Geberit has provided a total plumbing solution at Gwenfro Primary School in Wrexham, which has undergone a £4.9 million makeover funded by the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools and Education Programme.
Upgraded from an existing 1950s school, the new Gwenfro school amalgamates juniors and infants, creating state-of-the-art facilities for its pupils. Offering increased capacity (the school can now take 315 pupils vs 301 before the upgrade) the two-storey building includes nursery provision, seven classrooms, a shared hall facility and administrative accommodation. BREEAM rated ‘Excellent’, Gwenfro has been constructed in a sustainable way, including ‘fabric first’ design, good use of natural daylight and ventilation, plus solar photovoltaic panels to provide electricity.
Twyford products installed include an air button dual flush concealed cistern, helping to save water and contributing to the BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’. In addition, Twyford E100 round basins incorporating Sola non concussive taps were chosen, with the push button action preventing water wastage by turning off automatically – well-suited to public bathrooms, and easy for children to use.
Twyford’s Sola school rimless WCs, both closed and open fronted, have been installed throughout the new facilities. Rimless pans offer optimised hygiene and easier cleaning; key for high volume areas where pupil health and safety is paramount. The open fronted models have been designed for younger children, ideal for nursery and early years’ pupils.
Gwenfro also includes on ambulant Doc M cubicle, featuring Twyford’s Avalon back-to-wall rimless WC and grab rails. The grab rails are in a contrasting colour to ensure ease of use for partially sighted users, as well as those with mobility issues.
Apart from Twyford, all plumbing comes courtesy of Geberit Mepla multi-layered pipe, which combines the advantages of synthetic and metallic materials. Corrosion-resistant and light, Geberit Mepla is said to be more inherently stable and durable than plastic pipes. Enabling fast work progress and subsequent economic advantages, Mepla also ensures peace of mind as it is permanently leak proof.
“We were very keen on the idea of getting everything from one source and we haven’t been disappointed. The quality, ease of installation, availability of the supply chain and customer support is excellent,” said John Roberts from Margden Heating, the plumbing and heating installers at Gwenfro.
“Margden has been installing Geberit Mepla for a number of years; its speed and efficiency is ideal for the school environment. Using Twyford has been a new experience for us. We’re extremely happy with the results – the breadth of product available and the quality is impressive. Twyford offers everything a school needs, from water saving flushing and easy-to-use taps, to more hygienic rimless WCs and products specifically designed for younger children,” John concluded.
Providing a one-stop solution for piping and washrooms, Geberit and Twyford offer the ideal combination for today’s school projects where time constraints, budget considerations, sustainability, downtime and the practicality of the end product are all high on the agenda.
