Specifying the correct solutions for outside environments in education settings have never been more important. With dining halls often over-capacity at both older and newly built schools, teachers historically looked to playgrounds and fields to service this need. But this autumn, and beyond, is likely to be considerably different.
Following the full reopening of schools and colleges throughout the UK following the Coronavirus pandemic, focus has been drawn to how educators are responding to social distancing and handling the ‘classroom bubble’. Seeing how these can be successfully segregated throughout the school day is key.
With educators naturally striving to provide more time outside for their students in any case, the situation has been compounded by the pandemic which, in some under-prepared schools, has led to angry news reports of pupils forced to eat lunch in the rain. Elsewhere, headteachers and facility managers have rushed to panic buy/hire marquees over the summer break, allowing for additional covered dining space on their students return. But is this solution sustainable?
While globally we are looking for short term solutions to satisfy immediate needs presented by COVID-19, in this situation it is the place of a more permanent canopy structure which provides the optimal value (and more pleasing aesthetic) for a school environment. Far removed from the off-the-shelf appearance of a white tent onsite, a bespoke structural canopy adds not only the required covered space for the short term, but allows schools and colleges an additional area to build into their lesson plans and day-to-day activities. This coupled with the stability and reliability of a canopy engineered with structural calculations pertinent to the site furthers the benefit, ensuring that snow and wind loadings will not present safety issues as the winter sets in.
Similarly, the benefits of a permanent structure should not be overlooked for the summer months. Valuable areas of shade can be provided over playgrounds, negating the UV for risks for all, but especially with younger pupils in an EYFS or KS1 setting. When correctly specified, these can also dramatically lower solar gain in an adjacent building, without reducing light levels and creating dark classrooms.
It is while considering summer that attention should be afforded to the roofing of the structure. While glass provides a pleasant aesthetic, once treated for UV reduction and size, this medium often becomes an overly costly option and rules itself out of many projects purely on pricepoint. Polycarbonate, when chosen correctly, offers a cost-effective alternative. For schools and colleges, a minimum of a 16mm triple-wall sheet should be used. This not only allows for the relevant non-fragility certification, but also ensures the canopy will stand the test of time and not degrade through year-round exposure to the elements.
Fabric remains a popular option. Tensile canopies offer bespoke sweeping styles to follow the lines of a building, adding to the environment visually as well as practically. The issue with a tailormade tensile canopy, other than the cost, is the light transmission. Tensile fabric by nature is a dense material designed to be strong under tension, but this density does have an effect on light-transmission under the structure. With a modestly sized tensile canopy, light transmission through the fabric can be reduced by as much as 70%. While this has obvious benefits from a UV aspect, it can lead to a dim area when used to cover central courtyards or be installed adjacent to classes.
Fortunately, there are a small number of products on the market designed to meet this need, and provide cost-effective canopy roofing and block UV, while not reducing light levels drastically underneath. These fabrics, some offering as much natural light transmission as 60%, provide a reliable alternative for specifiers looking to deliver an aesthetically beneficial, yet practical canopy within budget.
The secondary feature of a permanent canopy, again allowing the creative visionary to design a structure which does more than simply “keep pupils dry”, is of course the framework. Steel, aluminium and timber form the holy trinity of canopy manufacture. With bespoke engineers opting for steel or timber and the more ‘ready-made’ resellers generally favouring aluminium, results vary both on longevity, strength and finish. Lightweight and easy to handle, aluminium provides a canopy option for the architect which allows a box to be quickly ticked with minimal thought behind the decision. In fact, with the plethora of aluminium canopy resellers operating through the UK, the onus is quite simply passed to a cost consultant or quantity surveyor to simply choose the lowest price.
The sheer strength of steel, and its ease of handling through the fabrication process, leave it as the medium of choice for the bespoke canopy contractor. Here, sweeping lines can be formed to follow the flow of a building, arching corners and creating a canopy to set-off the project visually, all without negating the structural integrity of the finished canopy. With the same colour palette available as aluminum for finish, the architect has the same option for visuals, but with the added benefit of design.
In my opinion, when applied correctly, nothing can detract from the warmth of a timber canopy. Offering a contemporary contrast with the most modern of builds, structural glulaminated timber and CLT offer lines and curves to create truly inspiring outside spaces. Specified correctly, these also tick a huge box for planners, educators and authorities alike, as a sustainably sourced timber canopy gives back to its new environment by creating warm, welcoming spaces, alongside providing a clear environmental nod through their inclusion in a project.
While the immediate future remains unsettled, it is certainly clear that correctly enhancing outside space when planning any project in a school is key. While temporary solutions are being put in place for the short term, the long term benefits of dining, playing and learning outdoors are abundantly clear.