The maintenance-free finish of Neaco’s powder coated aluminium balustrade has made it a long-standing favourite in the education sector, with countless specifications throughout the UK, and the latest example is a £14 million state of the art building at Elthorne Park High School in Ealing.
Designed by Re-format and built by Balfour Beatty on behalf of Ealing Borough Council, the new building includes a new multi-purpose performance and activity space, extended library facilities, additional Sixth Form teaching and study space. The three storey teaching block now houses the English, Mathematics, Business and Computing departments. Neaco’s balustrade has been specified with a metallic powder coated finish to handrails and stanchions with glass infill panels for a stylish contemporary appearance.
In order to achieve a very challenging programme, Re-format’s design team made full use of the latest BIM software and off-site manufacturing. As part of the design process, Neaco’s balustrade drawings were fully integrated into a three dimensional CAD model which incorporated the mechanical and electrical services and the structural system.
Fred Gardiner, Architectural Consultant at Re-Format, said: “Neaco are a very professional bunch. They took on this project for us, provided all the information we needed to specify and design the balustrades throughout, produced installation drawings to our requirements based on their own site survey and carried them through to a trouble-free conclusion on site. I don’t think they could have been more helpful or pleasant to deal with. Their system is very clean, neat and robust. We are well pleased with the result.”
Neaco’s Managing Director, Alan Green, said: “Our balustrade range is very popular in the education sector. The non-chip powder coated finish makes it ideal for high-traffic environments such as schools. Our systems have been developed for adaptable design and fast installation with minimum disruption to activities surrounding the site. In that respect, the product is ideal for projects like Elthorne Park High School.”
Neaco’s Spectrum balustrade systems are based on a versatile modular construction which can meet virtually any design requirement or built environment. Systems are available with handrails and stanchions in stainless steel or aluminium in a wide range of power coated finishes, including wood-effect. The range also includes a mill finished aluminium system for industrial environments. Neaco also manufactures a wide range of bathroom mobility aids – including grab rails and easy access shower systems – and a range of metal grilles which are suitable for various applications, including decking, solar shading, ventilation grilles, mezzanine floors, staging and roof walkways.
Founded in 1998, Elthorne Park High School is a highly popular and successful 11-18 mixed school with around 1100 students and a Sixth Form of 200 students. The school’s performance has been consistently in the top 20% of schools nationally.