click images to see a slideshow

When the government last raised the school leaving age (often shortened to ROSLA) in 1972, many secondary schools in England and Wales were unable to accommodate the new 5th year students within their existing school estate. A favoured solution was to provide affected schools with a pre-fabricated building, which proved popular not only due to the low cost involved for materials and construction, but also to the speed which these buildings could be erected.

The off-site manufactured building components were delivered to site and often assembled in a matter of days, regardless of weather conditions. Consequently, they were not intended to be a long-term solution, though some have given many more years' service than was initially planned.

In 2009, Aquarian Cladding was asked by brick distributor Taylor Maxwell to work with them to assist Hampshire County Council with a pilot project to refurbish Quilley School of Engineering in Eastleigh. The school was a typical ROSLA building, clad in traditional brickwork and was considered both unattractive and very thermally inefficient.

Gebrik was evaluated with other cladding options - the rigorous process including a site visit to see the system in work elsewhere. We worked closely with the council to assist with the specification, which included the application of Gebrik with additional insulation to the lower masonry floor and to the light gauge steel frame assembled on the first floor. The Slate Smooth Blue Brindle (Ref SR12-03) was chosen in stack bond and finished at openings and external corners with powder-coated aluminium flashings to provide a contemporary appearance, fit for the 21st century. Morgan Sindall was appointed main contractor in the summer of 2010 and approx 200m² of the Gebrik system was successfully installed within a matter of weeks of supply, to the delight of the council, teachers and students.

Please click on any of the images on the right to view a slideshow showing aspects of the application and results of Gebrik used at the Quilley School development.

• Client: Hampshire County Council
• Architect: Hampshire County Council
• Main Contractor: Morgan Sindall
• Installation Contractor: Walltec