The new building, which was built on a brownfield site, accommodates more than 800 students and is home to Art, Media & Design, Music, Weston College Sixth Form and Bath Spa University degree courses.
Textura in Light Grey colour was specified by the architects because it combines an appealing textured surface finish with toughness in one fully compressed fibre cement cladding panel. It has a highly glazed, granular finish, which can be supplied in a range of standard colours as well as any factory-approved RAL colour.
Weston College’s brief required the creation of a flat panel façade to give an impression of modernity. Being impact resistant yet strong and light in weight enabled Textura to meet this brief while creating a robust and long lasting decorative rainscreen cladding system.
The granular surface finish on Textura allows rainwater to ‘pearl’ across the face of the sheet, reducing the possibility of staining. Having an installed life expectancy of at least 50 years will ensure that it provides Weston College with long term value.
As well as Textura cladding, the architect on this project specified Marley Eternit’s fibre cement Cedral weatherboarding in Blue Grey colour. With the visual appearance of natural timber, yet resistant to rot and easy to install, it created an ideal visual complement to the granular finish on Textura.
Initially, timber weatherboarding had been specified for the college, however following a value engineering process and consideration of maintenance requirements, it was decided to change to Marley Eternit’s fibre cement Cedral weatherboarding.
John Wright, from Stride Treglown, the architect on this project, explains: “The combination of Textura and Cedral weatherboarding made the structure much more engaging visually and helped us to meet the client’s brief for a modern multi-functional building.”
The Textura cladding and Cedral weatherboarding was fitted by LSC Limited, which is a leading rainscreen cladding and envelope contractor based in the Romsey, Hampshire.
Marley Eternit’s cladding solutions are now playing a part in providing a landmark building for Weston Super Mare and ensuring Weston College University Campus continues to offer students some of the best facilities in the UK.