The brief
Downe House School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been developed with support from Downe House School in Berkshire, U.K, as well as backing from the British Embassy Riyadh, the British Department for International Trade, and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. The new school is part of Saudi Arabia’s desire to modernise its educational provisions and provide more opportunities and is a key pillar of ‘Saudi Vision 2030’, an initiative that strives to build an ambitious and thriving nation.
The Aqeeq International Academy also forms part of the school and is co-educational from ages 3 (Nursery) to 9 (Year 4). From Year 5 the school is solely for girls aged 3-18 years and follows the British curriculum. Its aim is to inspire and challenge its students in to achieving the best that they can by providing high quality pastoral care, subject specialist teachers, and a broad selection of co-curricular activities.
Our solution
To meet these expectations, the furniture chosen had to be high quality and practical, while adhering aesthetically to the surroundings. To this end, a wide range of KI products were chosen by project’s furniture dealer, Advanced Project Supplies.
In the main reception, a selection of KI’s Sway gyroscopic chairs, MyPlace bench seating, and Athens tables, provide different seating arrangements for both guests and students.
KI’s Maestro high density stacking chair was also widely used through the school, mostly within the more casual settings such as the cafeterias, and multipurpose hall. This chair provides a seating solution that is both durable and comfortable, while being light, easy to clean, and stackable (up to 38 when using the special Maestro dolly).
In the classrooms, different seating has been provided throughout. The Intellect Wave collection was used in multiple locations, including the reverse cantilever frame chairs which are accompanied by a Ruckus activity table or post-leg desk. Intellect Wave seat shells were also selected with KI’s innovative Learn2 chair base, which features the new moulded polypropylene storage tray with built-in cupholder.
Other classrooms have been wholly kitted out with items from the Ruckus classroom collection. This includes Ruckus stools, each with its own bookrack integrated into the frame, and accompanied by a Ruckus cantilever desk. A separate Ruckus task chair and mobile height-adjustable lectern have been provided for the teacher.
A Connection Zone screen is also present in each classroom for an agile alternative to a traditional whiteboard.
In the breakout spaces and lounges in the school, more KI furniture was incorporated including upholstered Strive chairs, Soltice Metal tables, Tea Cup sofas and armchairs, and more Sway and MyPlace lounge seating.
Elsewhere in the region, Downe House School has selected KI’s Postura+ chairs in a variety of sizes. In their new Muscat, Oman campus, the iconic one-piece stacking chair can be found throughout the school in classrooms, the PREP library, Special Educational Needs (SEN) rooms, and music and media classrooms.
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