Falmouth School in Cornwall Add New Dining Canopy

Staff and students were delighted with their canopy, and the grey frame is a fantastic contrast to the backdrop of the surrounding, Cornish countryside.

Project Specification

Size: 10000mm x 6000mm
Steelwork:
- Grey - RAL NO.9007
Roofing:
- Opal

What was the project brief?

Falmouth School in Cornwall boasts breathtaking views, like much of the county, but also has its fair share of wet weather. The thoughtful staff had the idea of adding a dining canopy to their school grounds so that their students could enjoy the fresh, Cornish air in rain or shine. This would also mean that break times could offer an opportunity to spend more time outside relaxing or socialising in a novel, sheltered space.

They contacted A&S Landscape to find a canopy cover that could create this much-needed, year-round seating area.

What was our shelter solution?

Dining Area Canopy we designed for Falmouth School Choosing a canopy is never an easy task, but Falmouth School decided that the Motiva Duo™ model would best suit their needs. They liked the aesthetically pleasing, curved roof of this free standing canopy, and felt that it would offer great protection for their students when enjoying breaks away from their classrooms.

A&S Landscape provided the school with a Motiva Duo™ measuring 10m X 6m – large enough to accommodate a significant number of students, but small enough to fit nicely into their beautiful grounds. The grey steelwork matched their existing buildings nicely, and the arch of the symmetric, curved Opal polycarbonate roof looked elegant as well as functional. Curved roof canopies are one of the most popular types in our range, as they have a strong, reliable design and a variety of applications. It’s safe to say that this product was more than up to the challenge of being Falmouth School’s shelter solution.

What Are The Benefits of Alfresco Dining For Children and How This Impacts Their Welfare

Spending time outdoors contributes to Vitamin D levels (an important hormone that helps to protect against an array of diseases such as osteoporosis, depression, heart attacks and stroke). It is revealed in studies that many of us do not get a sufficient amount of this important vitamin, so more time outside is key to help tackle this deficiency.

With the longest break in the school day being the lunch break, a good solution is alfresco dining. More and more schools are upgrading their outdoor areas, creating outdoor dining spaces, with canopies, shade sails, umbrellas and even enclosed outdoor dining rooms. With increasing pupil numbers, this is a solution to the increased pressure that existing dining rooms come under as schools grow.

Continue reading our blog post to find out how schools can tackle this issue and allow their students to spend more time outdoors.

What was the result of their new dining shelter?

The staff and students were delighted with their canopy, and the grey frame is a fantastic contrast to the backdrop of the surrounding, Cornish countryside and lush greenery of the school’s outside areas. The versatility of the dining shelter enabled the school to place bench seating beneath it and create the additional outdoor space that they so needed. It has even encouraged the students to spend more time supporting their friends as they play and compete on the nearby sports pitch. Now everyone can benefit from spending lunchtimes in the fresh air without having to take any chances on the South West region’s weather, thanks to their undercover solution.

About the client

Falmouth School is a secondary school and sixth form (Falmouth College) with academy status, located in stunning Cornwall. Falmouth is a town well-known for its connections to the sea and its maritime heritage, especially due to its deep natural harbour on the Fal Estuary. It’s full of attractions – such as beautiful Blue Flag beaches, the historic Pendennis Castle and the National Maritime Museum – so anyone lucky enough to live there, including students of Falmouth School, can enjoy a brilliant variety of Cornish culture.

The school endeavour to ensure that all of their students ‘become independent and resilient learners; doing their best every day’, through their carefully planned curriculum and by helping them develop knowledge and skills that will ‘enable them to grow so that they are confident citizens’. It was a pleasure to provide such a dedicated school with a dining area canopy that would contribute to both their architecture and the wellbeing of their students.

How can spending more time outside improve students’ learning?

Today’s generations of young people spend much more time indoors than in past decades – in part, due to the increased use of and reliance on technology. Therefore, many children are missing out on the joys of being outside in nature, so even an hour in the fresh air during school hours can greatly improve this. It’s been shown by many studies that outdoor learning can reduce stress, help concentration and improve mood. This translates to performance in the classroom, through increased focus in lessons and better retention of academic content.

The idea of teaching outside can be daunting, but the benefits can be great. With a little thought and preparation, staff can explore new ways of teaching and make sure that every student has the best chance of succeeding in their school career. A great way of making this happen is through installing shelters in outdoor areas, to open up both minds and opportunities for learning. If you’re interested in finding the right shelter for your school, A&S Landscape can help!

Why choose A&S Landscape to supply your canopy?

We are proud to back up our company ethos and leading manufacturer and installer status with many industry accreditations. Including names such as CHAS and Incensu, they let you know that no matter your requirements, we will provide you with outstanding customer service, product quality and value for money. You can trust A&S Landscape to be reliable and knowledgeable about our industry, as well as being easy to work with. If you’d like to know more, please get in touch on 01743 444100 or email [email protected].

Read about more of our projects based near Cornwall, in Devon

New Canopy Made for Exeter School

Our engineers erected a canopy for Exeter School Victoria Park Road, Exeter, Devon. The contract included dismantle canopy, disposal of roofing. Re-erect canopy to new location allowing for new posts, new roof material and reconfigured guttering.

Marine Academy add Two Straight Roof Shelters to Campus

Our team produced two straight polycarbonate roof canopies in Marine Academy Plymouth Trevithick Road, St Budeaux, Devon. The full contract involved the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 28000mm X 4000mm and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish and post protection pads and one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 5500mm X 2000mm.

Curved Roof Playground Canopy Designed for St Sidwell’s CE Primary School

Our team produced a curved roof canopy for St Sidwell’s CE Primary School Exeter, Devon. The job involved one Motiva Mono ™monopitch curved roof canopy measuring 10000mm X 4000mm and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish and post pad protectors.

Stoke Dameral Academy Add Shelter with Polycarbonate Roofing

Our team produced a straight polycarbonate roof canopy at Stoke Dameral Academy Plymouth, Devon. The contract included the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 14000mm X 4000mm and 12000mm x 2000mm and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.