Curtain walling, windows and doors from leading architectural aluminium systems supplier Kawneer feature on a mixed-use development designed as an inspiring £71 million gateway to Hastings for business visitors, tourists and residents alike. At the centre of the Station Plaza scheme (www.kawneer.co.uk/pr/hc) is a Kawneer-clad new £65million sixth form and further education college – the result of a fundamental review of post-16 education by the Learning and Skills Council. But the scheme also includes a primary care health centre and more than 100 new, mixed-tenure homes. Kawneer’s AA®100 and AA®100 SSG (structurally silicone glazed) curtain walling, with 50mm sightlines, was designed, fabricated and installed by approved sub-contractor Leay on the ground floor and upper five storeys of the college building. This is one of four BREEAM “Excellent” buildings linked by a large, light-filled glazed atrium. The Kawneer curtain walling was complemented by AA®603 tilt slide windows on linear and convex elements of the building, AA®605 low/medium-duty swing doors and series 190 heavy-duty commercial entrance doors. Part of the Millennium Community Programme, the Station Plaza scheme has brought thousands of students into the town centre. It was built next to the re-opened railway station on an old goods yard bought by Sea Space, the economic development company for Hastings and Bexhill. The Station Plaza campus of Sussex Coast College Hastings features 22,000²m of IT suites, dining venues, performing arts and dance studios, art exhibition spaces, a training kitchen, audio-visual media facilities, professional hair salon, artists’ studios, gym and coffee shop. Students have 24/7 access to lessons and learning resources from home via wiki, podcasts and teacher/student blog
