City of Westminster College - LONDON
City of Westminster College opened the doors of its new landmark £102m Paddington Green Campus to students in January. The project was one of the lucky few that successfully secured - and then actually received - capital grants from the ill-fated Learning and Skills Council (LSC), once described as Britain’s largest Quango. When the LSC was abolished 2 years ago this month, many colleges around the country were left high and dry, in limbo and in the red after development schemes were cancelled.
It was a RIBA-backed competition that originally led to award winning Danish Architects Schmidt Hammer Lassen being appointed to design the new Campus. McLaren Construction delivered the project and they selected Howe Green access covers for reliable access to concealed services under the floor and in wall cavities all around the new Campus.
Our 5000 Series aluminium covers and frames were installed throughout the ground floor and in the spacious reception area by specialist flooring contractor WB Simpsons and Sons. Unobtrusive by design, the 5000 Series covers sit beautifully flush with a Riven Slate tile chosen to complement the bare concrete finish of the interior of the striking atrium at the heart of the 7-storey building.
Specifically chosen because they are highly durable, tamper resistant and double sealed for extra protection and hygiene, our 5000 series covers are ideal for areas with high pedestrian traffic whilst the 7500 series covers also installed on site can withstand up to a 5-tonne pneumatic tyre wheel load from cars and light delivery vehicles.
On the upper floors of the new Campus, over 100 Visedge floor access covers are fitted in the specialist science labs. Howe Green developed the Visedge Series specifically for flexible flooring and it ticks all the boxes for demanding environments like laboratories, hospitals and surgeries as our unique double seal construction forms the most positive seal to drainage, electrical and other ducts.
Now the dust and the students have settled in, the College has opened its doors to the public so that everyone can view this exceptional facility – there’s even a public café on the ground floor. Who knows? Perhaps Education Minister Michael Gove and his team will make the short trip from Westminster and see for themselves that this historic London College is a shining beacon for the future of building in education.
Find out more about Howe Green 5000 series Light Duty Floor access covers >
City of Westminster College can trace its history back to 1903 when the Paddington Technical Institute opened for business. It was the first facility of its kind teaching Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Building, Domestic Economy and Dressmaking to the young people and adults of West London. Today, the College provides one of the country’s most advanced environments for further and higher education teaching and learning, with state of the art facilities.
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LIGHT duty floor access covers

- Hard floor finishes
- Pedestrian loading
Floor access cover skate

Suitable for use with all Howe Green floor access covers
Simple, convenient and extremely portable,the Howe Green access cover skate allows one person to move even the heaviest of covers on their own – safely, quickly and easily.