Unity is a popular choice for higher education washrooms as quick emergency access to locked cubicles can be gained without causing damage, all thanks to the emergency release indicator bolts.

The project

Oaklands College is a multi-campus further education establishment in Hertfordshire that provides for 7,500 students across three sites.

Established in 1921, the St Albans Campus offers its students a wide range of courses and aims to prepare every learner for work, a rewarding career and life’s opportunities.

The challenge

Oaklands’ St Albans Campus underwent a £62million redevelopment project to transform the site with state-of-the-art facilities. Along with new classrooms, sports facilities and campus cafés, the college also wanted to offer students and staff the very best washroom facilities.

The toilet cubicles, washroom panelling and vanity units had to withstand the anticipated heavy footfall. We were thrilled to be specified for this project by Willmott Dixon, one of the UK’s leading independent construction and property services company. We worked collaboratively with Willmott Dixon and our Accredited Installers T-IPS to ensure fit-for-purpose systems were chosen for the college washrooms.

The solution

Unity, our modern, flush fronted toilet cubicle range was specified and has made a big visual impact thanks to the setback pedestals that give the range its sleek, floating appearance. Unity is a popular choice for higher education washrooms as quick emergency access to locked cubicles can be gained without causing damage, all thanks to the emergency release indicator bolts.

Our pre-plumbed panelling system Vepps presented many benefits to Oaklands College including, but not limited to, speedy installation, easy ongoing maintenance and reduced costs. Every toilet was pre-plumbed and tested at our manufacturing facility so that T-IPS could install each unit 50% faster than plain panel alternatives. The access panels were mounted onto linear-bearing hinges so that access to concealed duct space could be gained quickly without having to manually remove panels.

The cubicles and Vepps IPS panelling were specified in High Pressure Laminate (HPL), which is an ideal choice for heavily used washrooms as it’s impact and scratch resistant, plus it’s easy to clean and maintain. Our popular mid-grey laminate finish ‘Shadow’ was specified for the cubicles, while a pop of colour was added to the washrooms with Vepps in ‘Golden’.

Space saving and durable Solid Surface washtroughs were the ideal vanity unit solution for the busy college. Sensor taps were specified to reduce water wastage, helping the college to make continual cost savings in their new campus building. The washtroughs were specified in our impact resistant ‘Everest’ finish while the ‘Shadow’ HPL underpanels matched the cubicles.