Installing skylights in schools

Natural light has improved mental well-being and increased motivation. Skylights are a great way to bring natural light into schools, reducing the cost of heating and lighting and enhancing student well-being.

This round-up of case studies shows how Sunsquare skylights have solved problems facing schools and colleges across the country.

Kingston College, London

The brief

Kingston College was searching for a hexagonal skylight to sit on top of the structure, with louvres placed all around.

Specifics

Kingston College also requires 60/60 fire-rated skylights, which can withstand a potential fire through insulating properties and the strength to resist melting for an extended period.

We used this information to develop a bespoke feature circular skylight that could integrate fire safety within a hexagonal design, including the aluminium framing.

The Sunsquare solution

ITC Concepts was keen to find a company that could design skylights and aluminium structures. We worked closely with ITC and the louvre company to ensure that the louvres would fit into our structure once on site.

Read more about the Kingston College development here.

St. John’s College, Oxford

The brief

The works crew at St. John’s was tasked with building a much-needed facility for the college’s gardeners, but there were some things that needed to be added to increase the site’s practicality.

Concerned that extra facilities would appear tight and poorly lit because the original greenhouse and storage room were relatively small and practically fully enclosed, the team had to think outside the box.

To address this, they wanted to find a skylight large enough to open up the majority of the roof space, allowing enough natural light while blending in with the building’s shape and allowing ideal growing conditions for the greenhouse area.

Specifics

The installation was part of a redevelopment of the college’s grounds, which included the transformation of dilapidated greenhouses and storage sheds into a functional new 60 sqm building – a space for gardening staff to use as an office and break room, as well as a greenhouse area for growing college plants.

The Sunsquare solution

To deliver the bulk of the building’s natural light, the team specified a 2620mm x 4250mm Sunsquare part-fixed, part-opening rooflight positioned above the greenhouse area.

Over the breakroom, Jessop and Cook chose two smaller 1400mm x 2000mm Sunsquare Aero Vent skylights. Each Aero Vent has a simple-to-use electric opening and closing mechanism for quick and easy access to fresh air.

Read more about the Oxford College development here.

Moreton Hall School, Bury St Edmunds

The brief

The Sybil Andrews Academy in Moreton Hall, Bury St Edmunds, would initially be divided into three core buildings:

The Heart Building
Teaching Block 1
and the Sports Building

All of these would be capable of supporting 900 students initially, with the capacity to grow to accommodate 1,400 students and a sixth form by 2031.

The school was searching for a modern, safe and economically friendly way of bringing natural light into these large spaces.

Specifics

Given the building’s extensive use of glass, the architect set a target g-value of 0.33, i.e. the measure of solar energy transmittance of glass, to ensure that it did not overheat during the summer months.

As a result, we specified SN70 sun control glass and a laminated inner pane for reduced interior fading and greater safety and security.

The Sunsquare solution

Phase one saw Sunsquare rooflights, including SkyView, SkyView Multi Pane, and Aero Access, housed at the Heart Building.

The Sports Building, which incorporates four of our SkyView Multi Pane rooflights, was the focal point of the project’s second phase, giving an abundance of natural light into the sports facilities below.

Andy Prestoe, principal of Sybil Andrews Academy, said: “This new school is an incredible achievement in designing and building a new 21st century educational and sports facility from a standing start and all within two years; a real credit to all those involved and to the collaborative ‘will do’ approach taken by the designers and contractors alike.

“The pupils are in awe and this is just a different world to the one they have been used to and they’re extremely excited about it; and rightly so, they are very lucky children.”

Read more about the Moreton Hall School Development here.

Brunel University

The brief

The university’s College of Engineering, Design, and Physical Sciences needed a new roof that would provide a lighter, brighter learning environment for students while also providing thermal efficiency to avoid heat loss in the winter and keep temperatures from becoming too hot in the summer.

Specifics

The safety of the students was a primary consideration. Architects wanted to ensure glazing longevity for future generations, using a glazing system that could withstand seasonal weather fluctuations.

Mark Lambert, Sales Director at Sunsquare, said: “As a university renowned for delivering exceptional standards of education, it was imperative that Brunel’s upgraded facilities reflected the same high standards.

The Sunsquare solution

Four Skyview rooflights (1514 x 3514mm) span the whole length of the Wilfred Brown Building’s atrium, with two smaller Skyview rooflights (1000 x 2000mm) being put in darker areas above a nearby stairwell.

Each of the six panes was laminated for optimal longevity and glass safety, and the frames were thermally broken, resulting in the most energy-efficient rooflight profile on the market.

SN70 sun-controlled glass was also ordered for the panes to help alter internal temperatures during the warmer months.

“Opting for fully thermally broken rooflights meant Brunel’s specifying team could guarantee unbeatable U-value performance, creating a greener, more energy-efficient building – and still deliver a rooflight that can cope with the battering of wind and rain for decades to come.”

“Brunel University is a perfect example of how functionality and sustainability can work together within an education facility,” added Lambert.

Read more about the Brunel University development here.

How can your school benefit from a Sunsquare Skylight?

Contact our team on +44 (0)1284 846212 to discuss how a skylight could elevate your home, business or public space.