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Global Cleantech 100 company, Kebony has unveiled their latest UK project, the newly-built Colindale Primary School in Barnet, London. Tasked with delivering a brand new design for this visionary primary school, the architects Sprunt, chose Kebony’s award-winning sustainable substitute for tropical hardwood and preservative treated timber as an integral element of this inspiring project.
This colourful project was completed though a phased redevelopment project, replacing an existing two form entry school and incorporating facilities for 20 children with special educational needs. It was essential that the assistants to the pupils with special needs had adequate space to work effectively both within the classrooms and in separate designated areas, with additional space for visiting therapists and storage for mobility equipment.
This September, pupils returned to a brand new school with an array of unique and creative learning spaces, specialised facilities, cutting-edge technology and some impressive green credentials. Kebony Scots Pine cladding was used in the development, acting as a robust and effective rain screen on a large proportion of the buildings, including the main hall and pool hall. This beautiful rustic material envelopes the school, complementing its leafy surroundings and evolves over time to acquire a subtle silver-grey patina.
The soft texture and natural appearance of Kebony creates a contrast between the hardness of the traditional brick and the transparency of the glazed curtain walls, forming an unusual combination of materials. The newly-developed school needed to reflect Colindale’s inclusive community ethos and therefore look inviting and accessible to its young users. Kebony ‘timber fins’ add character to the build and bridge the all important oak tree branches that lie at the heart of the scheme and the modern forward-looking approach of the new school.
Reflecting on this, Robert Sprunt, Managing Director of Sprunt comments: “There were three important priorities when selecting Kebony. Firstly Kebony guarantees a long lifespan; secondly it meets our green aspirations as it is responsibly sourced and FSC-certified and, last but not least, whatever we used had to look good for the lifespan of the building. We believe Kebony is an excellent product which doesn’t cost the earth.”