Encasement explains how its range of high-performance decorative casings can improve the functionality and aesthetics of learning environments.

Forma metal casings at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield

It has long been recognised that the educational environment can have a significant influence on student performance and wellbeing, a fact that was further reinforced with the challenges experienced during home tutoring and remote learning during the recent periods of lockdown. A key aspect of positive learning is the design of the building in which it takes place.

Fresh thinking about functionality, layout, décor and how students interact with the building have stimulated some outstanding designs. Since 1989, educational buildings have won either the RIBA Stirling Prize or its predecessor, The RIBA Building of the Year, five times – six if you include the Kingston University Town House in 2021.

For many schools, colleges and universities, decorative casings and interior wall lining solutions form an integral part of both new-build and refurbishment projects, which help make them more attractive and engaging learning environments. Primarily installed to conceal structural steelwork and building services, column casings and wall linings also provide a more aesthetic finish that can readily blend in or contrast with interior and exterior colour schemes. However, the presence of large numbers of students and the use of decorative casings in high-traffic areas, such as classrooms, laboratories and common rooms, as well as main entrances foyers, sports halls and other public spaces, has an important influence on their specification, as durability is an essential requirement for most projects.

Forma column casings at Birmingham University Dental School

Introducing the column casing range
The ability to understand and meet these demands from architects, educational design teams and specifiers have been key factors that have influenced the wide product range manufactured and supplied by Encasement. The company is probably best known for its extensive column casings range that includes pre-formed plywood and glass reinforced gypsum (GRG), exclusively for interior applications, as well as aluminium, stainless steel and glass reinforced polymer (GRP) casings, which are suitable for interior and exterior use due to their durability and inherent weather resistance.

Forma column casings at Liverpool University’s Robert Robinson and Donnan Laboratories building

Forma and Polyma
Encasement’s Forma metal casings and Polyma GRP range are widely used in educational buildings, where their durability coupled with the choice of available finishes, make them an ideal solution. Forma, in particular, provides specifiers with an exceptional scope of options and can be specified in a range of shapes, including circular, up to one-metre in diameter, or as square, rectangular, hexagonal or bespoke shapes. The choice of finishes is also wide with options covering PPC coating, as well as brushed, anodised, embossed and textured solutions.

In addition to installations at STEM buildings for Bedfordshire University in Luton and Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield, projects at Twickenham’s St. Richard Reynolds Catholic College, Winchester College, Birmingham University Dental School and Liverpool University’s Robert Robinson and Donnan Laboratories, are all utlising the practical and decorative properties of the Forma range in both interior and exterior applications.

Quadra column casings at Farnborough Sixth Form College

Circa and Quadra
Manufactured from pre-formed EUTR/UKTR compliant plywood, Circa and Quadra column casings are also regularly specified in educational building interiors. The main difference between the two ranges is their shape. Circa covers applications where round and extended circular forms are specified, while Quadra provides designers with the option to use square and rectangular profiles.

The broad palette of finishes options includes plain, textured and patterned high-pressure laminates (HPL) from specialists, such as Formica and Polyrey, together with real wood veneers. The combination of colour choice and resistance to scuffs and scratches has made decorative laminates the most popular finishs for education projects. Where required, the casings can also be left plain for painting on site in any chosen colour. While this approach makes them a low-cost option, they will clearly not be as durable as those using HPL finishes.

Howley Grange School in Halesowen and Farnborough Sixth Form College are typical examples of how Quadra casings can effectively conceal structural steelwork while their colourful and durable finishes enhance the interior design.

Vecta wall lining system at London South Bank University

Vecta lining system
Alongside the company’s six column casing ranges, its Vecta building linings system incorporates solutions for interior wall linings, bulkheads and reveals. Vecta has been used in a range of interior education projects, including the extensive remodelling of London’s South Bank University, as well as exterior applications, such as the overhead walkway casings at St. Richard Reynolds Catholic College in Twickenham, London.

All Vecta building linings are manufactured to meet individual project specifications and to ensure that the panel design, dimensions, and layouts are precisely engineered to simplify installation and achieve high-quality results.

Forma column casings and Vecta bulkheads and linings at St. Richard Reynolds Catholic College in Twickenham, London

Thinking inside the box
While most of Encasement’s products are specified in the education sector to conceal structural elements, such as column casings or bulkhead linings, the refurbishment of classrooms, science labs and STEM facilities often calls for solutions to ‘box-in’ exposed pipework.

Versa pipe boxing
Manufactured using pre-formed plywood, Versa pipe boxing is a popular choice for refurbishment projects as it can hide pipework and other services, mitigate burn risks where hot pipework is present, and prevent the accumulation of dust and dirt behind water and gas pipes.

Finished in white melamine, Versa incorporates radiused corners for safety and is manufactured in a diverse range of sizes, as well as 5mm and 8mm thicknesses. Typically, the 5mm option is used for high-level boxing while the thicker option is more suited to low-level applications where added protection from accidental damage, such as kicking is required. HPL finishes can also be applied to the 8mm boxing to further increase protection.

Forma column casings at the New Line Learning Academy in Maidstone

Contact Details
A full range of literature, case studies and detailed product information is available online from the Encasement website. In addition, detail drawings in DWG and PDF formats are available for download alongside specification clauses and brochures covering the complete product range. For more information, please call 01733 266889, email or visit the Encasement website.