The Bridge School in Suffolk Add Multicoloured Roof Canopies and Cycle Store

The chosen shelter solutions for both of the canopies located next to the school building was the Motiva Linear™ canopy, customised to the exact size and formation required.

Project Specification

Size: 19900mm x 2500mm | 42500mm x 2500mm
Steelwork:
- Moss Green
Roof:
- Daffodil
- Mint
- Mandarin
- Foxglove
- Poppy

What was the project brief?

The Bridge School in Ipswich is a specialist school for pupils aged between 4 and 16 who have specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, specific communication and language difficulties or profound or multiple learning disabilities. The children in their care often have complex needs.

For children for whom communication is often difficult, an environment that offers a range of sensory experiences is particularly important. Outside space is a key feature of offering sensory learning. Physical activity also has an important part to play in enhancing the learning experience for children with an autism spectrum disorder.

The Bridge School project brief followed the development of their new North Campus. It included the creation of two outdoor shelters to be located against the new school building, as well as a free standing canopy to be used as a cycle shelter to accommodate a total of ten bikes.

What were our custom canopy and bicycle shelter solutions?

We really love helping schools like The Bridge School with creative projects that run across a range of needs. Utilising the skills and expertise of our team, creating an overall design that brings all elements together with the existing school infrastructure is a challenge that we relish.

The chosen shelter solutions for both of the canopies located next to the school building was the Motiva Linear™ canopy, customised to the exact size and formation required. One of the new canopies measured 19900 mm x 2500 mm, the other was 42500 mm x 2500 mm. This demonstrates the versatility of this product in that it can be tailored to just about any sized space. With some custom adaptations, even larger spaces can be accommodated within this monopitch-style roofline canopy design.

For the bicycle shelter, the robust form of our Cyclo City™ cycle store was selected. Comprised of a solid steel canopy frame and with robust roofing, the structure was finished off with five cycle racks with the capacity to store 10 bikes.

The designs for the new Motiva Linear™ structures were brought to life with roofing in multicoloured polycarbonate from our colour range, including Daffodil, Mint, Mandarin, Foxglove and Poppy. To ensure additional safety in the canopy areas where children would be playing, eighteen 1200 mm high post protectors were added to the canopy poles. This is a great feature for protecting against accidental bumps and bruising to the children enjoying themselves beneath the canopy.

How to keep your school playground safe and why this is so crucial

It’s supposed that in the UK alone, around 40,000 children fall victim to playground accidents. Numerous of these even end up in the hospital or A&E, making it pivotal that schools do everything they can to bring about proper playground safety. UK schools across the country have difficulties with making their playgrounds as safe as possible – luckily, a lot of these accidents can be prevented with observant supervision.

By following safety guidelines and testing surfaces and equipment, you can do a lot to prevent possible accidents that your pupils may have – making it an environment that can be safe and fun to play around in with reduced hazards.

Get more information on how to keep your play area safe by reading the rest of our article here.

What was the result of the custom canopies and bicycle shelter?

The finished canopies have created a fun, colourful and enticing space beneath which The Bridge School children can play safely. Here they are protected from the weather. They are shaded beneath the rainbow colours of the overhead roof on sunny days when the light shines through in a delightful kaleidoscope and protected from the rain on wet days.

The bicycle shelter now provides safe and easily accessible bike storage. With plenty of room to store 10 bikes, it has given The Bridge School exactly what they needed to meet their cycle shelter and storage needs.

About the client

The Bridge School launched their brand-new North Campus in Ipswich in September 2020. The state-of-the-art development has been warmly received by the pupils. In an Ipswich Star news article, the Headteacher Hazel Simmons spoke on video about the fabulous facilities that the new campus has. There are even plans for further development to include an outdoor cycle track, so their new Cyclo City™ bike shelter will definitely come in handy!

Play is an essential part of learning for any child, and for a young person with autism, sport and physical activity can be a way to increase their self-esteem, develop social skills and give a real boost to their overall wellbeing. It was a real pleasure for the A&S Landscape team to be involved in this project and to know that the children are already enjoying the new spaces that have been created for them.

What is a monopitch canopy?

The canopy shelters utilised in The Bridge School project had straight rooflines. This type of shelter solution is also known as a monopitch canopy.

A monopitch is another name given to a roofline that is asymmetric. This means that there is one overall high level point and one low level point. This design means that it is ideal for situating next to an existing building. Used in long runs, it is also perfect for creating a covered steel walkway design.

Why choose A&S Landscape for your custom canopy or cycle shelter?

A&S Landscape consistently receives great feedback. We pride ourselves on the service delivered to our customers, and you can view the full range of our testimonials on our website. You can keep up to date with our latest projects by following us on social media too. You can find us on Twitter and we are also active on Facebook.

Offering advice and expertise on everything from timber-framed canopies to Covered MUGA™ canopies, we would love to discuss your project with you in more detail. Contact us today for more information.

Find out more about the canopies we have installed in Suffolk

The Limes Primary Academy Add Two Straight Roof Canopies

In collaboration with our building contractor client our team designed a straight polycarbonate roof canopy at The Limes Primary Academy Lime Avenue, Oulton Lowestoft, Suffolk. The job involved the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight coloured polycarbonate roof canopy measuring 17850mm X 3000mm and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.

Whirlybirds Pre School Add Canopy with Polycarbonate Sheets

Working with a leading builder our team created a straight polycarbonate roof canopy for Whirlybirds Pre School Bury, St Edmonds, Suffolk. The full contract involved the supply and installation of one Motiva™ monopitch straight roof canopy measuring 8100mm X 4000mm.

Two Umbrella Canopies Installed at The Bridge School

A&S erected two umbrellas in The Bridge School Ipswich, Suffolk. The job involved two Maxima™ waterproof Umbrella structures each supported on a single upright measuring 5000mm X 5000mm and two post protect pads.

Straight Roof Shelter Designed for Newmarket Academy

Working for the specialist building contractor we built a straight polycarbonate roof canopy in Newmarket Academy Newmarket, Suffolk. The full contract involved the supply and installation of one Motiva™ roof canopy measuring 16000mm X 9000mm and included for our Alu-Tuff™ aluminium box profile guttering and downpipes in matching Dura-coat™ colour finish.