Writhlington School

Folding wall specialist Building Additions has just provided a bespoke solution for Writhlington School in Radstock, providing them with the flexible space they needed to accommodate their expanding student population.

The high performing school for 11-18 year olds had to make the valuable space it had in its hall and stage building much more useful for its 1300 students. The solution was to refurbish the large 1950’s hall and to separate it with folding partitions.

When open the partitions would allow the hall to perform the usual functions of providing a good venue for large performances and open evenings as well as providing good teaching spaces for two classes of drama and a permanent area at the back of the hall for assemblies when closed.

The challenge came when creating the assembly area.  Andy Ferris of Building Additions explained, “Our folding fabric partition was specified for this area but because of the suspended ceiling design of the allocated assembly area, there was no support for the partition to be top-hung and installed in the typical manner.  We therefore provided a floor supported model instead and concealed the floor track it ran on so that it would not be a tripping hazard.”

For the stage area, double ‘operable’ folding walls were installed so that the stage and the area in front became teaching rooms when closed.  Here Building Additions used its Acoustic model with sound reduction properties so classes could be held simultaneously without disturbance.

Business manager for the school Chris Hobbs said, “The solution has worked very well.  We feel like we have gained 3 rooms out of it and much more flexible space.  We also use the operable walls on stage instead of a curtain and this has worked very well during performances.”

Building Additions’ Fabric folding partitions are ideal of use in education environments because they are cost effective, glide silently and easily and have a durable easy-clean surface material that comes in a range of colours.  Its operable walls, which consist of solid individual wall panels that interlock into place when pulled across, are also perfect for where a higher sound insulation requirement is needed.