The Client
City of Glasgow College is one of Scotland’s largest Colleges. Its stunning Riverside Campus, delivered phase one of a £228 million super campus development in Glasgow on time and within budget in August 2015. The main building is an eight storey ultra-modern construction, providing dramatic views across the city, and features an attractive, light and airy atrium. Riverside Campus includes classrooms and workshops equipped with the latest technology, as well as a pioneering Marine Skills Centre. It is home to some 2000 marine and engineering students, and 250 staff. The Campus also has an 11 storey student accommodation block and landscaped recreation areas.
Built by main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine and designed by Michael Laird and Reiach and Hall Architects, it has been the subject of a 2015 Design Award in Education and recently nominated in the Scottish Property Awards. Phase 2 of the project, a second City Campus, is due for completion in August 2016, with the final phase scheduled for 2017.
The Project
Riverside’s main Atrium Reception entrance is a busy area, given the volume of students, staff and other visitors passing through the doors on a daily basis. The design of the entrance area takes this footfall into consideration, including the specification of the entrance matting. A slightly smaller side entrance also required entrance matting. Both entrance areas feature circular revolving door systems, which was a factor in the entrance matting specification process.
Plan.a aluminium entrance matting manufactured by COBA Flooring was specified, in view of the product’s credentials for durability and of course, its aesthetic appeal. Plan.a entrance matting was made to order and the College chose to have its ‘City of Glasgow College’ logo incorporated into the design, taking advantage of COBA’s ability to integrate an inlaid custom printed Logomat.
COBA Flooring custom-manufactured the matting to accommodate the primary and secondary entrance zones; the primary element featuring the circular revolving door system, liaising with Sir Robert McAlpine and the flooring installation company, Veitchi Flooring to ensure ‘it was right first time’. Matting for the main entrance spanned some 10.7m wide x 2.7m deep and 7m wide x 3.2m deep.