St Mary’s College in Hull Add Fabric Shade Sail

What was the project brief?

St Mary’s College in Hull was looking for a free standing canopy for an area on their campus where the students often enjoyed their lunch outside at break times. The staff also wanted the shelter to have stylish sail design so that the canopy fitted in with the outdoor area and surrounding school buildings. The college approached A&S Landscape, who are experts in the design, manufacture and installation of school canopies to help transform this outdoor space.

What was our freestanding canopy solution?

Once our design team had heard the brief from St Mary’s College, they knew that we have exactly the right product. The Maxima Sail™ canopy is typically fitted freestanding and is comprised of an iconic sail shade which creates a shade zone underneath. This canopy can also be customised to match a specific colour scheme, like the college’s logo. In this case, we coated the four uprights in a Slate Grey RAL colour and used a Celadon coloured fabric for the canopy roof.

So that the canopy could withstand any weather conditions, we made the sail with a PVC waterproof fabric. This means that the shelter can offer protection come rain or shine for the hardworking pupils.

What was the result of the fabric shade sail?

Everyone at St Mary’s College is thrilled with the overall quality of the canopy and the entire process of working with A&S Landscape. The sail is the ideal size for covering the entire section of picnic tables so many students can make use of the area at once. Overall, the sail has been the perfect solution for the college and will be used for many years to come.

Not only can the sheltered area be used during lunchtimes, but it can also be used as an additional learning space too. With the addition of some outside equipment, the shade sail can be quickly transformed into a functional space during lessons. It could also be a great place for the students to use during a time out from the traditional study rooms during stressful exam seasons.

About the client

St Mary’s College is a secondary school and sixth form and was formed when St Mary’s Convent High School for Girls and Marist College for Boys were combined together. Rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in 2010, this school is clearly successful at providing an enriched and engaging educational experience.

Located in Kingston upon Hull in the county of East Yorkshire, the students have access to a range of amazing attractions including the Ferens Art Gallery, Hull Maritime Museum and The Deep aquarium.

The Benefits of Eating Outdoors and Its Effect on Student Welfare

There is a lot of research that proves the merits of spending time outdoors; lowering heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones and muscle tension. It can also uplift your mood. Enhancements in attention, memory and concentration have also been illustrated.

How does this impact children in school? Well, being indoors for a large amount 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 essential it is to offer children as many opportunities to be outdoors during the school day as possible.

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

With the longest break in the school day being the lunch break, a great resolution is alfresco dining. More and more schools are enhancing their outdoor areas, setting up outdoor dining spaces, with canopies, shade sails, umbrellas and even enclosed outdoor dining rooms. With climbing 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 learn how schools can combat this issue and encourage their students to spend more time outside.

How can shade sails be used at schools?

As well as covering an outdoor seating area, there are many great uses for shade sails at schools, colleges and universities. Below we will run through some of the most popular applications for sail shades.

Covered Walkways

Whenever we have installed a fabric covered walkway, the finished effect is always breath-taking. This is a great way of connecting up spread-out buildings and adding a real design statement to your area too. You will also be able to protect your pupils and staff from the elements as they move between classes.

Entrance Canopies

What better way to make a great first impression than with a stylish fabric canopy in your entrance area? An entrance canopy will offer shelter to your visitors while they arrive at your school and serves a handy drop off point for deliveries too. Attractive entrance covers are the perfect addition to any school or college.

Playground Cover

Another popular use for our fabric canopies is to cover parts of play areas at primary schools. This encourages your pupils to enjoy some outdoor play during their breaks and allows them to do so throughout the year. Outdoor play equipment can also be stored under the cover too, saving storage space inside the school building.

What other external shelters do A&S Landscape offer?

We don’t just offer fabric canopies either, we also have a popular range of polycarbonate roof designs too. These models can also be used to create secure cycle parking which can help to encourage your pupils to cycle to school. And new to our product range are our retractable canopies and timber canopy frames.

As well as the education sector, we also work with many other businesses across the UK and in Europe. Our wide choice of designs suits a variety of environments, including Public Health sites, hotels and cafes.

Why choose A&S Landscape?

We are the experts in the subject area of school canopies and shelters thanks to our expansive knowledge. Whether you need help with planning consent, funding options or the refurbishment of an existing structure. Our extensive product range has something to offer everyone and suit every site. Whether you are a small nursery or a large academy, we will have the perfect product for your needs. Our design team will work with you to create the ideal covered solution for your needs.

Why not take a look at our case studies for more inspiration? We’re proud of every successfully completed project we get to the add to the list.

Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you. Send us an email to [email protected], or call us on 01743 444100. Or you can contact us by filling out a contact form on our website if you would like to send us photos of the proposed area and your ideas.

See more of our finished projects based in Yorkshire

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Firth Park Academy Add Two Curved Roof Shelters

Working alongside our building contractor client we built two duo canopies in Firth Park Academy, Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The contract included two Motiva™ Duo duopitch curved roof canopies measuring 5400mm X 6600mm

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Ferney Lee Primary School Add Shelter with Polycarbonate Roofing

Working for our building contractor client we produced system 60 roofing for Ferney Lee Primary School, Todmorden, Todmorden, West Yorkshire. The job involved the supply and installation of System 60 straight roof polycarbonate roofing including for all roofing bars and edge trims measuring 14400mm x 3400mm with Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.

Two Straight Roof Shelters Made for South Hunsley Primary School

Working for a leading builder our team designed two straight polycarbonate roof canopies at South Hunsley Primary School, Melton, North Ferriby, East Riding of Yorkshire. The contract included the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight coloured polycarbonate roof canopy measuring 6549mm X 4000mm and one bespoke Motiva™ Entro cantilever straight roof canopy measuring 2900mm X 1500mm both with Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.

Boulevard Academy Add Straight Roof Cover to Campus

In collaboration with a leading builder we erected a straight polycarbonate roof canopy at Boulevard Academy, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. The contract included the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 55000mm X 4000mm with Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.