Chapelford Primary School, Warrington

Pupils at a new primary school in Warrington are benefiting from a unique and eye-catching way of helping them to identify their classrooms, thanks to colourful carpet from Heckmondwike FB.
The new Chapelford Primary School, which replaced the former Sycamore Lane Primary School, had 1000m2 of Supacord Fibre Bonded Carpet Tiles specified by SBS Architects in 10 different colours to create the vibrant floor design.  Steel Grey was used as the base colour throughout the school, whilst Magenta, Violet, Blue, Willow (Green), Aquamarine, Heather, Purple Amethyst and Mulberry were used as accent colours in the corridors and throughout all 14 classrooms.

In such a large school, with over 300 pupils, the colourful design will help pupils to identify their classrooms whilst walking along the corridors, which are known as ‘learning streets.’

Peter Marshall, Architect at SBS Architects, said: “We wanted to create a vibrant design which would make it easier for pupils to find their way around the school, both inside and out.  We chose Supacord because it is available in the most vibrant array of colours allowing us to match the carpet with the external walls of the classrooms, which are visible from the playground, and making it easier for pupils to navigate the new school building.”

By using bright contrasting colours to create striking designs throughout the school, SBS Architects was also able to clearly communicate the purpose of each area to pupils and teachers and provide structure to the large open plan areas.

The connection between the classrooms and zonal areas in the corridors also encourages pupils to take ownership of the space and it is hoped that this will help to prevent bullying in the school.  The acoustic properties of Supacord will reduce noise levels in the corridors during busy periods and the clear navigational design will help to avoid congestion, keeping disruption in the school to a minimum and maintaining a relaxed and engaging atmosphere for the pupils.

Supacord is widely specified for education buildings because it is renowned for its durability, helping to withstand areas of heavy wear and tear.  Supacord also offers anti-slip and antistatic properties, both of which are a major concern for schools which are looking to protect their students and their equipment.

The robust properties of fibre bonded carpet, which will not ravel or fray, allowed contractors CMC Flooring to cut the Supacord tiles on site to create the individual flooring designs, reducing the cost of installation.

Peter Marshall added: “The flooring was an important design feature of the school and so it was vital for the carpet to be high-quality and durable, to ensure that it retains its appearance and won’t be costly for the school to maintain.”

Supacord has been assessed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and has gained an ‘A’ rating for sustainability in the Green Guide to Specification, which will help the school to achieve its target of a BREEAM Very Good rating.

Heckmondwike FB carpets and carpet tiles are available with full technical support, as part of the service.  All fibre bonded products are manufactured by Heckmondwike FB at its base in West Yorkshire, where the company is fully certified to ISO 14001, as part of its commitment to sustainability.

Heckmondwike FB is one of the leading carpet suppliers to the education, commercial and public sectors and is well-known for the excellent value, durability and high performance of its products.
https://www.heckmondwike-fb.co.uk/