Stoneflex is the new face of an old solution

Brick-effect panels from roofing and cladding specialist Stoneflex URP have been used to give a permanent look to a school's new 'portable' classroom block.

Cheam School, an independent school in Newbury, Berkshire, needed a replacement for two old portable buildings which, for 20 years, had provided two 'temporary' classrooms for its pre-school intake.

The replacement building would provide four new classrooms and, unlike the two old units, would also include toilets and washing facilities.

The school commissioned modular buildings specialist Rollalong to supply the new block with the requirement that the building should look like a substantial permanent structure.

"We wanted a pitched roof and solid walls, although for reasons of time and cost we couldn't commission a traditional brick-built building," explained school bursar Mark Smith.

To satisfy Mr Smith's design criteria, Rollalong offered a choice of three external wall finishes.

Mr Smith chose the lightweight and fire-resistant brick-effect panel from Stoneflex URP, a major supplier to the modular prefabricated buildings industry and an associate member of the sector's trade association, the MPBA.

Stoneflex Brick is a glass fibre reinforced polyester resin cladding panel that replicates the traditional appearance of natural bricks but is installed onto a framework without wet trades and is therefore not dependant on the weather.

It can be installed off-site in a fraction of the time it would take to build a similar conventional structure.

"I could have chosen something cheaper but I wanted the Rolls Royce in terms of appearance for the building".

"The resulting building looks and feels robust and strong".

"It also fits in well with the landscape and the existing brick school buildings," said Mr Smith.

Time was a major factor in this project and Rollalong's solution allowed the old huts to be replaced by the new building during the summer holidays".

""The school needed an external finish that was complementary to the existing building but a key factor to the school was that the new classroom building was handed over in time for the start of the new school year".

"Using Stoneflex pre-finished cladding enabled us to achieve that".

"Using traditional brickwork would have extended the construction period beyond the start of the new school year," explained Rollalong sales manager Ian Grummitt.

The two old huts were demolished in just three days.

Rollalong then prepared the concrete base for the new building after which it took only six weeks to erect the new building".

"The only real construction work that took place on site was the cutting of the Stoneflex panels to fit under the gable ends," said Mr Smith.

According to Mr Smith, the school is delighted with the new building and since Stoneflex Brick never loses its colour, will continue to be so for years to come".

"It blends in well, it's well-insulated and we've not had any quality issues since it was finished".

"We've even had some other prep schools visit us to see the building".

"They're looking for a similar solution and they were very impressed by what we've been able to achieve," said Mr Smith.

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