Eating outdoors has become a popular choice among primary and senior schools, however, it’s not always possible due to the Great British weather!
At A&S Landscape, our range of dining area canopies lets you dine in style no matter what. Whether it rains or shines, let your students enjoy dining alfresco with our selection of innovative canopies, perfect for use all year round.
So, if you’re looking for an impressive and practical way to cover up your outdoor eating area, you’ve come to the right place. This blog post will showcase some of our favourite outdoor canopy ideas, as well as giving you some tips on how to make the most of your new canopy.
Let’s get right into it, and explain the best ways that you can cover your outdoor eating area!
How to Cover an Outdoor Eating Area
It’s no surprise that eating outdoors has many benefits, however, it can be quite daunting to know that you need to cover an entire eating area. Don’t worry, as a lot of our outdoor canopy ideas come with additional features that make choosing a shaded area that bit easier.
At A&S Landscape, we offer completely bespoke canopies, meaning that you can customise your cover to suit your outdoor eating area in the best way possible. Every canopy project that we work on is different and there are numerous things to consider, such as:
- The size and shape of your building
- The intended application of the area
- The type of open space available
- The preferences of your school
- … and many many more!
Consider a Retractable Roof
One of the best ways to add cover to your outdoor eating area is to add a retractable roof. Our retractable canopies are a great choice, offering a flexible shade solution for ultimate convenience. A retractable design means that you have complete control over how much shade your eating area gets, perfect for the unpredictable weather!
With the option to include heating and lighting fixtures, you can create a truly amazing outdoor space where students can dine and relax with full confidence that they are being protected from the sun or wind.
Add Side Panels
It’s all well and good adding a great cover to your outdoor eating area, but have you thought about the difference that side panels and doors make? Our canopies with side panels and doors are a great way to add extra shelter, keeping students feeling warm and safe during their lunch break.
There are many options available when adding side panels and doors to your shelter. You can choose to cover one or all sides with polycarbonate or glass, and you can even use electrically operated roller shutter doors too. Adding these features can create an area for pupils to dine and play in all year round, as required by Ofsted.
Inject Colour
A canopy shouldn’t be boring – it’s the best way to add character and personality to your outdoor area, which is extremely important, particularly in schools! At A&S Landscape, we have a bright range of colourful canopies which are perfect for sheltering outdoor eating areas.
All of our canopies come in an array of colours, and we’re proud to have one of the widest colour ranges in the industry. Whether you’re after a fabric canopy or a straight roof canopy, all of our designs can be crafted into whatever colour you desire, matching the aesthetic of your school perfectly.
For more of our outdoor canopy ideas, keep reading, as we showcase some of our favourite covers that are sure to inspire you.
Outdoor Canopy Ideas
If you’re looking for ways to cover your outdoor dining area, then you’re in the right place. Here at A&S Landscape, we have an impressive array of outdoor canopy ideas that are perfect for sheltering students from the wind or rain.
Let’s have a look at some of these ideas in a bit more detail!
Curved Roof Canopies
If you’re after a cover that looks impressive as well as being practical, then our curved roof canopies are the perfect choice. This traditional curved design is fast becoming one of our most popular choices for a school shelter, much loved by primary and secondary schools due to their versatility.
Available as freestanding or lean-to, our Motiva Duo™ is one of our four variants of curved roof canopies. This symmetric roof is the perfect cover choice for outdoor eating areas, especially for shading benches and other seating options. You also have the choice of additional side panel and door options, ensuring that pupils are safe and comfortable during poor weather conditions.
Shade Sails
If you’re looking to add character, colour, and vibrancy to your cover, then invest in one of our shade sails. Shade sails are a great way to increase the functionality of an outdoor eating area as they create an area of cool shade, allowing students to eat under during the hottest part of the day whilst reducing exposure to harmful UV rays.
One of our most popular choices is our Maxima StarSail™. This canopy is a wonderful blend of a Shade Sail and Umbrella design in one, promoting a cool and breezy look. Its pointed design adds interest to an outdoor eating area, as well as being a fun and exciting addition to any school. Its weather-proof properties make this a sensational outdoor canopy.
Enclosed Dining Extensions
The perfect way to cover your outdoor eating area? Add an extended canopy! Our enclosed dining extensions are an impressive solution when it comes to overcrowded schools. Alfresco dining isn’t always the case, but with these sturdy structures, your pupils will be kept well sheltered all year round.
Our dining extensions offer lots of natural light and warmth, due to their big glass windows and elongated design. This is perhaps one of the best ways to cover an outdoor eating area, and you can rely on a range of our models, such as the Motiva Expanse™ to keep your students safely sheltered.
How One School Covered Their Outdoor Eating Area
The Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, in Middlesex, added 4 fabulous outdoor canopy covers, creating additional sheltered outside space that students could use during their lunch time.
The secondary school took the decision to radically change its dining provision with the installation of four canopy covers. Amongst their aims and ethos, the school promotes a safe and healthy lifestyle for all of its students. The desire to improve dining facilities formed part of these aims, and they started to explore options after contacting us.
Read the full case study here!
Cover Your Outdoor Eating Area With A&S Landscape!
Hopefully, this blog has given you plenty of outdoor canopy ideas, as well as telling you all you need to know about finding the perfect cover. It’s no surprise that the UK weather can be unpredictable and unreliable, which is why some sort of cover is essential.
Don’t forget about our completely bespoke canopy designs, which have helped clients enhance their outdoor spaces and bring their ideas to life. With over 40 years of experience, we have a developed wealth of knowledge in the canopy industry, and we’d be more than happy to help you out, too.
If you have any enquiries, please get in touch with us today!
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