West Inverclyde Academy

Seventy Charter-Integr8 shutters were installed at Inverclyde Academy, Scotland, to establish a safe and secure environment for both pupils and teachers. The new 1,100 pupil secondary school is part of a £29 million scheme in an area of mass regeneration, where crime and vandalism have traditionally been a concern. The school design has a strong sustainable agenda, especially with regard to natural daylight and ventilation. Protecting the glazing was key and leading manufacturer and supplier Charter, installed shutters to the ground floor windows in the teaching wings and the first floor auditorium glazing to help deter vandalism. These were positioned on the elevation nearest to the school boundary, which was deemed most at risk.

“There were a number of challenging details that Charter helped us with,” comments the leading architects, “including access, size of shutters and co-ordination with the cladding. While the prime function of the shutters was security, they couldn’t detract from the building design; they had to enhance it. We chose the colours for this project (Vibrant Yellow, Bright Red and Auburn) after early consultation with the pupils who wanted “anything but grey.”