The South Central Institute of Technology

The redevelopment of the South Central Institute of Technology (SCIoT) at Bletchley Park required a façade strategy capable of delivering both technical performance and architectural presence. As part of the wider government-led expansion of digital education facilities, the building needed to present a bold, contemporary identity that reflects its position as a centre for innovation, technology and skills development.

To achieve this, the project team selected DryKlad Datona™, an advanced A2-rated aluminium rainscreen support system engineered for schemes where aesthetics and precision are paramount. The SCIoT façade incorporates large-format panels and visually prominent feature zones, making accuracy, stiffness and alignment critical to the architectural intent. DryKlad Datona™ offered the necessary rigidity to maintain perfectly straight panel runs, minimise deflection, and secure crisp joint lines across both new-build and refurbished building elevations.

The system’s refined profile geometry allowed the rainscreen façade to be expressed with clean planes and controlled shadow gaps, ensuring that the overall composition reads as a unified, modern surface. This was particularly important at SCIoT, where the façade spans two generations of construction — the refurbished 2005 Andrew Peck building and a new four-storey extension. Datona’s adjustable bracketry helped absorb backing-wall tolerance variations, enabling installers to maintain consistent cavity depth, alignment and rail positioning across the entire envelope.

DryKlad Datona™ also supported the project’s compliance requirements. Manufactured from non-combustible A2-rated aluminium, the system is compatible with high-performance cladding products such as fibre-cement rainscreen and aluminium cassette panels. Its ventilated design and CWCT-informed detailing contribute to a façade that is safe, robust and suited to the long-term lifecycle performance expected of a public education building.

Beyond compliance and engineering performance, DryKlad Datona™ contributed significantly to the visual quality of the SCIoT development. The façade now presents a sleek, disciplined appearance that complements the building’s digital-learning purpose. Panel joints remain sharp and consistent; feature areas benefit from the enhanced stability of the Datona™ rail; and the overall aesthetic elevates the architectural presence of the Institute within the wider Bletchley campus.

The result is a rainscreen façade that is technically precise, visually striking and fully compliant, reinforcing SCIoT’s status as a flagship facility for future tech talent. DryKlad Datona™ enabled the project team to meet ambitious performance standards while delivering a beautifully refined external envelope — demonstrating the value of an engineered, high-quality substructure system in modern façade design.