Well-contact Plus sits at the teacher's desk
Opened in late 2011, the International School of Bergamo represents an innovative and forward-looking interpretation of teaching.
This is not in fact a typical English school, but a school in English, where the dialogue between students and native English-speaking teachers with professional qualifications, forms the basis for the development of cognitive abilities. Here students talk, play and learn in English, while also teaching the Italian language as a specific subject to native speaking students. All of which in conformance with the IB educational program (International Baccalaureate), created specifically for internationally orientated schools. It is a scholastic program that covers the entire educational cycle, from the early years of kindergarten to the last years of high school.
And further to the teaching, the International School of Bergamo believes in representing a standard of excellence, even with respect to the spaces dedicated to the students. The structure that houses the school was initially an office complex subsequently subject to a well thought out renovation designed by the Traversi+Traversi Architecture studio of Bergamo, particularly by Architect Pippo Traversi. It is he who explains that this building was chosen primarily for the layout of the rooms that were very suitable for educational purposes.
Dating back to the late fifties and featuring a style typical of the late rationalist period – with external walls in brick masonry and a flat roof – the interior of the building consists of a triple structure divided by a double row of columns, giving rise to long corridors from which the classrooms are accessed. Large, airy windows also allow abundant sunlight to enter.
The renovation project therefore had the objective of readjusting the rooms to the new activities that would take place, bestowing these – through careful attention to colours, new flooring and windows and a specially designed lighting system – with a fresh, relaxed and pleasant look.
All qualities highlighted by Plana, the Vimar home series chosen to ensure local control of lights and temperature. With its current design, elegant looks and refined detail, Plana fits naturally into these spaces by efficiently managing and distributing energy without waste, thanks to intelligent technology and intuitive controls. Framing the thermostats and home automation commands are the polymer Reflex model plaques in the colour, snow white, offering the versatility to combine with all the colours and materials that make up the furnishings.
But what makes this school a truly state of the art facility, in addition to the innovative teaching methods, is the fact that it has installed the Vimar Well-contact Plus system for the complete management of the complex.
It is an automation system which also manages lights and temperature via computer, offering functionality and comfort in each environment. Various functions are in fact controlled from a single station. Thus the temperature as well as the lighting in every classroom is always under control and the students are provided with a comfortable environment every day, regardless of the outside temperature.
Comfort ensured by a flexible system that can grow over time by adding new devices at any time which can communicate with each other, even integrating the products and systems of other companies also adhering to the international KNX standard.
And comfort can also be combined with energy savings. KNX technology in fact allows intelligent management with maximum efficiency throughout the building, providing a complete synergy between the various devices installed in the structure. Wastage that can occur in traditional systems, such as when heating and lighting remain active in unused classrooms, is thus avoided. With Well-contact Plus, the simple and intuitive graphical user interfaces allows staff, in addition to being able to monitor the status of all the system devices from a single location, to program these in advance and automatically control which remain functional and which do not at a given time.
Finally, to ensure maximum safety for pupils and teachers, the electrical system was completed with the Vimar E-way emergency lighting system, activated automatically in the event of a blackout.
These high performance devices fully comply with European directives regarding lighting systems in the service industry and working environments in general. The E-way range in fact covers the majority of installation regulations and features highly reliable electronics, for a compact and solid system that is also stylish and versatile.
The result of all these measures is a modern and advanced school where, besides with the Well-contact Plus automation system, all classrooms have interactive whiteboards allowing multimedia content to make learning more dynamic. Two equally innovative ways to develop awareness of the intelligent use of technology from an early age.
CREDITS
Home series: Plana
Building Automation System: Well-contact Plus
Electrical system design: Engineer Alessandro Gelain, Treviolo (BG)
System installation: Gabriele Belotti Impianti elettrici, Bergamo
Architect: Pippo Traversi, Bergamo
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