The Highfield School in Hertfordshire Installs Shade Sails

What was the project brief?

The Highfield School in Letchworth had need of some shade sails to create covered outdoor spaces for its staff and students. It was looking for something that could bring pops of colour and more style to its facilities outside, as well as match the institution’s branding. The team there thought that three structures installed together would look the best and provide the right amount of shelter for their community. They approached us as we were a company that could do this for them, and they preferred our designs and quality products to those of our competitors.

What was our shelter solution?

Our experts discussed the advantages of our various shade sails with representatives from the Highfield School and, armed with this knowledge, they selected the Maxima StarSail™. It fit their brief well, thanks to its innovative design which is available in a whole range of colours. Plus, the strong, durable fabric roofs could hold up in all weather conditions and offer everyone on site a chance to get a breather outdoors every day, even in blazing sunshine or rain. The three canopies’ versatility provided options for dining, socialising and more for students of all ages. We installed them with 5000mm X 5000mm specifications to make lots of new space available, and Slate Grey steelwork for a sleek look. This contrasted wonderfully with the Poppy Red roof of one shade sail and the Midnight Blue roofs of the other two, which also reflected the school colours.

What was the result of the shelters?

Everyone at the Highfield School loves the new canopies. The trio of Maxima StarSail™ models, made more distinctive by their alternating designs, has refreshed the outdoor area and made it look more inviting to all. The shade sails lend themselves to many different uses so students can enjoy them throughout the year, from having a snack at break time to taking time away from their learning and chatting with friends under cover in rain or shine. The way the colours match the school branding is effective and they easily achieved the dual purpose of brightening the look of the site. It was wonderful to see how our products helped this customer improve its facilities.

About the client

The Highfield School is situated in the world’s first Garden City, Letchworth Garden City in Hertfordshire, which combines some of the most appealing features of country and town living. Its beautiful green spaces include Broadway Gardens, Howard Park and multiple golf courses. What’s more, the town centre has the art deco Broadway Cinema and Theatre, Broadway Gallery, and a myriad of restaurants to keep visitors and locals entertained.

The Highfield School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form where all are encouraged to achieve their full potential. It offers a varied curriculum with all the core subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science, as well as others like Religious and Personal Studies, Psychology, Sociology, and Drama and Theatre. It believes that both challenging and supporting its students is essential, and this was clear to us when planning the shelters with the thoughtful staff.

What kinds of canopies can be useful for schools?

Many shelter types can offer a host of benefits for institutions looking to build covered facilities. For example, curved roof playground canopies can be multi-functional and used for play, dining and even as an outdoor classroom shelter. Straight roof models can make for great entrance shelters that keep visitors dry on arrival and children out of the rain when queuing up outside the classroom before their lessons. Also, umbrella canopies can be made to suit an institution’s specific requirements and available space, offering welcome shade as a sun canopy with possibilities for year-round relaxation. If you’d like to explore which options are best for your students, email us now at [email protected].

How can A&S Landscape give me confidence in its status of being a leading canopy manufacturer and installer?

We hold a range of industry specific accreditations which we see as the hallmark of our business, providing our clients old and new with peace of mind that we consistently offer fantastic service and products. Just some of these are The World Class Schools Quality Mark and the CHAS Premium Plus accreditation. We are also registered members of organisations such as Citation and Constructionline, and we are proud that this collection of achievements shows our commitment to excellence in all areas of our work.

To discuss our past projects with our friendly A&S Landscape team – whether you’re interested in tensile canopy systems or dining shelters – contact us by calling 01743 444100 today.