With vertical school design becoming more common, educational barriers can provide the necessary safety to prevent falls from height.
It might be surprising to learn that safety barriers can also be designed to enhance learning, facilitate a sense of community within a building and improve wellbeing.
Barrier design for improved outcomes
We use Jakob stainless steel Webnet mesh or vertical cables when designing and installing multi-storey educational barriers.
These materials can be stretched out over the entire length of the installation, and they allow for greater use of upper spaces to the edge of the void.
These safety barriers deliver a number of benefits in educational settings:
- Studies show higher levels of natural daylight in a school building tend to improve outcomes. Transparent barriers made from stainless steel mesh or cables help to facilitate this by allowing natural light to come into the building.
- Transparent barriers keep internal spaces open, unlike heavy barriers that are close-off spaces from each other. This type of open-air design can encourage collaboration between students and teachers using those spaces, potentially enhancing the learning process. The higher level of connection and communication encouraged by this type of design may also have positive benefits for relationships and wellbeing.
- Transparent barriers allow for views from height. This in turn helps to create a more pleasing environment for learning, which may enhance the wellbeing of students and staff.
Glass has often been used for atrium barriers due to its transparency. However, unlike Webnet mesh, glass is heavy, lacking in flexibility and is difficult to make full length.
Webnet is low-maintenance, fire-safe and comparatively quick to install. This combination of features helps create greater cost-effectiveness, safety and efficiency.
Here are some examples of educational barriers we have designed and installed.
Educational barriers at Chatswood Public School
We designed and installed several Webnet mesh barriers for Chatswood Public School. This included barriers on the balconies, walkways, rooftop sports courts and other outside spaces.
The barriers meet all the required safety codes, including for crowd loads where necessary. At the same time, they facilitate open-air design and connectivity.
Sustainability and energy efficiency were key features of the school’s redevelopment. With Webnet being made from around 70% recycled content in facilities that run on renewable energy, the material was a very good match for the project.
Inner Sydney High School high-rise barriers
This school required Webnet barriers for a ground level and rooftop basketball court, and for the outdoor terraces over seven levels.
The mesh has a C5 crowd rating and meets all safety standards for robust fall protection. It simultaneously allows for views over the city – making the terraces open and attractive as well as safe.
Atrium barriers at the Melbourne Music Conservatorium
The indoor atrium at the Conservatorium has a stainless steel vertical cable barrier that stretches over all three levels.
One of the key aims of the building’s redesign was to encourage community and to make the building more accessible and visible to people outside of it.
We think the pared-back and light aesthetic of the cables helps to facilitate these aims – while also being pretty nice to look at!
Contact us about educational barriers
Stainless steel Webnet and cables can make ideal materials for educational barriers in schools and universities. Call us to discuss your project or to find out more.
