Why Are There So Many Canopies For Schools?
It’s a well-known fact that integrating outdoor learning into the school curriculum is extremely beneficial for young children. It teaches them important life skills as well as practical knowledge in a healthy setting that reduces spread of infection by providing good ventilation in replacing stale air.
Download the UK Government’s guidance for living with respiratory diseases like Covid-19 here.
As a result, many primary schools – both new and older – now integrate a canopy to provide a covered outdoor space. There’s also a surprising number which don’t. The architects who design these spaces don’t always consider the importance of canopies in maximising the efficiency of the overall design, or the positive impact it has on the school environment when undertaking a refurbishment.
A canopy provides a safe and comfortable outdoor space for children to learn and explore. Protected from harmful UV rays and bad weather, children can play and learn outside all year round without compromising their safety and wellbeing. Outdoor space is little use if children can only go outside when the weather’s dry! We have completed dozens of installations of these shelters which you can view on this case studies link.
A canopy also has a double benefit in effectively shielding classrooms from direct sunlight, so the temperature inside remains at a comfortable level.
As schools are forced to expand to accommodate rising pupil numbers, the obvious solution seems to be building extra classrooms. This is often as done as cheaply as possible to reduce the squeeze on tight budgets.
Bursars don’t always consider that a canopy is an extremely cost-effective way to provide extra covered learning space or outdoor dining for schools at a fraction of the cost of traditional bricks and mortar buildings.
Incredibly Versatile…
Canopies are becoming more common in schools, but have you considered how versatile they really are?
Canopies in playgrounds allow children to play outside even in bad weather. They allow teachers to take lessons outside all year round, and provide a covered area for equipment storage, protecting it from the sun and bad weather.
A covered walkway canopy allows students and teachers to move around the school in comfort; it helps guide pupil movement; and allows easy flow from different buildings without compromising on natural light.
Or a dining canopy is ideal for an all-year-round outdoor eating area – include Enclosashade infill blinds for the sides, to allow total protection from the weather. And a good-looking entrance canopy makes a stunning first impression as well as make you compliant with disability DDA regulations.
What To Look For In School Canopies:
Using lacquered aluminium is a good choice for a school canopy. It’s high quality and long-lasting; it can be powder coated in any specified colour, and unlike steel, is virtually maintenance free. A clean, streamlined design with integrated guttering reduces the risk of damage and dramatically improves its overall aesthetic.
The modular design of this canopy system makes it extremely customisable, making it easy and cost-effective to create a bespoke solution specific to the situation.
With up to a 7m span between posts, up to 6m projections, and both curved and apex roofs available, a Spaceshade canopy can be matched to your exact requirements.
Spaceshade is not a temporary or inferior structure, it has a design life of at least 25 years and comes with our 10-year guarantee.
Compare Spaceshade’s clean, modern aesthetic, with hidden gutters and downpipes – to a typical steel canopy, where the gutters and downpipes are exposed and clearly visible.
