Dunottar is an independent day school in Reigate, Surrey, founded in 1926 it now sits within the United Learning group who “seek to improve the life chances of all the children and young people we serve and make it our mission to bring out the best in everyone”. They approached us looking for a radical approach to the optimisation and refurbishment of their science classrooms.
Taking a collaborative approach with the teaching team, we envisioned a futuristic space through CGIs (computer generated images) which enabled the governors to sign off on the project to allow the works to proceed over the summer break. The design breaks the traditional science laboratory layout and instead positioned three centrally located islands in the centre of the room each with dedicated gas and water. The units – built from coloured laminate with Corian tops – create the focal point for each classroom and are complimented with fitted benching and storage to the perimeter of the space.
The jewel of the project was the digitally printed periodic table on the vinyl safety flooring which brings in a unique feature setting the block apart from any other school. Soft, pastel blues and greens were used in the laminate locker doors to set the scheme and create a laboratory which gives us a glimpse of the future.
