Type of works: design and manufacture of Europanel composite wall panels.

Scheduled for completion in spring 2010 Orpington College is set to breath new life into Orpington town centre, a recent £26m investment has refurbished existing buildings and introduced new structures to transform the campus into an open and inviting environment for its 1,700 students encouraging a growing vibrant community. One such aspect that has undergone extensive refurbishment is the college’s landmark eleven-storey tower.

Refurbishment is increasingly being sort as a cost-effective alternative compared with the construction of new buildings. Many industrial, residential and commercial buildings constructed prior to the 1990s are being modernised thanks to developments in contemporary cladding and rainscreen technology. Eurobond’s composite panel systems are ideally suited to refurbishment projects as they offer a simple and economical means of modernising a degrading building. Where appropriate composite panel systems can be used to over-clad an existing structure, helping to reduce disruption to the building’s occupants and dramatically enhance the building’s appearance.

Orpington College has utilised Eurobond’s Europanel system in Corus Colorcoat Prisma^® White and Ariadne flat finish. Over cladding can help to extend the life of a building whilst encouraging a reduction in future costs, providing a durable weather-tight seal that requires minimal maintenance and helps to protect the building against corrosive environmental elements. In addition Eurobond composite panel systems can provide a variety of long term benefits, including noise reduction and increase energy performance, this in turn can help to maximise the re-sale and rental value for building owners, and encourage cheaper energy bills for building occupants.