Colindale School

Tasked with delivering a brand new design for this visionary primary school, the architects Sprunt, chose Kebony’s award-winning sustainable substitute for tropical hardwood and preservative treated timber as an integral element of this inspiring project.

This September, pupils returned to a brand new school with an array of unique and creative learning spaces, specialised facilities, cutting-edge technology and some impressive green credentials, most notably Kebony.

Kebony was chosen not only for its exemplary environmental qualities and non-toxic attributes, but equally for its stunning aesthetics, durability, resistance to decay, long life span, easy maintenance and cost benefits. Developed to withstand a harsh Norwegian climate, Kebony demonstrates comparable, and often superior, properties to tropical hardwood without the need for costly treatments and ongoing maintenance – an important consideration for any public sector project.

Kebony Scots Pine cladding was used in the development, acting as a robust and effective rain screen on a large proportion of the buildings, including the main hall and pool hall. This beautiful rustic material envelopes the school, complementing its leafy surroundings and evolves over time to acquire a subtle silver-grey patina. The soft texture and natural appearance of Kebony creates a contrast between the hardness of the traditional brick and the transparency of the glazed curtain walls, forming an unusual combination of materials. The newly-developed school needed to reflect Colindale’s inclusive community ethos and therefore look inviting and accessible to its young users. Kebony ‘timber fins’ add character to the build and bridge the all important oak tree branches that lie at the heart of the scheme and the modern forward-looking approach of the new school.

All pictures: Colindale Primary School, Lundon, United Kingdom
Architect: Sprunt Architects