Lightning Strike, Fire Brigade, Architects & Olympics

MIW Office Solutions recently supplied two of the Halsey Taylor HTHB-8 chilled recessed water dispenser to Lytchett Minster School, situated in the Dorset countryside close to Poole and Bournemouth.

At MIW.co.uk we have supplied school, colleges and universities with hundreds of drinking fountains over the past 25 years, but this sale stands out as one of our more unique projects.

The two HTHB-8 chilled recessed bottle fillers were sold on the request of architects from Western Design, a Dorset–based group of architects who have been charged with redesigning the school after it was struck by lightning. Some of us will remember seeing Lytchett Minster School on BBC news back in December of 2012, when the lightning strike caused a fire that partially destroyed the comprehensive school.

The lightning strike and subsequent fire occurred just two days after Christmas Day 2012, destroying the whole creative arts block. Despite the hard work of over 55 fire fighters from five different counties, the school lost equipment, teaching records and students’ coursework in the blaze. The school’s creative department was moved to atemporary school block, a building which actually housed over 5,000 athletes during the London 2012 Olympic Games earlier in the year. Pupils have also had to make do with working from home one day every week, but the good news is that construction of the replacement block is well under way.

When Western Design were approached to redesign the new school building, they chose MIW.co.uk to supply the drinking facilities that are so essential in any educational environment. MIW Office Solutions is the leading suppliers of drinking fountains and water coolers for educational institutions in the United Kingdom, and we were pleased to help out Lytchett Minster School after the unfortunate accident.

The Western Design architects chose MIW.co.uk’sHalsey Taylor HTHB-8 recessed water dispenser for a number of reasons, one of which was the impressive performance which it delivers. The chilled bottle filler will dispense up to 680 standard 500ml water bottles every hour, making it ideal for the heavy use which we can expect from over 1,300 pupils on a daily basis. On top of this, the HTHB-8 is one of the most accessible and easy to use recessed bottle fillers available on the market, with a sensor that automatically starts and stops water flow when a bottle is placed under the tap. The HTHB-8 even meets the requirements of the ADA Act of 1990, making it suitable for use by those pupils who are confined to a wheelchair, or have other visual and physical disabilities.

Lastly, the HTHB-8 was chosen for the new Lytchett Minster School building for its eco-friendly properties. The recessed water cooler provides more than 55% greater energy efficiency than its industry competitors, and features a highly efficient refrigeration system that uses up to 20% less R134A refrigerant gas. Add to this the fact that the unit’s stainless steel panels are manufactured from 60% recycled materials, and we can see why the HTHB-8 is arguably the most environmentally friendly recessed bottle filler on the market.

For more information on the HTHB-8 chilled recessed bottle filling station, why not get in touch with MIW Office Solutions today?