The new £42m Ponteland School comprising a 1,600 pupil high school, 420 pupil primary school and leisure centre has been opened near Newcastle creating one of the largest ever developments by Northumberland County Council.
Designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects, the complex’s leisure centre includes a six-lane 25-metre pool, trainer pool, aqua play, softplay, Clip‘N’Climb café, sports bar, 100 station gym, spinning studio, dance studios and luxury spa. With such a large and busy building used by both students and the wider community, it was important that the facilities were able to cope with the large number of daily people and constant use.
As a result, Helmsman Lockers & Cubicles were specified to provide a range of lockers for both wet and dry areas of the school and leisure centre. They have varying colours, finishes and styles to delineate the different zones. It was also a key requirement that the lockers could cope with the heavy volume of daily use, were accessible to all and easy to manage by the staff.
With an in-house design team skilled in assisting specifiers, Helmsman presented an innovative scheme with a mix of three and six compartment lockers. These used blue and white high-pressure laminate from Abet Laminati with some overclad with glass and all complemented with Ojmar OTS locks. The overall effect is stunning and the mix of glass and laminate provides a sophisticated and elegant solution befitting such an impressive building.
The intelligent locking system from Ojmar is the user-friendly RFID locking system allowing opening by a wireless bracelet or card which is very intuitive and easy to use. With full management capabilities for servicing and access control, it provides a simple but effective moisture-resistant and hardwearing solution.
Abet’s compact grade high pressure laminates are also a perfect solution for this and similar kinds of applications such as tabletops, vanity units and cubicles. Their finish provides a tactile, hardwearing and attractive surface coupled with excellent resistance to impact, scratches and abrasion.
The compact grade’s solid core construction in 6mm, 10mm or 12mm thickness, makes it a perfect choice for areas prone to high moisture and humidity, such as leisure centres, swimming pools and changing rooms because there is no risk of peeling, cracking or delamination. They are fully self-supporting and easy to work with for cutting and fabrication.
As with all Abet Laminati Collections, the laminates meet or exceed all European and British performance standards for resistance to wear, heat, moisture, impact and scratching. In addition, they are widely used in situations where high quality performance and design can be carefully crafted together to create an attractive visual experience.
Samples and information on the ranges of lockers, cubicles, vanity units and seating is available from Helmsman on 01284 727626 or via www.helmsman.co.uk. Samples and technical literature from Abet are available from on tel: 020 7473 6910 or visit uk.abetlaminati.com.