Fabric Shade Sails Enhance Outdoor Dining at Kingsmeadow Community Comprehensive School

Challenges:

• Congested Dining: Kingsmeadow Community Comprehensive School have experienced a growing pupil intake, and they were experiencing congestion in their current dining hall as a result of this. They therefore were in need of an additional dining space to alleviate pressures.
• Student Experience: The school were looking to enhance pupil experience at the school, by providing them with the option to dine outdoors.
• Dedicated Space Needed for Food Vendor: The school had decided to add a food pod to cater for their pupils, providing students with more snack and lunch options to enjoy outdoors, and therefore needed a dedicated space for this service.

Our Solution:

After working with Kingsmeadow Community Comprehensive School to understand their needs, our team at A&S Landscape designed and installed three dining canopies, using our popular Maxima StarSail® design:

• The three fabric canopies were installed on single uprights, these canopies spanned 8000mm x 8000mm, 6000mm x 6000mm, and 5000mm x 5000mm –  covering enough space for over 100 pupils to enjoy.

Key Features and Materials:

• Structure: These structures feature a robust steel frame, finished with a durable Squirrel Grey Duracoat™ that provides long lasting protection against rust and corrosion. View our colour range here.
• Roofing: These canopies are all equipped with our PVC waterproof fabric roofing, providing shelter from both rain and UV rays. Two of the shelters are styled in our shade of Boulder Grey, whilst the other canopy styles our Concrete Grey fabric. View our colour range here.

Timeline:

The project was completed within seven months, from initial consultation to the final installation. Our consultants worked closely with the school to fully understand their needs and space, and from this our design team created the school an interesting array of three canopies to optimise the coverage of their area. The project was then handed over to our operations department, who manage every stage from fabrication to installation, which is carried out by our experienced fitters. The installation began just before the school’s Easter holidays and continued throughout the holiday, which ensured there was minimal disruption to the school and their pupils.

Results:

• Reduced Congestion in their Main Dining Hall: Having more areas for pupils to dine has eased crowding in their main dining hall.
• Increased Dining Space: The school can now accommodate an additional 100 pupils during lunch times.
• Enhanced Dining Experience: Pupils now have the option to dine outside throughout the year, and enjoy food from a new snack pod.

Conclusion:

The recent installation of our Maxima StarSail® fabric canopies at Kingsmeadow Community Comprehensive School has successfully resolved their issue with dining hall congestion, whilst also enhancing the overall dining experience for their pupils. These thoughtfully designed canopies have provided the school with a long-lasting and attractive solution, offering reliable shelter, rain or shine, and creating a welcoming space for students to enjoy their lunch and break times outdoors. We hope the pupils are enjoying making use of these Exceptional Covered Spaces™!