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Location Newcastle, United Kingdom
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Design FaulknerBrowns Architects
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Material HI-MACS®
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Fabrication Multi-Surface Fabrications Ltd
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Photo Credit John Watson and Cadzow Pelosi
The highly durable and extremely versatile solid surface material HI-MACS® has been used extensively in the high profile refurbishment of the five storey Students Union in a listed building on the 180 year old Newcastle University campus.
The contract was awarded to leading architects FaulknerBrowns Architects who worked closely on the specification and design with Newcastle University project chief and executive of the students union Simon Gerry. His brief was for a material that would be highly durable and stand up to heavy use over a number of years. He was also looking for a material that would not wear, look tired or deteriorate in terms of appearance or performance. Both wood and decorative laminates were rejected and FaulknerBrowns then put forwards HI-MACS® based on their own experience with the product.
HI-MACS® is a natural stone acrylic which is easily machined, thermoformed to any 3D shape and can be joined without any visual seams. It is non-porous and impervious to moisture, colour fast and very easy to clean and maintain making it totally hygienic. It met all the criteria for the specification at the student union, which called for a modern and contemporary material that would endure round the clock use in social, working and IT environments, which included clubs and designer bars.
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