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Maple’s brise soleil system makes South Wales school more comfortable for students

Written by Jake Dunn | 16/12/21 08:00

The South Wales town of Barry is getting a light and airy new high school 

In response to the challenges, Maple have supplied and installed a brise soleil system for the new Whitmore High School. Horizontal blades above the windows on the south-west and south-east elevations extend 500m at right angles to the building to cut out the sun in the middle part of the day. 
 
It’s a tried and tested approach that has reached new levels of sophistication since Maple installed their first brise soleil system in the 1980s. Today, our modular Strata blade system has been developed to achieve structural integrity with less weight, is easy to install, and provides seamless alignment with a bespoke support structure and concealed fixings. 
 
At the Atkins Global-designed Whitmore High, we’ve gone a step further – with marine-grade galvanising and powder-coating of the brackets and blades to protect them from the corrosive, salty environment on the coast. 
 
The new three-storey school, which is being delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction, will accommodate 1,000 pupils across 70 classrooms, separate drama and activity studios, sports facilities and a specialist suite to support pupils with additional learning needs. 
 
It is one of more than 50 Maple projects within the education sector, and follows recent successes at Calthorpe Park School in Hampshire, and The Broxbourne School in Herts.