PPG's Colorful Communities program has recently transformed the interiors of the "Andrea Vochieri" middle school in Alessandria (AL).
PPG collaborated with the Municipality of Alessandria to give colour to the future generations of the "A. Vochieri" middle school.
For the renovation project, which began on July 20, PPG provided over 2,100 litres of colour SIGMA COATINGS ® and donated approximately € 95,000 that will help the 590 students and 58 teachers of the "A. Vochieri" to restart teaching in a more welcoming, engaging and renewed environment after a long period spent in isolation due to the lockdown.
This year also marks the fifth anniversary of the initiative Colorful Communities, born in Alessandria. The project aims to support the territories that host PPG offices and to collaborate with local organisations and entities to donate colour, assistance and experience in beautifying and brightening structures in need of renovation.
At the Vochieri middle school, SIGMA® branded PPG products embellished 9,730 square meters of surface area (walls and ceilings), 30 classrooms, 2 laboratories, a large conference room also used by the public and a very spacious entrance.
The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted PPG to review the project format for the first time, to comply with the health and safety measures envisaged. Therefore, the direct participation of volunteer PPG employees was not possible.
"At PPG we are focused on safeguarding and protecting the health of our employees, our collaborators and also our communities; today more than ever, safety has become a fundamental aspect. We wanted to continue investing in our communities from the point of view of corporate social responsibility, but for the first time without the involvement of our volunteer employees at work in beautifying this structure and only with the support of professional contractors, continuously monitoring activity, but also the health of our people and collaborators" - stated Isabella Ercole, PPG Plant Manager in Quattordio and CEO of PPG Industries Italia Srl.
However, the project was able to count on the support of the PPG Architectural Coatings team of experts based in Cavallirio (NO), which offered technical expertise and knowledge for the choice of materials and colours suitable for the spaces.
"To paint this school, we have chosen two high-performance products with a high technological content", said Silla Giusti, CEO of PPG Univer. "For the ceiling and main walls, we used Sigma Fresh Air, an opaque wall paint based on renewable raw materials thanks to the innovative Indoor Air Technology completely formaldehyde-free, but also active in the abatement of that present indoors, which is why it is particularly suitable for spaces with high permanence, just like schools. In addition, for the plinths, we used Sigmapearl Clean, an extremely cleanable matt wall paint" - continued Silla Giusti.
The shades were chosen by focusing on the emotional value of colour and its ability to communicate the human component.
The importance of colour in school environments
Last August, the PPG Group published a research conducted in the United States on the positive impact that colour transmits on a human level, especially on students and teachers who spend most of their time teaching hours in educational facilities. The study found that entering a welcoming and renewed environment makes
72% of students happier and more smiling; 94% of teachers noticed an improvement in teaching while 56% of teachers experienced greater energy and passion in approaching students and teaching subjects.
For educational activities, it is therefore extremely important to create comfortable environments to allow students to psychologically perceive a structure that is not hostile and cold, but pleasant and welcoming that offers stimuli for creativity and attention. Therefore, a combination of different colours was selected: PPG1183-6 Cherry Pink and PPG1204-6 Golden Opportunity.
To stimulate attention and concentration, saturated but less bright colours such as PPG 1160-6 Chinese Porcelain and PPG 1148-4 Colonial Aqua were used in the classrooms.
Colorful Communities
PPG's Colorful Communities program aims to support communities, protect and beautify the neighbourhoods where PPG operates around the world.
Through the Colorful Communities program, PPG employees can actively contribute to help transform the community, through projects that involve, among others, schools, hospitals, playgrounds.
Since 2015 - the initiative's birth year - PPG has completed more than 300 projects around the world, impacting more than 6.5 million people in 41 countries.