Quadrangles have been a model used by educational establishments for over six hundred years; the first of these was New College, Oxford, in 1403. The Savile Road site of New College is now undergoing an ambitious £45m redevelopment fit for academics of the modern day.
The re-imagined Gradel quadrangles have been designed to house undergraduates in high-quality accommodation for the duration of their course. It will offer 108 student beds across 3-storeys, with a state-of-the-art common room, a multi-purpose performance venue, plus school dining and kitchen facilities. The quad will also house facilities for the New College Boys preparatory school.
The Swanmac team has been instructed by lead contractor Sir Robert McAlpine to install over 200 fully-enclosed blackout blinds with powder-coated hardware to match the gold-coloured window frames. When in use, this product will ensure that daylight is completely removed thanks to side guides that hold the blinds in place to prevent light seepage, whilst appearing invisible when not in use thanks to the blind box in which they sit, which has been powder-coated to match the window frames.
