Gable Hall School – Dining Area
Key Facts:
Client Name: Gable Hall School
Location: Corringham, Essex
Type of client: Education, Specialist Performing Arts Secondary Academy
Discipline provided by M+C: Architectural Design + Specification | Planning and Building Regulations | M&E Services Design | Procurement | Project Management
Value: £180,000
Contractors: MT Build
M+C Lead: Stephen Martin
As a forward-thinking, vibrant Academy; Gable Hall School were looking to make better use of a redundant courtyard adjacent to the current eating facilities, providing additional serving and seating arrangements for their 1300 students.
Given the courtyard’s open-space nestled amongst existing buildings, the design brief focused on creating a light, airy space that offered attractive accommodation for students during lunch and breaks.
To facilitate this, a glazed barrel vault roof was constructed over the void using a portal steel frame, allowing high levels of light in to the new dining area. Timber walls featuring powder-coated aluminium sheeting were employed for the external walls where required. Internally, the walls were clad in a PVC sheeting system, in a number of colours.
Throughout the extension, the colours utilised are derived from the Academy’s new branding, helping to develop the brand and create a greater sense of ownership for the area.
To ensure maximum flexibility, throughout the dining hall; feature hardwood bi-folding doors have been installed to enable partitioning as and when required.
The new extension has provided the school with enhanced dining facilities in a very cost-effective manner. As a result of the new dining area, revenues through the school canteen have increased significantly, along with a correlating reduction in the number of students bringing a packed lunch to school.
“Gable Hall School is growing at incredibly fast rate; Munday + Cramer have helped us to ensure that our buildings and facilities meet these ever-changing needs. The new dining area not only improves our flexibility, but has encouraged students to use the facilities and looks great too!”
Miles Carter, Gable Hall School