Back to School

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Back to school - Transforming Learning Environments from Kindergarten to University.

As August rolls into September, the excitement of a new school year begins to build. It’s the season of fresh starts for students—new notebooks, classrooms, and endless possibilities. For educators, it’s the time to strategize how to create the most engaging and effective learning environments.

At Polyvision, we’re right there with you, brainstorming ways to make those learning spaces not just functional but downright inspirational—from the vibrant classrooms of kindergartens to the bustling lecture halls of universities.

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A fresh start

The start of a new school year holds a unique kind of magic. Whether it’s a child’s first day of kindergarten or a university student gearing up for their final semester, the beginning of a new academic journey is brimming with excitement and potential.

Let’s not forget that the right learning environment can make all the difference in shaping a student’s experience.

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It's all about discovery

For the youngest learners, classrooms are like doorways to new worlds—where curiosity is sparked and foundational skills are built. At this stage, everything is a grand adventure.

Classrooms need to be adaptable, engaging, and ready for exploration. Writable surfaces and interactive tools can turn a simple wall into a canvas for creativity, where young minds can practice their letters, sketch their dreams, or map out their next big idea.

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Building and expanding knowledge

As students grow, so do their learning environments. In primary and secondary schools, classrooms become the epicenter of structured learning. The mission here is to build on the curiosity of early childhood and dive deeper into the subjects at hand.

Durable, easy-to-maintain writable surfaces support these activities, providing a space where students can visualize concepts, work through problems, and collaborate with classmates. These tools help make abstract ideas tangible, allowing students to connect the dots (literally and figuratively).

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Preparing for
the future

When students enter college or university, the learning environment evolves again. The emphasis now shifts to critical thinking, collaboration, and practical application.

Lecture halls, labs, and study areas must spark interaction and creativity. Advanced, versatile surfaces allow for dynamic teaching approaches and encourage students to really dig into the subject matter. Whether they’re working on a group project or analyzing complex data, these settings are all about bridging the gap between learning and doing.

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Looking forward to the school year ahead

As the back-to-school season kicks into high gear, whether you’re prepping a kindergarten classroom or setting up a university lecture hall, we’re here to help you create spaces that don’t just teach but inspire.

Here’s to a year packed with discovery, growth, and success!

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Mercosul’s Community Engagement Project

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CeramicSteel Mercosul's Community
Engagement Project

CeramicSteel Mercosul, a leading distributor of porcelain enameled steel products in Brazil, recently sponsored the construction of a bus stop to benefit a local community near Avenues School. This project emerged from a collaborative effort initiated by the school, inviting its primary suppliers to engage in a social responsibility initiative to improve the surrounding area.

Video by CeramicSteel Mercosul – AvenueSaoPaolo

Identifying the Need

The opportunity was first revealed during a meeting organized by Avenues School, where the school’s architecture office and representatives from various companies, including CeramicSteel Mercosul, discussed potential ways to support the nearby underprivileged community.

Through dialogue with community members, it became evident that a nearby bus stop, frequently used by schoolchildren, needed more shelter from the elements. This realization sparked the idea to construct a bus stop, ensuring children could wait comfortably and safely for their transport.

CeramicSteel Mercosul was committed to contributing to this project from the outset. Recognizing the importance of the initiative, the company actively participated in all meetings, offering porcelain enameled steel materials and technical expertise to ensure the construction of a functional and aesthetically pleasing bus stop.

Images by CeramicSteel Mercosul – AvenueSaoPaolo

"Participating in constructing the bus stop near Avenues School was an enriching experience for us at CeramicSteel Mercosul. We believe in the power of community engagement and saw this as a perfect opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause. By providing a safe and comfortable waiting area for schoolchildren, we are proud to support the education journey of the young generation."

Image by CeramicSteel Mercosul – AvenueSaoPaolo

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Outcome

The newly constructed bus stop provides much-needed shelter from the sun and rain, significantly improving the daily experience for children waiting for school buses. The community has well-received the project, demonstrating CeramicSteel Mercosul’s commitment to social responsibility and its capability to deliver high-quality solutions for public use.

The success of this initiative has not only enhanced its reputation but has also opened roads for future community projects. CeramicSteel Mercosul plans to continue its involvement in similar social responsibility efforts, leveraging its products and expertise to impact communities across Brazil positively.

SmartEd

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Japan-based SmartEd specializes in the import and distribution of educational materials specifically for bilingual and international schools throughout the country.

Their focus ranges from American and English textbooks to teaching aids, classroom furniture, chalkboards and whiteboards, library books, online content and more.

Passionate about the quality and durability of CeramicSteel whiteboards and chalkboards, SmartEd elected to install several Collaborative Worktools, including Sans™ frameless whiteboards and Flow™ full wall whiteboards, in their showroom to support teamwork and idea sharing.

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SmartEd founder Jason Good said “We like CeramicSteel because it brings a real presence to the room, especially when it’s printed. Both the surface and the edges have a clean look to them and make the room look very professional. If we were to install an alternative, it wouldn’t have the same quality and would have a less sophisticated look.

When customers come to our office, the first thing they usually look at is the custom printed whiteboards. It really has a way of drawing people’s attention, and has become both the artistic and functional focal point of each room.” Several of the installations were digitally printed with custom designs created by SmartEd and Kaoru Taguchi to add a touch of playfulness to each space. Inspiration for the designs came from the core of their business, supplying books to schools. SmartEd wanted images reflecting books, education and creativity, so many of the images include books, while the layout on the surface was designed not to interfere with writing space.

Partner SmartEd 

Installer Dezao Kensetsu

Completion Date 2019

Client SmartEd Japan

Designer Kaoru Taguchi

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Tallahassee Memorial Hospital

Memorial Hospital

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The experience of patients and their families is essential to the overall healing process in any healthcare environment.

It is with this understanding that Tallahassee Memorial Hospital underwent renovations, improving the overall hospital encounter during what is often a challenging time. The project’s architect, Gresham Smith, selected CeramicSteel as the material of choice when designing for the hospital’s new elevator lobbies. Its resistance to bacteria is ideal for the healthcare environment, while its capacity for lasting digital print allows for aesthetically attractive wayfinding graphics. Installed in the rich Dusk blue panel color option, a3 CeramicSteel Finished 3 – 13 Panels flank elevator landings in primary thoroughfares of the hospital.

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Partner Designtex

Contractor Brasfield & Gorrie + Mad Dog Construction

Completion Date 2019

Area 200 m2

Client Tallahassee Memorial Hospital

Architect Gresham Smith

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Sixth Avenue Station

Sixth Avenue

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Sixth Avenue is an underground Mass Rapid Transit station on the Downtown Line Stage 2 in Singapore, formerly known as the Bukit Timah Line.

The color motif is designed to portray water flowing from the North of the island of Singapore to the south at Marina Bay. Inspired by the element of water, ranges of blue and white panels were produced with custom enamel colors for this project, portraying the transition and fade effect of waves. This theme using natural elements can also be found in the connecting stations of Tan Kah Kee and King Albert.

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Partner CeramicSteel Alliance

Completion Date 2015

Area 1746 m2

Client LTA

Architect ONG&ONG

Artist NIL

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Hennepin County Library

Hennepin County Library

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Public art plays a vital role in many communities across the globe. As part of a new build, Hennepin County Library System commissioned RE:site studios to design a mural for the library walls that tells the story of world culture and local geography through the lens of science and math.
This lenticular mural, named Sectio Aurea, allows viewers to discover two pieces of vibrant, interactive artwork. Installed at the interior fascia of the library are 331 unique Flexible 4 CeramicSteel panels that can be seen from both outside and inside the building. These panels were digitally printed in Genk, Belgium on Polyvision’s state of the art printer, cut to size and shipped to Metalab for installation.
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Partner Designtex

Completion Date 2016

Area 2092 ft2

Client Hennepin County Library

Architect Metalab

Artist RE:site

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Dijkzigt Electric Tram Station

Dijkzigt Metro Station

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Along with the artist Peter Jansen and Uittenbosch Ceramic Metals, Polyvision produced a durable, beautiful display for the Rotterdam Public Transport for the Dijkzigt Metro Station.

The piece of work, entitled Flat Earth, is a collection of photographs from 30 countries around the world portrayed in a panoramic view. This large scale piece of work, which hangs over the train tracks, is made from 1250 digital prints and spans 20 meters wide. Using its cutting-edge digital printer, Polyvision used ceramic inks to print the collection on Finished Edge 1 panels, giving the exposition a seamless and continuous look.

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Partner Uittenbosch Ceramic Metals BV

Completion Date 2016

Artist Peter Jansen

Area 190 m2

Client RET

Architect Peter Jansen

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Lewisville Independent School District

Lewisville ISD

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The firm behind the project, Stantec, is world-renowned for its focus on the communities it works with and its prestige in architecture, design and engineering; and had a specific vision in mind for the open-concept collaborative space as part of their education project for Lewisville Independent School District (ISD).

Stantec’s Lead Designer for the project Christina Eddy said,
“We were looking for a writable wall surface product that we could custom-design with our own colors and graphic. The ability to custom-design the patterns that were on the panels allowed us to tie the product back to the design of the interior.

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Also, because of where the panels were going to be installed, it was key that these pieces would be durable and would hold up over time. There are classrooms that hold shop classes, automotive classes, woodshop, etc. right next to where these panels are located in the building. CeramicSteel was the only product that would fit all of these needs for this project.” The high-traffic location and potential for heavy use demanded a product that was durable, able to withstand use by students.

Stantec also liked that the “CeramicSteel panels were made with steel and that when students write on the boards, they won’t ghost or lose their efficacy as they age.” Stantec used custom colors to represent the Lewisville ISD school that created a custom-designed geometric graphic mirroring repeating elements found in the building. Christina said, “the boards do a nice job of tying together the geometric nature of the project as well as the overall color palette.”

Partner Designtex

Contractor Northstar Construction

Area 990 ft2

Client Lewisville ISD

Architect Stantec

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