Maidstone Grammar School

Project info

Name:
AirMaster - SMV

Consultant: Hamson Barron Smith (HBS)

Meeting the BB101 challenge for school laboratories

A school to remember

Founded in 1549, Maidstone Grammar School (MGS) has seen its fair share of history. Once an all-boys school exclusively teaching Latin Grammar to its 25 pupils, its evolution could not be more pronounced. Today, MGS is a bustling academic centre for its 1,273 pupils and teaches much more than Latin Grammar.

Notably, the school makes a point to highlight their extensive history. Several research projects and records can be found across the internet detailing their past. They document tales of a resilient school surviving two World Wars involving several near misses from air raids, students digging trenches and constructing tank traps on school grounds. Today, however, the students of MGS are faced with a far more subtle killer.

Secret killer

In 2016, it was announced that Maidstone, in Kent, had some of the most dangerous levels of air pollution in the whole country, with levels equal to that of central London. This revelation comes with several worries for the population of the town, including the pupils of MGS.

Air pollution is a growing health concern and is known to have serious long-term health implications, with The World Health Organisation estimating that air pollution kills seven million people worldwide every year.

Masters in Coanda. Masters in good classroom ventilation.

The SAV solution

With this background, it was paramount to provide the best possible learning environment within the 2018 Science Block. The mechanical consultants, Hamson Barron Smith (HBS) of Haywards Heath, specified AirMaster mechanical ventilation units with heat recovery. To meet the demanding requirements of BB101, two units were installed in each of the four laboratories and one in each of the two computer labs and single training room.

Installing AirMaster units ensures that while the laboratory airborne chemicals are efficiently extracted, much of the harmful air pollution from outside is also filtered out before it enters the room. The effective filtration integrated into the AirMasters provides a safeguarded environment for the students, free of pollutants.

The best learning environment

Replacing indoor air every 10 minutes and passing it through a heat exchanger, the AirMaster achieves two things: outstanding air quality and superior thermal comfort.

Thanks to the Coanda effect, the classroom can be a draught free, safe and optimised learning space fulfilling BB101 regulations. AirMaster ensures the best air quality for our children’s education.