Aesthetics In Building For Education – Choosing The Right Modular Building

As we’ve explored in a previous blog post, modular buildings have a vital role in the expansion and development of UK schools, providing a quick, efficient and cost effective way of increasing capacity.

However, despite their widespread use, some people still have negative feelings about the appearance of modular buildings, and worry about how they affect the overall look and feel of a school or university campus, and the learning environment.

In this post, we look at aesthetics in modular building, and the steps you can take when choosing a modular building to ensure that it looks attractive, matches the rest of your facilities and has a positive effect on the learning environment.

Colour matching

The first step to ensure that your modular buildings look attractive and fit in with the rest of your campus is to make sure they are the right colour. 

Whilst traditionally, modular buildings were mostly grey, today’s structures are available in a wide range of colours to suit any campus, so you can either for a scheme that complements or matches your existing structures.

Some schools and colleges are even experimenting with colour coding their modular buildings to denote the nature of the building, creating a contemporary, intuitive environment that’s designed to improve both aesthetics and usability.

If you are investing in a used modular building, don’t worry about the existing colour – it can easily be repainted to ensure it fits in with your scheme.

Difference in design

One of the biggest criticisms we hear about the aesthetics of traditional modular buildings is the shape and style. Essentially, traditional modular building design hasn’t changed much over the past 30 years – they are functional, box like structures that sit on top of foundation pads. 

Whilst perfectly serviceable and usable, it can be difficult to create a modern, contemporary and attractive school campus using traditional modular buildings. There are some steps you can take to improve their outward appearance of your building, like covering up foundation pads or painting, but there is only so much you can do.

Thankfully, there are attractive, contemporary modular buildings available that look and feel more like high quality, permanent structures, such as the Clearview, which is designed to fit in with and complement existing educational buildings.

A positive environment

One of the best ways to ensure that a modular building provides a positive learning environment is to ensure that it lets in enough light. 

Unfortunately, the standard modular building designs that are currently in use across the majority of UK schools are fitted with fairly small windows, which can mean that they don’t feel particularly welcoming inside.

To improve natural light and create a more welcoming, nurturing environment, then make sure you invest in modular buildings with larger feature windows, and consider replacing existing windows with larger units wherever possible.

The Clearview

If you’re looking for a cost-effective modular building that delivers superior aesthetics and is purpose built for education, then the Clearview Modular Building provides an excellent solution.

Designed to look more attractive and contemporary than standard modular buildings, it features modern, cut-away styling and large feature windows that maximise natural light. 

Available in a wide range of colours to suit any education campus, the Clearview Woodland also includes an attractive timber clad finish, which gives it an air of permanence not usually associated with modular buildings. 

Built to meet all relevant building regulations, the Clearview can be configured to meet a full range of school, college and university requirements, from classrooms, changing rooms and staff rooms, to toilet blocks, IT suites and Art rooms.