Ysgol y Garnedd School in North Wales adds Retractable Canopies

What was the project brief?

Ysgol y Garnedd School had a huge amount of unused – and sadly neglected – outdoor space. Understanding the importance of the fresh air, and its accessibility all year round, they needed an effective cover system. It was upon this decision that the school brought in A&S Landscape. As they were looking for several canopies and had a huge range of fantastic products to choose from, they knew they required expert advice to make an informed and cost-effective choice. From the initial site survey to the installation – A&S Landscape were on hand to help.

What was our shelter solution?

Altogether the school chose eight canopies. Three of which were from our popular polycarbonate range of canopies – the straight roof variant Motiva Linear™. All three were varying sizes, built at 11717mm X 3729mm, 6676mm X 3675mm, and 3752mm X 3675mm – however, all were the same opal roof material. These shelters are monopitch, meaning the roof is asymmetric, and one side is higher than the other – perfect for water run-off. This also makes them great shelters when elevated against a building as well as freestanding – and with widths of 10000mm easily achieved – their highly-adaptable design is often the perfect solution to canopy requirements.

The remaining five shelters were again of the highest quality, however, were of a completely different design. The school opted for a retractable canopy system – built to an overall size of 4400mm x 3538mm, and a metallic roof material. The best thing about this covered area is in the name! Benefiting from a retractable roof, the school can decide whether or not to use the cover depending on the weather conditions. As one of our outdoor shading solutions, often these types of shelter are popular in the hospitality sector and commercial properties – where businesses want to make full use of the available outdoor area.

What was the result of their new cover system?

With the addition of the new shelters, the school has created the perfect environment for their pupils. They now use the sheltered outdoor areas for circle time, assemblies, and as a place to eat lunch and refresh. For the children, this has meant that they have a new opportunity each day to be outside and not stuck inside a classroom – amazing for their general health and wellbeing. The transformation of the outdoor space has made such a difference to the school, and the benefits it can offer to children who attend. Needless to say, the school were delighted with the new shelters.

The Benefits of Eating Outdoors and What Schools Can Do To Facilitate Alfresco Dining

There is a lot of research that points at the advantages of spending time in the fresh air; lowering heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones and muscle tension. It can even enhance your mood. Enhancements in attention, memory and concentration have also been verified.

How does this effect children in school? Well, being inside for much of the day is connected to increased anxiety and depression. Couple this with the allure of computer games and social media at home and you can see how imperative it is to offer children as many opportunities to be outdoors during the school day as possible.

Spending time outdoors boosts Vitamin D levels (an important hormone that helps to protect against a variety of diseases such as osteoporosis, depression, heart attacks and stroke). It is stated in studies that many of us do not get enough of this important vitamin, so more time outside is vital to help manage this deficiency.

Continue reading our article to find out how schools can combat this issue and allow their pupils to spend more time outdoors.

About the client

Ysgol y Garnedd is a Primary School located near Bangor, North Wales. The school is a part of the Healthy School scheme, which covers a range of factors including drinking water, a ‘kind friend’ for years 1 and 2, and promoting outdoor activities. A part of promoting good health is to ensure that the outdoors is accessible all year round, and with the decision to add a canopy with full weather protection, the pupils have this opportunity daily. They were a great school to work with, and we were pleased to have installed a shelter system that is long-lasting, durable and of the highest quality.

Why choose A&S Landscape for your school shelter solution?

Having been in the canopy industry for over 44 years, we are experts in all types of shelters. Whether you’re looking for a door canopy to welcome your visitors, an efficient shelter that offers year-round protection to your play equipment, or simply a sun shade that enhances the look of your outdoor area – A&S Landscape can help you to find the cover system to best suit your needs.

The large proportion of our work has been in the education sector, and so we have built up knowledge and expertise on how to create the perfect learning space in schools, universities and colleges. Every canopy we install at a school has the children in mind, as we know how important fresh air and sufficient outside space are to their mental health and wellbeing.

One of our popular designs for schools is the trendy sail shade structures. These come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, as well as bespoke design options that make any area they are situated feel like a unique place. There is also the option to replace the sailcloth with a waterproof shade sail (PVC) that makes the tensile fabric structure functional throughout the winter months too.

With the major increase in cycling across the UK too, bike shelters are also becoming a popular choice, with schools wanting to ensure they have the right facilities for both their pupils and their staff. At A&S Landscape, we have three basic designs, all with their unique features that suit the needs of the client. The Cyclo Bike™ has a simple modular design, the Cyclo Buggy™ offers a space sufficient solution for school grounds which may lack in outdoor spaces, whilst the Cyclo City™ offers a super robust solution with its steel frame. All have their benefits depending on your specific requirements.

If you’d like to know more about a specific outdoor canopy, please don’t hesitate to give our friendly team a call today on 01743 444100 or at [email protected].

See more of our projects completed in Wales

Curved Roof Canopy Designed for Bettws Flying Start

Working with our trade partner A&S designed a curved roof canopy in Bettws Flying Start, Bettws, Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan. The full contract involved one Motiva™ Duo duopitch curved roof canopy measuring 7000mm X 4000mm and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish and four post protection pads.

Five Straight Roof Shelters Installed at Ysgol Carreg Emlyn

Working with our building contractor client our team produced five straight polycarbonate roof canopies at Ysgol Carreg Emlyn, Clocaenog, Ruthin, Denbighshire. The contract included the supply and installation of five canopies. One Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 15000mm X 3800mm in a nursery/reception area. One Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 8800mm X 3900mm for year 3/4. One Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 8800mm X 3900mm for Year 1/2. One Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 3000mm X 3000mm for the Entrance Lobby and a Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 3000mm X 3000mm for the Community Entrance. All with Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes which were coated in a matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.

Six School Shelters Made for Bodnant Community School

Working alongside our building contractor client our team made six canopies for Bodnant Community School, Prestatyn, Denbighshire. The contract included the supply and installation of six canopies. One Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 6700mm X 2000mm, one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 8200mm X 2000mm, one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 7400mm X 2000mm, one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 7800/7400mm X 2000mm, one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 6400mm X 2000mm and one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 6400mm X 2000mm.

Secure Cycle Shelter Made for Welsh Ambulance HQ

In collaboration with our building contractor client our engineers constructed a cycle store for Welsh Ambulance Hq, St Asaph Business Park, St Asaph, Denbighshire. The contract included one Cyclo ‘Bike’ cycle store unit measuring 9400mm x 2100mm allowing for 10 cycle racks to accommodate 20 cycles.