Taking the classroom outside | Architecture & Design

In educational settings, the lessons don’t have to end the minute students step outside. Here is a selection of the latest outdoor & landscaping products that help extend the learning experience beyond the classroom.

In many ways, selecting outdoor and landscaping products in educational settings is no different to choosing them for any other types of projects. Architects look for quality products that meet their broader design aspirations; products that are functional, durable, and easy to work with; that fit their budget requirements; and that meet all relevant regulatory and safety requirements.

However, there are some extra considerations. Well-designed schools are safe places where children of varying abilities and with diverse educational needs play, learn, explore, and grow. They are places that promote social development, health, growth, and interaction. And on top of that, schools and other educational institutions are places of work, around which large groups of people need to be able to move with as little inconvenience as possible.

Those selecting outdoor and landscaping products for use in schools, need to consider all these factors. They need to look for products that are, themselves designed with the needs of students and staff in mind.

Innowood

Manufactured and supplied by Innowood, an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) accredited organisation and member of Green Building Council since 2013, Fiba-Dek is a 100% recyclable timber alternative.

Utilising a patented dual fibre layer in a coextrusion that reduces and restricts the type of movement that is often associated with composite decking products, Fiba-Dek is durable and long lasting. On top of that, thanks to its hardwearing unique three-dimensional embossed pattern, the product has achieved the highest wet pendulum slip rating available. Unlike the sand/grit coating combination often used in the past, this strong adhesion is not negatively affected over time.

Light weight and easy to install, Fiba-Dek requires little ongoing maintenance. It is water resistant, termite resistant and splinter-free, and can be relied upon for a long, problem-free service life.

For all these reasons, Fiba-Dek has become a popular choice for inclusion in school projects around the world. The product was used at the recently-completed Jordan Springs Public School in Greater Western Sydney.

The school was designed with an emphasis on outdoor spaces and in particular the connection between soft and hard surfaces, outdoor spaces and the natural environment that surrounds them. Achieving this, and creating an extensive decking area that connects the modern building design with the natural landscape, required a material that would not only be capable of withstanding the day-to-day traffic of a public school, but also meet aspirations in terms of sustainability.

Fiba-Dek was the material of choice that helped bring the design and vision of these outdoor spaces to reality. Offering all the above-mentioned benefits, along with a resemblance to natural timber, it has proved popular with both students and staff.

Millboard Decking

As used locally in numerous educational projects – like at Melbourne Business School, St Luke Catholic College in Marsden Park, Loretto College Normanhurst, and Eileen O’Connor College in Lewisham – Millboard is a British-made, commercial grade composite decking product.

Lightweight and chemically inert, Millboard doesn't expand like plastics do and doesn't absorb moisture like timber. This means that, unlike those materials, it doesn’t require expansion gaps, ventilation, or clearance from the ground when installed.

The boards are physically incapable of warping, rotting or hosting mould or algae, and don’t require oiling or sealing. On top of that, they carry the highest anti-slip rating available in Australia (P5), are comparable to timber in terms of heat retention, and are UV stable. This last point means Millboard does not fade substantially over time.

In terms of aesthetic appeal, Millboard’s success stems from the fact that, unlike anything else on the market, it is moulded from impressions of real timber. The Enhanced grain style is crafted from fresh sawn English Oak flooring, while the Weathered Oak boards are crafted from 100-year-old wharf timbers retrieved from southern France. As such, they have an extraordinary aged timber look, a bit like old railway sleepers.

The boards are lightweight and easy to work with. They require no special tools or clips, and can be top fixed like standard decking into a timber sub frame using Millboard Durafix screws. The benefit of this system is that they feature a 'lost-head' fixing, which actually ‘disappears’ into the boards and creates the impression that there are no screws at all.

Moddex

Moddex – a manufacturer of modular, no-weld, hot dip galvanized barrier systems – offers a number of balustrades and disability handrails, which are recommended for educational use.

Designed to help mitigate the possibility of falls from height in public areas, their Conectabal commercial balustrades – and in particular the CB50 (Balustrade|Double Offset Handrail) and CB55 (Balustrade | Double Offset Handrail and Kerbrail) – are recommended for applications in primary schools.

Offering a high safety load rating as well as compliance with all relevant standards, Conectabal commercial balustrades are suitable for use in all applications above one metre and can have crowd loadings up to C5 classification on request.

Meanwhile, Moddex Assistrail disability handrail systems are designed to ensure that mobility impaired or vision impaired students can traverse their schools safely and with ease.

Easy to retrofit, or dismantle for reconfiguration, these products deliver the peace of mind that comes with knowing that they comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and will adapt to every building classification within the National Construction Code (NCC) and the New Zealand Building Code.

On key factor that sets both the Assistrail disability handrail systems and Conectabal commercial balustrades apart is that Moddex is the only company in its field with an end-to-end modular system offering. Because they are modular, these systems can be configured fit project demands, while still meeting compliance standards such as the National Construction Code and Australian and New Zealand Standards.

Holcim

Available from Holcim, the Geostone range includes 300 different products, each of which is unique to a particular local region. The manufacturer sources local stone and sand to develop a diverse range of products for all colour palettes and applications.

As a result, there is virtually no limit to how Geostone can be applied to outdoor spaces. Products may be exposed or honed, and practicality can be combined with refined design, to achieve the right outcome for each particular project.

The quality of Geostone means there's less maintenance or upkeep required. Geostone is naturally durable, suitable for any outdoor applications and requires less maintenance over its lifetime than other flooring options. Geostone incorporates natural materials that have variations in colour, texture, size and shape. It's these natural variations that give the concrete its character and charm and make it uniquely yours.

On top of that, strength and durability are two other benefits of Geostone. Unlike other flooring and decking options that can be prone to rotting, splitting or termite damage, decorative concrete is long-lasting, durable, visually appealing and practical in all weather conditions.

Street Furniture Australia

Chillout Tree is designed and manufactured by Sydney-based Street Furniture Australia. Though it presents as an appealing modular shade structure, it is much more than that.

It was conceived with the ambition of addressing some significant macro issues facing the Australian (and global) communities; things like the post-COVID shift to working from home, the potential of outdoor classrooms and outdoor dining, and the increasing problems of loneliness, depression and obesity.

It also addresses the need for shade in urban settings, the needs of an ageing population, and bringing the ‘Smart City’ within the practical reach of local Councils and others.

As such, Chillout Tree includes options in terms of power, lighting, height, roof shape, shade type and accompanying furniture. Together, all these features mean it can be used to create outdoor classrooms, work spaces and community gathering places.

The ‘Smart’ version of Chillout Tree includes device charging, with optional USB or GPO points, as well as ambient LED lighting. Power use can be monitored via sensors, and all components are stowed within a hatch inside the ‘trunk’. Here, they are accessible for easy maintenance and future-proof upgrades.

With a minimal footprint, the Chillout Tree design is suitable for installation on streetscapes. Its compact single-pole design eliminates the possibility of it creating visual clutter. It can be matched with Street Furniture Australia’s wide range of furnishings, including picnic tables, long tables, curved benches and seats, coffee tables and dining tables.

In this way, the Chillout Street is something of a one-stop solution for smart city integrations. Integrating lighting, device charging and sensors seamlessly, it is well-place for Councils intent on redefining the meaning of education and creating the smart cities of the future.

Curvwood

Curvwood is a timber manufacturing business, which focuses on structural and non-structural glue laminated timber (glulam) production. The business works predominantly with architects, designers, engineers and builders to bring their timber designs to life.

Glulam is a 19th century form of wood fabrication that aligns well with contemporary, state-of-the-art and sustainable design solutions. Curvwood uses glulam fabrication to create curved wood structures with a wow factor.

Image: Moddex

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