Range of Activities
The programme of study for art will require pupils to undertake a variety of practical activities and to do so individually, in groups and as a whole class. These will include work in two and three dimensions. In addition pupils will be required to consider and reflect upon the work of other artists. Teachers will use the studio to make presentations, manage tools, materials and resources and to create a stimulating learning environment. The timetable will provide for a succession of pupils using the room in double periods. This creates problems of storage for wet and drying work in both two and three dimensions. In addition 6th form students may wish to have access to the studio to pursue their individual work programme outside their allocated lesson time. In some schools space may be allocated solely for the use of the 6th form.

The design of art studios will, therefore, have to take account of the following principles:

FLEXIBILITY of usage: allowing for a variety of different activities in the course of a day.

EFFICIENCY of storage: allowing for work, tools and equipment to be stored easily and with appropriate access.

QUALITY of visual environment: providing an environment which is visually stimulating itself and/or which provides maximum opportunity for the display of work and artefacts to their best advantage.

All spaces devoted to the teaching of Art and Design should be flexible enough to allow for future curriculum development and staff changes which will bring new skills. In general, rooms should not become so specialist that they cannot accommodate other art activities from time to time. Ceramics should be provided for as a specialist area within the department by providing further facilities as indicated below.

Work spaces should be flexible enough to allow for traditional arrangements of working tables for large and small groups but also should be capable of providing free floor space for large pieces of work and spaces to set up still life groups.

Whenever possible Art Departments should be sited on the ground floor so that heavy and bulky equipment can be easily installed and so that materials, such as clay can be easily delivered to the work site. Double doors are essential for access. Sliding/folding screens are required between teaching spaces to provide on occasions enlarged facilities for exhibiting exam work or to create space for presentations to larger groups of pupils. These must be of good acoustic qualities and be faced with pinboard to display work.

Access to Art Departments should be wide and provide a small (attractive) gallery space for the display of two dimensional work and where possible cabinets should be provided for display of three dimensional items. Spot lighting should be provided to enhance these display spaces. Consideration should be given to the provision of a clean study/resource area and an office space situated strategically within the department.

Where possible Wall space not taken up by windows is valuable display space and should be covered from floor to ceiling or bench to ceiling with pinboard. Wall shelving should be of the spur type so that it is flexible and adjustable. Vertical supports should be fitted flush with pinboard so that flat surfaces are preserved for display surfaces.

Floors should have non-slip washable vinyl covering e.g. Altro.

Lighting is of great importance. Where possible light should enter predominately from one side of the room rather than be equally distributed. Consideration should also be given to some natural lighting from roof areas. Natural light should be controlled by blinds to provide both light diffusion and dim out. Track mounted spot lighting (quartz halogen) should be provided in each studio to illuminate the best display spaces and for still life groups. Fluorescent strips should be daylight corrected and ideally operated by one switch for each tube.

General art studios should have full dim-out capabilities. Studios should also have a screen/white board. Where wall space is limited the white board can have shutters in front which support pin boarding for further display.

In the studio wall benches should be provided along most walls. These should be 850mm high and 700mm deep. The surface should be a wash down formica in a neutral colour. Under the wall bench should be free standing units to provide a mixture of lockable cupboards which contain either shelves, A1 type plan chests or racks of removal plastic trays. These units may be used as free standing cupboards as well as for use under the wall benching. There should also be some open shelving divided vertically for drawing boards and folio storage up to A1 size.

Store rooms should be provided which occupy 10% of the work space. These should include racks of shelving from floor to ceiling which provide storage space for A1 paper. They should also include work benching under which are free standing (lockable) cupboards of the same specification as those in the art studio. Wall mounted cupboards may also be fitted and unoccupied walls should be faced with pin board (with some track for spur shelving). These rooms should be lockable. The store room should include a telephone point and three 13a double sockets.

Power - at least eight 13a double sockets should be reasonably distributed around the room.

Heating - units should be as unobtrusive as possible to allow for the placing of working and storage units against walls.

Water - Sinks should be Belfast 1 metre by .5 metres by .4 metres deep with sediment traps. Sinks should have hot and cold water and be provided with lever handles to the taps and tiled splashback. It should be possible to fill buckets from sinks. There must be a minimum of 2 sinks in each art studio.

A 4 metre run of ball type suspended drying racks for paintings and prints should be provided.

Mat wells should be provided to all entry exit points in ceramic areas. One wall should be braced to take a pug mill weighing up to 6 cwt. This should be wired directly into the circuit and have stop/go and safety cut-out buttons.

Damp cupboards, lined with zinc or formica and having loose slated shelves to allow damp circulation should be provided under worktop.

Open storage racks for work in progress should be provided. These should be wall mounted and adjustable.

Ceramics areas will double up as general purpose art studios and benching with storage space underneath should be provided as above.

Consideration should be given to the provision of electric pottery wheels wired directly into the circuit and with stop/go and safety cut-out buttons. These are often provided but very seldom used and take up considerable floor space. A decision about their provision should be informed, whenever possible, by the circumstances and expertise available at the school.

Storage facilities should be provided which occupy 10% of the work space. These should be racked and shelved from floor to ceiling. Some full length, lockable, cupboards should be installed for storage of glaze powders and other chemicals and equipment.

Kilns must be installed in a purpose-built kiln room separate from the main working area and of half-hour fire construction including doors and glazed screen, etc.

Allowance can be made for shelving for drying pots, etc. within the kiln room but if timber shelving is used the 450mm clearance mentioned below must be maintained.

The kiln room must have high level mechanical extract of 6 - 8 air changes per hour, thermostatically controlled. There should also be two fresh air inlets symmetrically set about the extract point and on opposite side of the kilns to give a reasonably even air flow about the kilns. 450 mm clearance around each kiln is required from timber shelves, combustible linings and stored materials.

It is also necessary for maintenance access but this could be reduced if the kiln is fitted with castors.

Each kiln must be installed with: -

A Ôcaptive keyÕ interlock switch by which the mains supply must be switched off before the key which opens the kiln door can be used.

A heat fuse in the electrical circuit.

Duplicate bright red warning lights, linked with the mains supply and mounted above head height in a prominent position within the main work area.

All kilns should be fitted with a fully indicating controller and automatic cut-off.

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