A school canopy can make or break the aesthetics of a building. An ugly, poorly designed structure can ruin the entire look of the exterior – just as a good looking, well designed structure can set it off perfectly.
And it’s even better when you can take a high quality canopy product and customise it to exactly what you want it to be. The Spaceshade modular system is built with durable, standard components, which keeps costs down. And while you can choose your length, width, post spacing etc (download our canopy BIM models for Revit) , make use of extra features to create the finish you want.
It’s worth remembering as well that specifying a unique product will make it harder for a contractor to replace what you’ve chosen later on.
Here are 5 ways to make Spaceshade work harder for you:
Create an extra Outdoor Room
Make a Spaceshade canopy into a self contained outdoor room using Enclosashade outdoor blinds between the posts. Users can put the blinds up or down via remote control depending on what they’re doing. This is perfect for colder winter weather (or even just creating a separate play space). And it allows child
ren to play and learn outside in comfort all year round.
Using a Spaceshade canopy with or without Enclosashade blinds is an original and cost-effective way to create extra covered space. This space can be used for learning, playing, eating or extra-curricular activities.
And because there’s vision panels in the blinds, it’s still possible to see out when they’re down.
Change the Roofing Panels
Spaceshade’s ro
ofing is usually either multi-walled or clear solid polycarbonate. We use this because it’s more lightweight and durable than glass. These properties make polycarbonate more resistant to impact and reduces the number of panels and hardware required across the same area, allowing more light into the building.
However, installing solid acoustic roof panels (as opposed to transparent or translucent) across part of the roof is a great way to provide extremely efficient solar shading without darkening the classroom completely. It also reduces noise levels, while combining solid and clear roofing achieves the important balance between the amount of natural light and comfortable temperatures inside.
Add a Fascia
Using fascia panels enables the slope of the roof to be hidden by creating a parapet, resulting in a completely different aesthetic. Adding a fascia allows signage to be fixed on, making it a great option for an entrance canopy.
Play with Colour
Change clear polycarbonate roofing and timeless anthracite grey powder coating for something altogether more snazzy. Roofing in all colours of the rainbow will add a burst of colour, while opting for a coloured frame is more understated but still stands out.
Light it up
Make the canopy an outdoor area that can be used in low light levels by installing LED lights on the rafters and front posts. These low-energy lights provide a warm ambience, while providing enough light to read a newspaper underneath! Add a heater to use in the colder months as well.
Download our Revit canopy family from www.bimstore.co.uk and play around with the dimensions and features available.
