Design freedom and product flexibility was high on the architect’s agenda when specifying a mix stainless steel sink tops for the new education workshop and standalone sink pedestals for the artist studio at Watts Gallery, Compton, Surrey.

The new education space and arts studio known as the Foyle Art for All Learning Studio is part of a restoration and remodelling scheme at Watts Gallery in Compton. The work has been part funded by Heritage Lottery Fund & English Heritage, the finished scheme provides an art studio and education space for around 15 people. The gallery runs workshops for the local community including life drawing, painting and pottery, and an art club for young people.

Workshop
GEC Anderson supplied a mix of Made to Measure and Decimetric® units. The Made to Measure range for the workshop area allowed the specifier to order to their exact size requirements. The customised sink tops arrived on site in two continuous pieces which incorporated a lower level top to comply with DDA requirements and suit the height of children working in the studio. These items incorporated a plaster trap and sand trap in order to segregate the paints/sands being used in class from the waste water.

The Made to Measure units included a large bespoke sink bowl 1100 x 340mm in size. There were no joins at the sink bowl, edges or upstands and the 18mm bonded substrate provided rigidity and strength as well as allowing for easy fixing.

Art Studio
Watts Gallery has run the Artist-in-Residence scheme since 2005 and the new studio provides all the facilities required for the artist to work there in comfort. Here GEC Anderson’s Decimetric® commercial stainless steel sinktop was chosen for the wash area. Manufactured from domestic grade stainless steel, this free standing unit includes a lipped front and side edges, integral back upstand and is mounted on square section stainless steel legs.

Mark Edmunds, Quantity Surveyor for Blenheim House Construction said, “GEC Anderson was very professional in their approach to the project, delivering on time and to the correct specification.” GEC Anderson provides a complete measuring and installation service and on this project a technical representative attended a pre contract meeting at Watts Gallery to take the brief. At the appropriate time in the construction programme, an operative returned to site to take dimensions and subsequently to install the manufactured unit.

Blenheim House Construction is no stranger to GEC Anderson products and has used them on a number of other projects.

For the architect, stainless steel provides clean lines and good looks in a modern art environment. It was also the obvious choice for this busy educational space, as it is hard wearing, hygienic, maintenance free and retains its original appearance over time. They had also worked with GEC Anderson on previous projects and were chosen on this one for their track record as well as their ability to provide the sinktop configurations to meet the design requirements.