Covered Walkways

Our Featured Covered Walkway Project

Aldersley High School in the West Midlands add Fabric Covered Walkway

What was the project brief?

Aldersley High School in Wolverhampton wanted to reinvent an outdoor area within their campus. They wanted to transform the overall appearance of the square-shaped patio (known as ‘the quad’) from a neglected area without purpose, to one that was useful to the students all year round. The area lacked adequate shelter and shade, and the school knew that a splash of colour would make the space more attractive.

Their second requirement was the need to link together the canopies to create a covered walkway across the patio. This was to be complemented by an additional wall-mounted covered walkway that would offer protection for a defined route alongside one of the existing buildings. This was a big investment for the school, and they wanted to ensure that they were led with expert advice.

That’s when A&S Landscape were introduced to the project. From the full design, to the quality guarantee of the final product, A&S Landscape could offer help at every stage of the process. With excellent knowledge of made to measure shelters and excellent covered walkway expertise, they were able to assist Wolverhampton City Council with the design process and the builder with the installation. This project required efficient coordination and communication between the various teams.

What was our canopy and covered walkway solution?

Whenever we are tasked with the reinvention of a former unloved area, we look into all options available to us and our clients. On this occasion, after detailed drawings were prepared at the design stage for the school’s perusal, four shade sails from the Maxima StarSail™ range were chosen to meet the school’s exact requirements. In the colours of Boulder, Poppy, Concrete and Raspberry, these canopies are a fantastic addition to the school. They create a modern look and do exactly as they say on the tin, provide good-quality, functional cover all year round. They were installed intentionally along the courtyard, so students were able to cross from one side to the other with complete protection from the weather.

The fifth canopy installed was from our Motiva Linear™ range, built with a steel framework and a polycarbonate roof. The linear roof allows for rainwater to run off due to its asymmetric shape. Again, this was a statement shelter, with the school choosing a spectacular combination of grey steelwork and opal roofing. The design flexibility of these canopies mean they can be installed almost anywhere and have a vast span of dimension options. This makes them an excellent asset for walkways, which are sometimes freestanding or wall-mounted.

What was the result of their new canopies and covered walkway?

The five shelters play an important part in the comfortable transition between school buildings. The covered link ensures that all visitors, students and staff members are able to move about even during times of inclement weather. Previous to the installation of the canopies, there was a paramount importance for a covered walkway to provide this protection, and the shelters installed by A&S Landscape perfectly fulfil this role.

Not only have the fabric shade sail canopies created a clearly defined route across the courtyard, the children are using the previously neglected area of ‘the quad’ as a place to hang out and socialise with their friends. The multi-purpose use of these shelters is fantastic. With the quality assurance they received from us and the fluidity of the whole process, the school are wonderfully pleased with the shelters too. They now feel that can offer the best experience for the children they educate.

About the client

Aldersley High School in Wolverhampton, the West Midlands, is a school academy offering education for students aged between 11-18. Reinforced by their bright choice of colours for the canopies, they describe themselves as a vibrant and innovative school, and it was a pleasure to work with them on the impressive covered walkway for the ‘quad.’ They were informative and communicative with our design and install team throughout, and we enjoyed very much working with them.

Why invest in a covered walkway?

When you are looking to transform school properties, or other educational facilities such as a primary school, college or university, it must be a worthy investment. The canopy must have the needs of the children at the forefront, while also being cost-effective. When you are looking to invest in your business, the benefits need to reaped by your customers, so why are covered walkways an excellent investment?

Protection from the elements

Remaining in wet clothes for significant periods of time can be highly uncomfortable. If you’ve popped to your local garden centre for the day and want to have a browse, walking about with wet socks isn’t highly enjoyable. The same is true for pupils moving between buildings to get to their next class, often books and equipment can get damaged by the wind and rain.

Protect inside areas

Carpets are prone to deteriorating much more quickly when they are subject to being trampled on by wet feet. If you’ve just added a brand-new carpet to the floor of your restaurant, covered linkways could save you money in the long run.

They add style

A&S Landscape offer a wide range of stylish covered walkways for you to choose from. They can be designed with a curved roof, with side panels or left completely to your imagination with one of our bespoke solutions. With the correct design and assistance from us, we can guarantee that you will be satisfied with your covered walkway investment.

Why choose A&S Landscape?

The basic rule we follow is to listen to the needs of our customers. We have designed, manufactured and installed canopies in school establishments across the UK for 44 years. Since 1976, we have developed a breadth of knowledge and offer the industry’s leading quality guarantee.

Our complete range of canopies is completely unique to others on the market, and many can be adapted to fit with existing outdoor fittings. Covered areas allow for open space to become socially-active areas, and offer a cost-effective solution.

If you’d like to know more about our huge range of outdoor shelters, please give us a call on 01743 444100 or at [email protected] to speak to a member of our friendly team.