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Overview
Leeds College of Building is the only higher education institution in the United Kingdom dedicated specifically to construction and the built environment. When the college commissioned a new campus building, the ambition was to create a modern learning environment that would reflect the institution’s reputation as a leading centre for construction education.
The new building was designed to provide high-quality workshop spaces, teaching areas, and specialist training facilities for students pursuing careers in construction and engineering. As part of this vision, the building needed to deliver excellent internal lighting conditions while maintaining a controlled learning environment suitable for practical training.
Structura was appointed to design and install a façade solution that would introduce natural daylight into the workshop spaces while avoiding visual distractions for students working within the building. The project required a façade system capable of balancing daylight performance, privacy, and architectural expression.
To achieve this, Structura designed and installed a translucent wall façade using the Verti-Kal™ Kalwall system, a specialised daylighting panel system that allows diffused natural light to enter interior spaces without providing direct views to the outside environment.
The completed façade delivers a bright, modern training environment for students while also contributing to the building’s distinctive architectural presence along the street frontage.
Details
Client
Leeds College of Building
Location:
North Street, Leeds
Architect:
Fuse Studios
Main Contractor:
GB Building Solutions Ltd
Grid:
Shoji
Project Metrics
While specific performance metrics for the façade system are not publicly disclosed, the project involved several key elements that contributed to the building’s success. The façade solution provides diffused natural daylight for internal workshop spaces, visual privacy to prevent external distractions, and a durable façade system suitable for educational buildings. Key performance and project metrics include:
Project Type: Educational facility / specialist construction college
Façade System: Verti-Kal™ Kalwall translucent wall
Scope of Works: Design and installation of daylighting façade system
Application: Workshop bays along the street frontage
The Challenge
Designing façades for educational facilities requires careful consideration of how natural light interacts with learning environments. In the case of the Leeds College of Building project, the design team needed to achieve several objectives simultaneously. The building had to deliver high levels of natural daylight to support comfortable working conditions in workshop areas, while also preventing external distractions that could interfere with training activities. Balancing these requirements presented several challenges.
Providing Daylight Without Visual Distraction
Workshop and training environments benefit significantly from natural daylight. Good daylight levels improve visibility, enhance comfort, and contribute to a more pleasant working environment for both students and instructors. However, conventional glazing can introduce visual distractions, particularly in educational settings where students need to focus on practical tasks and demonstrations. College staff raised concerns that large glazed areas could expose students to movement and activity from outside the building, potentially disrupting concentration during training sessions. The façade therefore needed to allow daylight into the building while preventing clear views through the façade.
Supporting Practical Learning Environments
The workshops within the Leeds College of Building campus are used for a variety of practical training activities related to construction trades and technical disciplines. These spaces require lighting conditions that support detailed work, demonstrations, and hands-on training exercises. Artificial lighting alone can struggle to provide the quality of illumination required for large workshop areas. Integrating daylight into the design helps create a more balanced and comfortable environment for practical learning. The façade design therefore needed to maximise daylight penetration into the workshop spaces while maintaining consistent lighting conditions throughout the day.
Creating a Distinctive Architectural Identity
As the UK’s only specialist higher education college focused entirely on construction, the new campus building needed to reflect the institution’s ambition and standing within the industry. The architecture needed to communicate a modern and forward-looking identity while also creating a welcoming environment for students, staff, and visitors. The façade system therefore had to contribute to the building’s visual impact while supporting the functional requirements of the internal learning spaces.
Delivering a Durable Façade System
Educational buildings require façade systems that are durable and capable of performing reliably over long operational lifecycles. Workshop environments in particular can place higher demands on building components due to their intensive use and operational requirements. The façade solution needed to provide long-term structural stability, weather resistance, and consistent daylight performance.
Structura’s Solution
To address the project requirements, Structura designed and installed a translucent façade system using the Verti-Kal™ Kalwall format. Kalwall systems are widely recognised for their ability to deliver high levels of diffused natural light while maintaining privacy and reducing glare. The Verti-Kal™ format was particularly well suited to the Leeds College of Building project because it allows large wall areas to be constructed using translucent panels arranged in vertical configurations. This approach allowed daylight to enter the workshop spaces while preventing direct visual connections to the exterior environment.
Translucent Daylighting Wall Design
The façade solution consisted of a translucent wall installed along the street frontage of the workshop bays. This positioning ensured that natural daylight could penetrate deep into the internal training spaces throughout the day. Unlike traditional glazing systems, Kalwall panels diffuse incoming light across their entire surface.
This creates a soft, even lighting effect that reduces glare and eliminates strong contrasts within interior spaces. The translucent nature of the panels prevents occupants from seeing outside activity, ensuring that students working within the workshops remain focused on their training tasks.
Verti-Kal™ System Integration
The Verti-Kal™ Kalwall system was selected because it provides a structural and visually consistent façade solution for large vertical wall areas. The system allows panels to be installed within a supporting framework that integrates with the building structure while maintaining the performance characteristics of the translucent façade.
Structura designed the wall assembly to ensure that the panels were securely fixed and capable of withstanding external weather conditions while maintaining long-term daylight performance.The installation also required precise coordination with the building structure to ensure proper alignment and sealing of the façade components.
Enhancing Interior Learning Conditions
By using a translucent daylighting façade rather than traditional glazing, the design team was able to create workshop spaces that receive consistent natural light without introducing unwanted visual distractions. The diffused daylight entering through the Kalwall panels spreads evenly across the workshop interiors, improving visibility for practical work and training activities. This daylighting approach helps reduce reliance on artificial lighting during daytime hours while providing a comfortable and well-lit environment for students and instructors.
Façade Installation
Structura managed the installation of the Kalwall translucent wall system as part of the overall façade construction. The installation process involved careful positioning of the panels within the structural framework to ensure the façade performed correctly in terms of daylighting, weather resistance, and durability. Attention to detail during installation was critical to maintaining the integrity of the translucent panels and ensuring the finished façade achieved the desired architectural appearance.
Project Results
The completed Leeds College of Building campus provides a modern educational environment designed to support the next generation of construction professionals. Structura’s translucent façade system plays an important role in achieving this vision by delivering high-quality daylight within the workshop areas while maintaining the functional requirements of the learning environment.
Improved Natural Daylighting
The Verti-Kal™ Kalwall translucent wall allows daylight to enter the workshop spaces in a diffused and controlled manner. This approach provides several benefits, including consistent natural illumination across large workshop areas, reduced glare compared with conventional glazing systems, improved visibility for practical training tasks, and a brighter and more comfortable learning environment. The façade therefore enhances the usability of the training spaces while supporting the building’s overall architectural design.
Focused Learning Environment
One of the key objectives of the façade design was to prevent external distractions from interfering with student training activities. Because the Kalwall panels are translucent rather than transparent, they allow light to enter while blocking direct views of the surrounding street environment. This design solution ensures that students working in the workshops remain focused on their practical tasks and demonstrations.
Architectural Impact
The translucent wall along the street frontage gives the building a distinctive architectural presence. During daylight hours, the façade provides a clean and contemporary appearance that reflects the college’s forward-thinking approach to construction education. At night, the illuminated interior spaces can create a glowing façade effect that further enhances the building’s visual identity within the surrounding urban environment.
Supporting Institutional Growth
The new campus building enables Leeds College of Building to expand the number of courses and qualifications it offers to students. By providing modern workshop facilities and training environments, the building supports the college’s mission to educate and train the next generation of construction professionals. The project demonstrates how thoughtful façade design can contribute both to architectural expression and to the practical functionality of educational buildings.