Ten years after the Christchurch earthquakes, Te Raekura Redcliffs School in Sumner has reopened with a bold and innovative design by Tennent Brown Architects. Reflecting the coastal environment, the playful design response evokes wharfs and boat sheds, coastal cliffs and foreshore.

Alongside these dynamic spatial features is a highly practical interior designed to meet the long-term maintenance and durability requirements of a busy primary school.

The architects specified Seratone Specialty wall lining in areas where water resistance and hygienic surfaces were key — namely, the staff kitchen walls, as well as splashbacks for classroom art and cooking sinks throughout the school.

Seratone’s high-gloss, light-reflective surface makes it incredibly easy to clean following food splashes or creative play. With any build-up easily removed with a soft cloth and a domestic-style cleaner, surfaces retain their looks and integrity over the long term.

The collection features a wide range of colour choices in a palette specifically designed to complement other contemporary materials.

Rather than use primary colour accents common in schools, "we have let students provide the bright colours in their clothing and artwork, not the design," says project architect Brenda Solon. "With a more neutral approach colour, the soft grey of Seratone Creaming Soda provides the subtle backdrop we were after for teaching and learning spaces."

Made in New Zealand for over 50 years, Seratone was specially designed for the humid conditions and cooking residue of commercial kitchens. It features a 100% UV-cured painted surface which is scratch-resistant and non-porous, making Seratone a benchmark product for high-use environments such as kitchens, commercial laundries and bathrooms.

Seratone’s highly engineered coating contains a bio silver additive — silver is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial that prevents bacteria from growing, producing energy or replicating. Being inorganic and non-leaching, silver is an ideal antimicrobial alternative; as long as the surface is kept clean, these particles continue acting for the lifetime of the product.

Because of its durability and antimicrobial surface, Seratone exceeds requirements around hygiene in wet areas. Manufactured in larger sheets (2700 mm high), it comes in a wide décor range, with both aluminium and silicone jointing options for finishing.

In the staff kitchen and the art sinks throughout Redcliffs School, Seratone has been paired with Melteca Planked Urban Oak cabinetry, an Environmental Choice panel designed for value and durability, key benefits for any education environment.