Screening The Education Sector

Staying safe while they learn

From playgrounds at child care centres to student accommodation at universities, we trust those in the education sector to keep our children safe from harm, not just in the classroom but at all times they are in their care. As our cities build increasingly upwards, more educational facilities are located in high-rise buildings, which come with additional potential risks such as falls from windows and balconies.

The only way to be truly risk-free is to eliminate openable windows, balconies or outdoor areas, but that is not practical or desirable. Good light and fresh air are vital components of the learning environment and have a positive impact on the academic success of students. Openable windows give students a link to the outdoors, while balconies and outdoor play areas provide a break from the classroom or study environment.

One way schools and universities have found to deliver spaces which have both protection and amenity, is by taking Alspec window and door security screening products and using them in increasingly novel applications.

James Cook University, Cairns QLD

In North Queensland, the James Cook University took Invisi-Maxx security screens and used them to completely enclose the balconies of a high-rise student accommodation building. As well as removing the risk of falls, the screens contribute to the visually attractive façade of the award-winning building. Behind the high-visibility mesh, students can still enjoy unimpeded rainforest views, along with naturally cooling breezes and protection from insects. With its heavy duty frame and mesh retention system, the cyclone-rated Invisi-Maxx screens will also protect the building inhabitants from any windborne debris during extremes of weather.

Click here for the detailed project review.

St Catherine’s College, Perth, WA

Meanwhile in Western Australia, designers of a student accommodation building at St Catherine’s College in Perth identified Invisi-Gard stainless steel security screens as the perfect way to ensure a safe and secure living environment for those living away from home. The screens were attached to the side of the building using battens, creating a design feature, while providing the practical benefits of repelling insects, security screening and fall prevention. The high-clarity Invisi-Gard screens preserve light and views, allowing the students to still feel connected to the broader campus landscape while knowing they are in a protected and secure space.

Click here for the detailed project review.

Mater Child Care, Brisbane

And it’s not just older students who are benefiting from this re-thinking of the use of security screening mesh in the education sector. At the Mater Hospital in Brisbane, Invisi-Gard screens were used to enclose an outdoor play space at a child care centre on the fourth and fifth levels of a building. The outdoor area needed a safe barrier which children could not climb or fall through, but also one which ideally did not impede views or natural breezes. The Invisi-Gard mesh was secured within aluminium frames which were then fixed to a structural steel perimeter frame, all at a height sufficient to restrict climbing. In this way the Invisi-Gard mesh fulfils the properties needed in a balustrade but with even more security advantages.

By embracing alternative ways of making outdoor access safe, the education sector has cast a new light on mesh security screening as an engaging design feature which provides safety, security and peace of mind for parents and teachers while children are in the learning environment.

Click here for the detailed project review.