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Featherstone-High-School-Full-Building-scaled
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Featherstone-High-School-Full-building-Angle-scaled
Overview
Featherstone High School underwent a major redevelopment to transform an ageing 1960s concrete school building into a modern learning environment with significantly improved daylighting and thermal performance.
Educational buildings constructed in the mid-20th century were often designed with large curtain wall glazing systems that provided daylight but delivered poor energy performance by modern standards. Over time these façades can create uncomfortable indoor conditions, including heat gain, glare, and inconsistent temperatures throughout the year.
The redevelopment of Featherstone High School aimed to upgrade the building envelope while improving the internal classroom environment for students and teachers. Structura was appointed to design and deliver a new façade system that would enhance natural daylight, eliminate glare and overheating, and significantly improve thermal efficiency.
The project replaced the existing single-glazed curtain wall system with a modern Kalwall translucent façade system, transforming the building’s performance while maintaining the architectural simplicity of the original structure.
The result is a contemporary learning environment where classrooms benefit from evenly distributed natural daylight, improved thermal insulation, and comfortable year-round conditions for students and staff.
Details
Client:
Ealing Borough Council
Location:
Southall, London
Architect:
DSP Architecture
Main Contractor:
Borras Construction Ltd
Grid:
Shoj
Project Metrics
Project Type: Educational building façade retrofit
Original Façade: 1960s single-glazed curtain wall system
New Façade System: Kalwall translucent façade
Performance Improvements
- Thermal performance improved to U-value of 0.56 W/m²K
- Classrooms receive evenly diffused natural daylight
- No solar heat gain within teaching spaces
- No glare or hot spots, eliminating the need for blinds
The Challenge
The original building at Featherstone High School was constructed during the 1960s, when façade systems commonly relied on single glazing and minimal insulation. While these systems allowed daylight into the building, they were not designed to meet modern expectations for energy efficiency or environmental comfort. As a result, several challenges needed to be addressed during the redevelopment.
Ageing Single-Glazed Curtain Wall System
The existing façade consisted of a 1960s single-glazed curtain wall system that had reached the end of its performance life. Single glazing provides very limited insulation and can create several issues within educational environments including significant heat loss during colder months, solar heat gain during warmer periods, poor thermal comfort for occupants, and high energy consumption for heating and cooling. These performance limitations made the façade a priority for renovation.
Poor Daylighting Conditions
Although the original curtain wall allowed daylight into the classrooms, it did not provide consistent lighting conditions. Traditional glazing systems can produce glare from direct sunlight, uneven daylight distribution, bright hot spots near windows, and dark areas deeper within classrooms. These conditions can make classrooms uncomfortable and distracting for students trying to focus. Improving daylight quality was therefore a key design objective for the project.
Overheating and Glare
One of the most common problems with older glazing systems is solar heat gain. Direct sunlight passing through clear glazing can quickly cause internal temperatures to rise, particularly in classrooms with large glazed façades. This overheating often leads to the installation of blinds or shading devices, which then block natural daylight and reduce the benefits of the glazed façade. The redevelopment needed a façade solution that would allow natural daylight into the building without causing glare or excessive heat gain.
Improving Energy Efficiency
Modern educational buildings are expected to meet much higher standards of energy performance compared with buildings constructed in the 1960s. Improving the thermal performance of the building envelope was therefore a key requirement of the project. The new façade needed to deliver significantly better insulation performance while maintaining daylight access for classrooms.
Structura’s Solution
To address the challenges of the existing façade, Structura designed and delivered a Kalwall translucent façade system to replace the original single-glazed curtain wall. Kalwall systems are widely used in educational buildings because they provide a unique combination of thermal performance and high-quality daylight diffusion.
Kalwall Translucent Façade System
The selected solution involved installing a translucent Kalwall façade across the renovated classroom elevations. Unlike traditional glazing, Kalwall panels diffuse incoming daylight across their entire surface. This means that sunlight entering the building is evenly distributed rather than passing directly through as harsh beams of light.
This approach provides several advantages including consistent daylight across the classroom, reduced glare, elimination of bright hotspots, and improved visual comfort for students and teachers. By using a translucent façade system rather than clear glazing, the project was able to significantly improve internal daylight conditions.
Improving Classroom Daylight Quality
The new façade allows natural light to enter the building in a soft, diffuse form rather than direct sunlight. This ensures that classrooms benefit from evenly distributed natural daylight, reduced visual contrast between bright and dark areas and a more comfortable learning environment.
Diffuse daylight is widely recognised as one of the most effective forms of natural lighting for educational settings, helping reduce eye strain while improving concentration and comfort. The installation ensures that each classroom receives natural daylight throughout the day without the negative effects commonly associated with traditional glazing systems.
Eliminating Solar Heat Gain and Glare
One of the major advantages of the Kalwall façade system is its ability to control solar heat gain while still allowing natural light to pass through the panels. The translucent panels diffuse sunlight so that it does not create concentrated heat inside the building.
As a result classrooms no longer experience overheating caused by direct solar exposure, internal temperatures remain more stable throughout the year, and the need for shading blinds is eliminated. Removing blinds also ensures that natural daylight can be used consistently, further improving the classroom environment.
Integration with the Existing Building Structure
The redevelopment involved installing the new façade within the framework of the existing building structure. Careful design and installation ensured that the Kalwall panels integrated seamlessly with the building while delivering improved performance compared with the original curtain wall system. The upgraded façade retains the building’s architectural simplicity while delivering modern performance standards.
Project Results
The installation of the new Kalwall façade has transformed both the performance of the building envelope and the internal classroom environment. The redevelopment demonstrates how façade engineering can dramatically improve educational spaces while extending the life of existing buildings.
Significantly Improved Thermal Performance
One of the most important outcomes of the project was the improvement in thermal insulation provided by the new façade. The upgraded wall system now delivers a U-value of 0.56 W/m²K, representing a major improvement over the original single-glazed curtain wall system. This improved thermal performance helps reduce heat loss during colder months, improve energy efficiency, and maintain more stable internal temperatures. These improvements contribute to a more comfortable indoor environment for students and teachers while helping reduce energy consumption across the building.
Consistent Natural Daylight in Every Classroom
The new façade ensures that every classroom now benefits from high-quality natural daylight. The Kalwall system diffuses incoming sunlight so that it spreads evenly throughout the room, creating a bright but comfortable learning environment. Students and teachers now benefit from evenly distributed natural light, reduced glare from direct sunlight and a consistent lighting environment throughout the school day. Natural daylight has been shown to improve concentration, mood, and productivity in educational environments, making it an important factor in classroom design.
Elimination of Solar Heat Gain & Glare
The façade system successfully eliminates the overheating and glare that previously affected the classrooms. Because the translucent panels diffuse sunlight rather than allowing direct solar penetration, classrooms experience no glare, no solar hot spots, and no excessive heat gain. As a result, the building no longer requires shading blinds to control sunlight. This ensures that natural daylight remains available at all times while maintaining comfortable internal temperatures.
A Modern Learning Environment
The redevelopment has successfully transformed the ageing 1960s building into a modern educational environment that supports both student comfort and energy efficiency. By combining improved thermal insulation with high-quality natural daylight, the new façade creates classrooms that remain comfortable throughout the year. The project demonstrates how thoughtful façade design can revitalise older buildings and significantly improve the environments in which students learn.