Collingwood College

Collingwood College – Summer refurbishment

It’s important to consider washroom design in education settings. Washrooms or toilet blocks can be a hotspot for bullying and the quality, decor and general environment can reflect the way pupils treat these spaces in schools. In fact, schoolchildren are often naturally reluctant to use badly maintained toilets where bullies may loiter. 

Clean, safe, equipped and accessible toilets are essential in all schools and colleges. 

It’s important to note as well that washrooms say a lot about a place so if prospective students or their parents are viewing your school or college, this may create a bad impression. As such, most modern-day schools and colleges fully understand that these are areas that must not be neglected.

The project

For this, one of our latest projects at Collingwood College, our team were delighted to provide plans and costs to redesign and install new washrooms on their site. Collingwood College is a well established and well-respected school and one of the largest in Surrey. It’s also one of the country’s largest Technology Colleges (TC) with nearly 1800 students currently attending.

There was a requirement to refurbish four large washrooms and to create one large accessible washroom for unisex use. Unisex washrooms are a form of inclusive design and increasing in popularity. Changing room facilities were also required.

This was a fairly complex project with various aspects to consider. We worked closely with the management team to ensure that the design would meet their specific criteria and then we used our tried and tested project planning approach to secure a completion date. The project took place in the summer holidays but our team is acutely aware that timings must be met so there would be no disruption upon the reopening of the school. 

Structural calculations for demolition works were carried out because the washrooms needed to be extended to provide more space. We knocked down walls between the existing washroom area into the corridor which made them into an open plan design. This was done in part to improve supervision and help to reduce the potential for bullying – something which often occurs in school washrooms. 

Brand new look

The client chose a sleek and stylish navy blue colour scheme with white fixtures which worked well against the timberwolf woodgrain. New sheet vinyl flooring was laid down and we installed hygienic wall cladding throughout all areas. The cladding we use is made from UV stabilised material and is designed to reduce bacteria and infections. It’s a perfect option for schools as it’s easier to clean than tiles or stainless steel keeping washrooms clean and hygienic – especially important with the risk of COVID infection. 

The client opted for full height Total Privacy SGL cubicles for the students’ washroom for unisex use. And to hide any unsightly pipework, IPS (Integrated Plumbing System) ducts were installed.

For the staff washrooms, we installed a new stud cubicle with plasterboard and full-height porcelain tiling with attractive timber doorsets and doors. We also installed two shower rooms with a modern and clean design.

Results

The project was completed within the summer holidays and the facilities management team were happy with the final outcome. Feedback from staff and students has been positive and the washrooms are now spaces that the school can feel proud of. We hope to work with the team at Collingwood on future projects.