Ambic Library

Why bespoke furniture beats the catalogue for choice

Most schools don’t have perfect, geometrically shaped rooms – it’s just a fact. If your school wasn’t purpose made as an educational establishment, perhaps it’s been subject to a conversion, or maybe it’s just an old building – whatever the case, you often need to be creative about how you use the available space. Classroom layout is important, and usually subject to regular change depending on the age range of pupils, the type of lesson being planned and the specific activities employed. The next most important element of a classroom is the available storage. With space being at a premium, it’s important to maximise the available storage area with the right furniture.

The most convenient way to purchase school furniture is “off-the-shelf” and from a catalogue – lots of styles to choose from, in different colours and materials. However, what a catalogue offers in many styles and colours, it is often restrictive in size and shape. By the very nature of stock items, they are often made in standard or popular sizes – but for a room with lots of corners, nooks and crannies, this can mean a loss of space by purchasing furniture that’s not really fit for purpose.

Headteacher Richard Royle describes how Ambic designed bespoke solutions for Elemore School in County Durham:

 

Having an unlimited choice of sizes and shapes is great, but ultimately someone has to sit down and work out which pieces of furniture should go where, in what size and shape and the best configuration of doors / drawers etc.

This can be a daunting task and very time consuming – so that’s where we come in. Our design experts will visit you, discuss exactly what your requirements are, then cast their expert eye over the area in question and come up with a cunning plan to transform the space with our great looking furniture, made exactly the way you want it.

At Ambic we use the latest Computer Aided Design (CAD) software to create a  design bespoke to your needs. As we make all our furniture to order, we can manufacture every piece of furniture to fit precisely into the available space and in a unique configuration.

The end result? A classroom or other educational room you will be truly proud of and that your students will enjoy for many, many years to come.

 

Early Years Classroom Furniture

The Early Years Classroom has probably the biggest impact on a child’s ability and willingness to learn, and the layout, equipment and early years school furniture should all be designed to stimulate that learning.

When designing the layout of your early years classroom make sure there is room to move around freely, both for the pupils and for you to observe and engage with them. Think about the different types of areas to include, such as a quiet area, an active area, creative/messy areas, a construction area, an eating area and a book area.

Think about where care routines, eating and sleeping will take place and consider where the main flow of travel will be through the environment. If pathways are well defined, children, including those with developing movement skills, can move easily through the setting.

Consider making areas flexible to accommodate groups of children with varying needs by making use of mobile movable furniture, shaped tables that can be placed in different formations, make use of folding tables or stackable tables and chairs that can be cleared away if required.

Create boundaries to different areas, with shelving, furniture, fabric or different floor surfaces and soft areas using a combination of drapes, cushions and rugs.

Above all the classroom should be clean, tidy and inviting with good use made of posters photographs and interactive displays to create interesting themes around the room.

One of the quickest and most effective ways to transform an early years classroom is to de-junk! Get rid of broken and incomplete resources; reject any resources or furniture if they are unsafe or rarely used. Group resources together and label storage clearly. Use shelf tops and window sills for interesting and attractive displays.

When considering storage and resource areas, you should observe the environment from a child’s height, would the child be able to easily access a drawer or resource cupboard.

Resources should ideally be stored in clearly labelled, brightly coloured drawers and cupboards. The children should be able to readily identify the correct storage for each resource to aid them in retrieving items when they need them, and tidying them away at the end of a lesson.

To teach responsibility provide children with their own basket or drawer to store their own property safely. Ideally each child will have their own coat peg and area to store spare clothes or shoes.

When purchasing early years furniture it’s important to ensure that the size matches the age range of the users. Ambic tables and chairs come in a range of sizes and heights and we have an easy to use guide to identify the correct size required for any particular age range.

Early years classroom furniture also needs to be safe and easily accessible, as well as being robust and resistant to heavy use. Ambic design their furniture with this in mind, and many of our repeat customers cite this as the reason why they prefer to buy from Ambic rather than the standard off the shelf furniture suppliers.

Early Years consultant Julia Manning – Morton writes that “the physical environment in a setting impacts directly on the quality of practice, making environment a critically important component that practitioners need to plan for and review regularly.”

Once your new classroom is set up, introduce the areas to the children. Explore them together to see what you can do and find in different places.

As time goes by, review how the areas are being used, what impact have your changes had on the children? Observe how the children use the space and rearrange cramped or unused areas. If an area is not well used consider why and redevelop it.

Above all have fun and enjoy the transformation!

Back to School Survey and Advice

As schools gear up to phased return this month, staff will be busy making plans to minimise the risk to pupils and staff alike under some key headings:

  • carrying out a risk assessment before opening to more children and young people – the assessment should directly address risks associated with coronavirus so that sensible measures can be put in place to minimise those risks for children, young people and staff
  • making sure that children and young people do not attend if they or a member of their household has symptoms of coronavirus
  • promoting regular hand washing for 20 seconds with running water and soap or use of sanitiser and ensuring good respiratory hygiene by promoting the catch it, bin it, kill it approach
  • cleaning more frequently to get rid of the virus on frequently touched surfaces, such as door handles, handrails, tabletops, play equipment and toys
  • minimising contact through smaller classes or group sizes and altering the environment as much as possible, such as changing the layout of classrooms
  • reducing mixing between groups through timetable changes, such as staggered break times or by introducing staggered drop-off and collection times

 

In normal times, the sales team at Ambic are used to offering our expertise in relation to furniture quality and suitability in different settings, room layout and storage solutions, washroom and toilet facilities and a myriad of other issues related to refurbishing school facilities and teaching environments. Now we have the added the challenge of helping our clients make informed choices regarding the changing nature of classroom teaching and the furniture and equipment they’ll need to make those changes. The general scientific advice is that we may have to live with a degree of social distancing and increased hygiene awareness for some significant time to come.

It’s safe to say that expecting early  years pupils to remain 2 meters apart is probably going to be problematic, so where it’s not possible to do so, there are some general expectations of schools under the following hierarchy:

  • avoiding contact with anyone with symptoms
  • frequent hand cleaning and good respiratory hygiene practices
  • regular cleaning of settings
  • minimising contact and mixing

 

So what are some practical considerations that schools may have to take into account as the gradual opening of schools takes place over the coming months?

Decreased Class Sizes – class sizes will most likely be expected to be no more than 15 pupils. This may mean halving existing classes and rearranging the classrooms so that each smaller group has access to its own resources. Where possible, students should be spaces apart as much as possible which may mean having individual desks or changing the layout of classroom tables to maximise the distance between students sharing the same table. It may mean dividing classrooms with partitions to encourage the separation of the groups and as the sharing of resources and equipment is not encouraged, each group will need storage to accommodate the safe and hygienic storage of school resources that can be subject to a regular cleaning regime. Each group will remain together throughout the school day to prevent unnecessary mixing with other groups, including taking their lunch together in a dedicated area.

Our classroom tables with single tray storage are an example of how students can be separated and still have access to their personal school resources without too much moving around the classroom and having to access common storage areas.

Bespoke storage facilities – Some thought will be needed with regards to the storage of school resources and equipment. Government advice is that the sharing of equipment between learning groups should be discouraged. Ideally each reduced class group should have their own resources allocated to them which can be stored away when not in use with thorough cleaning and disinfecting between uses. Furniture such as mobile storage units  and arts and crafts mobile stations  will allow easy movement of equipment which is kept sanitised and can be wheeled back into a specific dedicated storage cupboard or small room once cleaned ready for the next use.

Washing Stations – There will be a requirement for increased hand washing throughout the school day as new hygiene practices become part of the everyday school life. Students will be encouraged to wash their hands on arrival in a classroom setting, after activities and using school equipment, and prior to entering dining areas at lunchtime. This is will required an increase in the number of washing stations throughout the school, ideally inside classrooms and at or near the entrance to common dining areas. Ambic have many years of experience in manufacturing bespoke washroom and toilet facilities utilising the best quality materials as fabricators of solid grade laminate (Trespa) surfaces.

Dining areas – Where possible, students may be encouraged to bring their own packed lunch to school and these should again ideally be kept in a controlled environment. Lunchbox and Snack trollies can be used to store the learning groups’ pack lunches within a refrigerated cold room and then easily brought out to each small group in either the classroom or a dedicated dining area

Most schools were already struggling with making the best use of limited space before the current situation so maximising available room space is going to take some intuitive thinking and expertise. This is where we think we can really help schools, nurseries and universities get back up and running with our expert advice and guidance. Whether it is a quick reorganisation of the classroom with some partitions and new bespoke loose furniture to support the new layout, or a full refurbishment and redesign of the available space, we can help you ensure your school is safe for students and teaching staff to return to and that it will meet the test of time with regards to future requirements for a safe learning environment.

If you would like to arrange a free no obligation survey or would just like to speak to one of our sales team for some friendly advice, please give us a call on 0191 389 1888 or email us at sales@ambic.ltd.uk

Cantilever Table With Tray Storage

£94.50
Our Cantilever Table with Tray Storage is a stylish addition to any classroom or teaching environment, encouraging independent learning. Supplied with a single depth Gratnell tray to store books/equipment. Choose from an array of colour combinations. Please note: Minimum order quantity of 4 tables - if you would like to order less than this, please contact us on Tel: 0191 389 1888

Fruit / Snack Trolley

£216.49
Our Fruit / Snack Trolley is very popular. The sloping dispensing trays make accessing fruit quick and easy. Six Gratnell shallow removable trays can be cleaned, stacked and filled ensuring fruit remains fresh and ripe, and the mobile unit can easily be transported on its smooth running lockable castors. Available in a choice of colours.  

Lunchbox Trolleys (Shelf)

£249.00£273.20
Our shelved lunchbox trolleys are made from welded steel together with melamine faced MDF shelves and are extremely durable. We offer a large rectangular trolley which holds approximately 40-56 lunchboxes and a compact square trolley which holds approximately 36-42 lunchboxes. Both trolleys are mobile and feature smooth running lockable castors and shelves are removable for ease of cleaning. Available in a choice of colours.

Two Column Tray Storage Units

£208.97£329.31
Our sturdy tray storage units provide essential and effective tray storage for your classroom or nursery. Our range of two column units include: five, six, seven, eight, ten and twelve tray heights. Supplied with trays. We also offer the option of having a coloured top.

Feng Shui in the Classroom

Feng Shui principles in the classroom can promote learning and create a stress-free working environment all by careful consideration of the classroom layout, types of furniture and equipment and colour schemes employed.

Here are Ambic’s top 20 Feng Shui tips for teachers:

 

  1. The teachers desk should be placed ideally as far from the door as possible, in a commanding position and giving you the best possible view over what’s happening inside the classroom and just outside the classroom door
  2. Feng Shui says that classroom bookshelves should be situated in the far left corner of the room from the perspective of the door – this is believed to promote learning and critical thinking
  3. White décor can make the classroom look sterile and uninviting, blues and greens promote growth and learning so whether it’s an accent wall or the colour of table tops and other furniture, blue and green can create a more welcoming and stimulating learning environment
  4. Display books covers facing outward wherever possible, particular in early years classrooms, they create an inviting air and entice the students to explore the books from an early age
  5. Make your classroom comfortable – if students are uncomfortable it means they will soon lose concentration, chairs should be supportive and the right height and size for the age range, as should the desks in comparison to the chairs to create the correct seating posture.
  6. Make sure you and your students can move freely around the room, the room should flow in a manner that makes everything in it easily accessible from the pencil sharpener to IT workstations
  7. Minimise the use of fluorescent lights by limiting the time students spend under this light source – move them around the classroom at different parts of the day perhaps into reading corners near a window or better yet, move outside for certain tasks.
  8. Incorporate water – Feng Shui says that a room should have the correct balance of the five elements, wood, metal, earth, fire and water. Water is said to promote knowledge and a small aquarium or other water feature can bring a serene feel to the classroom.
  9. While most classrooms will have an abundancy of wood and metal, fire and earth features can be created through use of materials or colours – yellows and oranges create an energising effect in Feng Shui and can be perfect for geeing up students for an upcoming test or performance.
  10. Don’t overdo it with displays, Feng Shui specifies that there should be minimal clutter in a room and that includes what’s on the walls. Rather than display every assignment or art project students produce all over the room, have one specific area which creates excitement amongst students to have their work displayed there.
  11. Avoid sharp corners in the classroom, these are seen as a source of negative energy in Feng Shui – round, curved and shaped tables can help combat this.
  12. Play relaxing music during individual study time – classical or relaxing new age style music can help concentration and create a calming effect.
  13. To create the right balance in the room, it should flow. Nothing should serve as an obvious focal point but rather the features in the room should flow harmoniously. If you stand at the doorway, see which features immediately catch your eye and try to clear or move them so that no one thing grabs your attention as you enter the room.
  14. Feng Shui states that the ideal arrangement of desks is in an open ended octagon shape. This is supposed to promote harmony in the classroom. If you don’t have the room to arrange desks like this, then the next best thing is rows facing the same direction, preferably towards the doorway.
  15. Avoid asymmetry, whether it’s notice boards, desks or display units, everything should be in even proportion with no distracting items out of place on their own.
  16. Avoid obstructions – however students desks are arranged, there should be no obstructions that either block their view of the teacher or other students.
  17. If you have windows in your classroom, make a point of opening them for at least a few minutes a day to allow fresh air in and the stagnant air out, you’ll be amazed how much this can revive students.
  18. If you are in an inner classroom with no windows, create a picture window wall with a large mural of an outdoor scene perhaps flanked by lighting to give it the best effect.
  19. Bring nature into the classroom whether it be hardy plants that don’t take too much maintenance, or even bamboo which will grow in its own vase with very little attention.
  20. Wind chimes and crystals in a classroom with no windows can being a natural source of positive energy much like natural sunlight or plants according to Feng Shui

 

Whether you believe Feng Shui’s principle of the balancing of the five elements, there’s no arguing that most of this are good tips for managing the layout and feel of a classroom.

So if you’re thinking of giving your classroom a do-over refurbishment and want some advice on how you can implement some of these tips give us a call for a chat over a cup of ginseng!

Art & Craft Storage Unit

£337.59
This stylish multipurpose art and craft cube has a deep side trough for cumbersome paper rolls. A3 sized shelves for flat paper storage and multiple art shelves. It has four top bays for paints and pens, a deep storage cupboard and as with all our furniture you can choose from a wide variety of colours and finishes - see photograph to see which panels can be coloured.

Cantilever Table With Tray Storage

£94.50
Our Cantilever Table with Tray Storage is a stylish addition to any classroom or teaching environment, encouraging independent learning. Supplied with a single depth Gratnell tray to store books/equipment. Choose from an array of colour combinations. Please note: Minimum order quantity of 4 tables - if you would like to order less than this, please contact us on Tel: 0191 389 1888

Classic Desk Double Pedestal

£459.80
Super sturdy and strong, this is the largest of our classic office desks and has two, three drawer suspended pedestal units slung beneath the large solid-laminate desk surface. It has a rear modesty panel and six variable-depth lockable drawers for ample storage.

Hille SE Classic Chair

£30.73£39.22
The SE chair design is the result of two years research and development at Birmingham City University where seating posture has become a specialism. The SE is a true posture chair: the configuration of the back and seat components is designed to limit backward rotation of the pelvis in both the sitting forward position (active desk work) and sitting back (listening and observing mode). This helps to reduce the effect of opposing forces that act upon the lower spine in the seated position, now known to be the cause of lower back discomfort and pain. The SE provides superior thoracic, lumbar and pelvic support, thus cradling the whole of the back, and this enhances the possibility of higher and more prolonged levels of concentration and effort. Please note: Minimum order quantity of 6 chairs.

Large Circular Table

£138.57
Our Large Circular tables are useful in most communal areas and will endure the most heavy duty use. These premium quality tables have strong welded frames and polished edges. They are available in a variety of colours, finishes and heights to suit the size and age of your pupils. Please note: Minimum order quantity of 4 tables - if you would like to order less than this, please contact us on Tel: 0191 389 1888

Large Trapezoid Shaped Table

£84.02
Our Large trapezoid shaped table is great for small group work due to its angular seating locations and consequent close proximity. When joined with additional trapezoid tables or combined with matching height rectangular tables, your classroom work space shape can be manipulated to suit any evolving needs. All of our tables are available in a variety of colours, finishes and heights to suit the size and age of your pupils. Please note: Minimum order quantity of 4 tables - if you would like to order less than this, please contact us on Tel: 0191 389 1888

Mobile Sloped Display Unit

£227.08£263.98
 Our sloped mobile display units are available in two sizes and comprise of three sloping shelves with acrylic perspex retainers for the display and dispensing of visual material. With two lockable front castors for increased unit stability these flexible mobile units can be sited at the heart of any busy school or library to display information where it is most needed.

Noticeboard Cupboard

£229.90£248.05
Our noticeboard cupboards are of a high quality, made from 18mm dual faced MDF with light grey pinboard back & the door has inlaid 4mm perspex with MDF surround. The door opens & closes with a magnetic catch which is not visible from the outside.  

The FF&E Specialists

Our expertise in the area of FF&E (Furniture Fittings and Equipment) is an integral part of our manufacturing business. We have many years of experience as FF&E contractors working with designers, architects and businesses in many different sectors to provide a tailor made service for refurbishment and new build projects.

We have a good understanding of the many pitfalls and challenges that refurbishment projects can present and our team has experience, creativity and drive to ensure a project is delivered on time and within budget.

We understand how important quality is to our customers – Ambic has built their reputation on manufacturing products that are built to last. We also expect the same standards from our partners and we only deal with like minded suppliers that have the same pride in their manufacturing quality. If we are contracted to provide FF&E for your project and we can’t make it ourselves to the required budget, we’ll source the same quality product from one of our partners.

Our installation service is second-to-none with our experience multi-skilled fitters able to work quickly and efficiently to create your new visually stunning, unique interior with a minimum of fuss and disruption.

Sometime an off-the-peg solution simply can’t be found and if you’re looking for something unique, our bespoke design services offer an innovative solution. We often make the boast that we can manufacture just about anything in our state-of-the-art factory, and if you can describe it, we can create computer aided designs to help visualise a new space complete with your bespoke design.

Our full consultancy, planning and design service has developed over time to encompass all aspects of a project, large and small. We work with many different members of the design and architecture community and we’ve create a reputation for being friendly, reliable and resourceful when it comes to overcoming hurdles in the process.

To find out more about how we can contribute to your next project, pick up the phone and speak to one of our friendly team on 0191 389 1888

Libraries – The Heart of the School

Many consider the school library to be the heart of the school, and it’s easy to see why. A place of learning for students and staff from all departments and year groups, the school library can provide a comfortable, nurturing space in which students can connect, collaborate and learn. Designed with flexibility in mind, the school library can become a central hub of the school community with the right combination of traditional library infrastructure and modern e-learning equipment.

Here’s some areas to consider when thinking about the design concepts of your new library:

Focus

The physical layout of the space and furniture is going to set the scene for the functionality of the library. Initially, decide on the main focus of the area when a student enters.  Do they walk into the library and become engulfed with shelves of books and desks, or are they encouraged to take a journey through various themed areas of the room, offering a mixture of display units containing books and publications, and more modern areas containing the latest technology with different seating options.  Whether the focus is on books or media, choosing the correct furniture will help to set the theme.

Aesthetics

Once you’ve decided on the desired focus, it’s time to select an overall tone for the library.  Dark, heavy wooden furniture will create a different look from bright or neutral colored cushioned chairs and benches.  Ambic offer a wide range of colours and finishes for all their products including library shelving, cupboards, display units, mobile IT units etc. We either match existing colour schemes / styles for smaller installations or create a beautiful unique new look for your refurbished library that will become a source of pride for students and staff alike.

Ergonomics

One of the most critical aspects of your library furniture is the functionality that it offers.  Having furniture that is adaptable to the needs of each individual student is essential and the flexibility of mobile units opens up new opportunities. Learning models are changing, and school libraries can take the lead in this. In many schools, collaborative and project-based learning are popular, as well as peer-to-peer tutoring and one-on-one learning. Classrooms are moving away from a “front of the room” mentality and adapting to students’ learning styles. Libraries need to embrace the same ideas and adapt to reflect the way students prefer to learn. Flexibility is vital and with traditional library furniture often being cumbersome, this makes multiple configurations impossible. Innovative shelving and display units can greatly improve the presentation of reading material drawing the attention of students to the desired area while a variety of different seating styles and areas can complement the function of specific areas within the library.

Infrastructure

Finally, with the evolving nature of libraries into fully fledged media centers, take advantage of your new refurbishment to install ample connectivity points, whether it be multi-outlet power sources, wi-fi or networked connections, integrated charging points and other multimedia display equipment to support your new installation and ensure it provides enough options for the future evolution of the school library.

 

While all these considerations can be a little overwhelming, at Ambic we can offer you our expertise right at the start of the process during the consultation phase of the project. Tell us what you want from your new installation and we’ll come up with some innovative ideas, produce detailed designs and specification and create the look you want using the highest quality materials.

We’re with you all the way from initial concept, design, manufacture and installation and we can also be a one-stop shop for the other non-furniture parts of your installation such as supplying and fitting fire-rated doorsets and ceilings.

So if you want to show a little love to the heart of your school or university, get in touch with the team at Ambic and let us create the learning environment your students and staff deserve.

 

Bookcase-External Corner

£188.55
Our External corner bookcase unit is ideal for connecting bookshelf units from our standard and premier range together. The shelf unit is available in three different widths and heights that make it straightforward to fit different widths of bookcases together to maximise your available book storage space and retain your surface heights. All of our furniture is available in a wide variety of colours and finishes.

Double Sided Mobile Bookcase

£254.10
Double sided Mobile Bookcase with three fixed horizontal shelves on each side. Constructed from 18mm MDF with polished edges. With four twin wheel swivel castors, two of which are lockable.

Low Mobile Kinderbox

£118.58£204.49
Our mobile kinderboxes are the perfect addition to book corners and reading areas. With smooth running lockable castors they are engineered to endure years of heavy duty and are available with four, six and eight book bays. Available as four, six or eight bays.  

Periodical Display Unit

£482.79
Our Periodical Display Unit has four flip-up face sloping shelves to display magazines/periodicals attractively. This large unit also has four internal generous storage shelves hidden behind the flip-up shelves.  
school funding protest march

Multi-Billion Cash Boost for Schools

In August 2019, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged an additional £14 Billion cash boost for schools over the next 3 years.

This will mean an extra £2.6bn of funding for 2020/21, £4.8bn for 2021/22, and £7.1bn for 2022/23.

Ministers say the pledge means every secondary school will receive a minimum of £5,000 per pupil next year, while every primary school will get a minimum of £4,000 from 2021/22.

While this may all be dependent on the outcome of the current Brexit debate in parliament and a potential general election in the very near future, there is growing cross-party support to finally tackle the funding shortfall that schools have had to cope with for a significant number of years.

Schools have become used to having to manage conflicting demands with limited budgets and having to make difficult choices in relation to where they spend their money to maintain their operational effectiveness.

When it comes to purchasing educational furniture some of the budget furniture available on the high street might seem like good value for money at the outset and a cheaper option than some purpose-made school furniture, but it needs to be highly durable to stand up to classroom demands.

If the product hasn’t been manufactured to cope with the stress and high-impact use in the classroom, its life-span may be shorter than furniture purpose-made for classroom use and therefore prove more costly in the long-run.

An investment in a modern purpose equipped classroom, conducive to a healthy and positive learning environment need not be a repeating cost every few years if the purchasing decisions are made with quality, robustness and longevity in mind.

Ambic have always had a very simple message at the core of their manufacturing philosophy – they don’t make cheap, mass-produced furniture. There are numerous manufacturers and suppliers who can offer a wide array of standard classroom furniture, usually off the shelf solutions which can be supplied at short notice. Ambic recognise that for most schools, furniture and classroom fittings represent significant spending from limited funds, and they want many, many years of use from their new furniture and equipment.

Ambic also make all their furniture to order, from the simplest classroom desk right up to full laboratory or canteen installations – this means that customers can request a wide range of variations in size, colour and design to their own individual specification, usually at no extra cost.

So whether you are just looking to replace a few tired looking classroom desks or planning a full refurbishment of existing rooms within your school, consider the benefits of furnishing your school with high quality furniture that’s going to do it’s job for a long, long time – one less thing to worry about in future years of financial uncertainty.

Super Lab – Newcastle University

Newcastle University Medical School recently approached Ambic with a unique challenge. In their Leech Building, they previously had two separate laboratories with a preparation room in between. Due to the need to increase the number of students that could be taught at any one time, they needed a teaching space large enough to cater for up to 200 students at the same time. Also important was the ability to be able to rearrange labortory desks and seating to increase seating capacity, create open spaces, cater for additional temporary IT equipment and any combination of the above. The nature of the various lesson formats meant that students may be required to engage in practical, computer and wet work so the laboratory needed the ability to be able to meet these demands.

In addition , each desk group of workstation would need to be supplied with power and data services, allowing a non-skilled installer or lab techician to be able to connect up the relevant services once the laboratory had been reconfigured.

The laboratory desks have been manufactured from hard wearing solid grade laminate Trespa® TopLab®Base . This is perfect for high moisture environments where frequent cleaning will take place. It also has excellent hard wearing, impact resistance qualities so continues to look good many years down the line.

The desks were made with fixable castors that can be locked in place once the desk is in position. This allows for quick and easy movement and regrouping of the desks depending on the lesson fomat. Similarly, IT solutions were also creacted in the form of a mobile unit with pull out sliding tray for a computer keyboard. These can be moved into place alongside the standard lab desks and are complemented by additional storage in the form of mobile drawer units.

Power and data supply can be added to each desk group no matter the location due wall and ceiling static services modules that can be connected either under the desk or via integrated cable columns.

The ability to divide the room back into separate learning spaces is facilitated by an automatic folding room divider provided by a third party supplier.

Newcastle University can now rightly showcase their place as one of the Russell Group top universities with one of the largest teaching laboratories on campus.

For more information on how Ambic can help with your next laboratory project , give us a call on Tel 0191 389 1888 to arrange a no-obligation free consultation.