Portable Classroom Site Visit- Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College

Newer style portable:


















The classroom had perforated ceiling panels, to help with the acoustics in the space, and pin board walls to display work.









Storage space for teachers and students









Sliding and louvered windows on either side of the room for cross ventilation

Older style portables:


















Again, has perforated metal ceiling panels









Different types of roofs, the pitched roof being the oldest style, and flat the newer style




























Joints of the portable evident behind the blackboard

From the site visit it was evident that the following factors need to be addressed in the classroom design:
-Windows- need to be openable, have blinds or other shading devices such as wide eaves, consider tinting on west side to reduce summer heat, don’t clutter with displayed work as this blocks natural light
-Orientation- consider location of windows and direction of the sun, ie glare. Orientation is often overlooked in schools as portables are simply placed where there is room available, and are packed in tightly, thus not letting in as much light through the windows
-Acoustics- materials need to be chosen that limit echo etc
-Storage- enough cupboards and shelves for books and so on, as well as completed work, possibly lockable
-Display system- have a large pin board for work to be put up on, rather than window display
-White/blackboards- multiple boards, so possible to have a few sets of notes up at a time
-Daylight- school takes place during the day when there is plenty of light available, so having many windows is key to taking advantage of this, thus less need for generation of artificial lighting
Natural ventilation- windows/door that can be opened at various places around the room will create good cross flow ventilation, without the use of air conditioning
-Services and fixtures- need to be better incorporated into the design, not added on the outside later. This will also help with the aesthetics of the classroom.
-Passive heating and cooling- use of systems of this type will reduce the need for electricity, and thus lower costs over the buildings lifetime.