one of 12 successful authorities out of a total of 91 applicants in the UK to win DfEE funding to build such a Classroom of the Future.
The design focus of the futuristic classroom is an astronomical observatory which will be complete with a high-powered telescope linked to Hawaii. This will enable stars to be viewed from its clearer atmospheric conditions, and video conferencing technology will allow pupils to link up directly with astronauts, as well as children in other parts of the world, and talk to them in real time.
Other features of the building will include solar panels to enable pupils to see how the weather affects the temperature of solar heated water, and a greenhouse to help purify the air in the building. The building will also set new environmental standards and promote recycling. ICT will be available through a new, fast wireless system and teachers will be able to prepare work form home and deliver it on new interactive whiteboards in the classroom.
Gartec has supplied lifts to many schools, colleges and universities but this was an installation that was totally unique. The architects wanted to take advantage of all the latest building techniques and ensure that all forms of access complied with DDA. So, to match their futuristic design, Gartec supplied and installed a 2-stop lift self-contained within its own shaft and finished in a bright orange colour scheme to match the interior décor of the building. It’s a great hit with pupils at the school and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea love the fact that their ‘Classroom of the Future’ is totally DDA compliant.”
