Curved daylighting for students

The Kalwall diffused daylighting system has been specified for a new teaching building at Harper Adams University designed by Michael Hyde architects.

The new Weston building includes a 262 person lecture theatre, seminar rooms, IT facilities and open access learning and studying areas. The design draws inspiration from the history of the site and acknowledges local context through form and materials.

One of the project’s stunning features is the way in which Kalwall has been used to allow and control the interior daylight light levels and still achieve minimal solar heat gain. This was achieved by using daylight modelling to predict precisely the illumination levels across the floors. The result is that the privacy of the students is preserved while they benefit from very attractive leisure and social areas on two levels.

Widely used for cladding and rooflights, the highly insulating Kalwall system is unique in the way in which it transmits Museum-Quality Daylighting. Here, the translucent panels have been designed to follow the curve of the laminated timber structure. This floods the interior with natural diffused daylight while eliminating glare and shadows and creating a stunning interior ambience.

The project demonstrates how the panels, manufactured to order and normally supplied flat, can also be curved by using with the proprietary Kalcurve variation.

Apart from being specified for all types of new build, Kalwall is increasingly used for the refurbishment of cladding or rooflights on aged buildings.

Project and technical information are available from Structura UK, the exclusive distributor for Kalwall translucent daylight building systems for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and a leading supplier, fabricator and installer of glass curtain walling, rainscreens, glass atria, windows and other architectural glass building products.