What was the project brief?
The Haughmond Federation wanted a selection of outdoor shelters as part of its new build in Shrewsbury, consolidating its sites of Harlescott Junior School and Sundorne Infant School and Nursery. This included canopies for a hard play area, a nursery play space, a reception playground and a Key Stage 1 hardstanding area – all offering options for children to get outside in any type of weather. They needed to have matching designs that would make the outdoor spaces look both impressive and welcoming, and complement the modern aesthetic of the brand-new buildings. This was a very local project to the A&S Landscape headquarters, so they were passionate about getting to work on this opportunity.

What were their shelter solutions?
They talked through the different ways forward carefully with the Haughmond Federation, and they eventually decided that a set of Motiva Linear™ canopies would be the best fit for them. Thanks to a stylish and robust monopitch roof, this product is able to offer efficient shelter in a range of locations – making it ideal to work as structures right across the new build. They installed an 8017mm X 2667mm model in the explorers hard play area, a 24071mm X 2713mm model in the nursery play space, two models measuring 20474mm X 2708mm and 21071mm x 2708mm respectively in the reception playground, and three 21069mm X 2729mm models in the Key Stage 1 hardstanding area.

This provided a range of shelter for children across the combined school site to enjoy throughout their days, helping them to play and have fun outdoors year-round. All the canopies boasted matching Squirrel Grey steelwork and Opal roofs, which looked fantastic placed around the facilities and reflected the contemporary, high-quality feel of the build, plus the time and effort that had been put into it.

What were the results of the new shelters?
The set of canopies has made the new outdoor areas at Sundorne Infant School and Nursery and Harlescott Junior School amazing places to spend time. Pupils can play with their classmates, experience outdoor lessons or eat snacks beneath them, even if it’s raining. And, best of all, there are so many of the structures that there are opportunities for everyone to enjoy them. A&S Landscape loved visiting this local site to see how the outdoor canopies were installed, and we were over the moon that the Haughmond Federation was so happy with the results.

About the client
The Haughmond Federation, with its institutions of Sundorne Infant School and Nursery and Harlescott Junior School, strives to ensure that the partnership between home and school is at its best. It has the community at heart, aiming to further support it by bringing the sites together but still allowing their identities to flourish. Also, they put an emphasis on helping children to become inspirational role models, like their teachers. Working with the team here and being able to help a client so near to us was a privilege.

This project took place in Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire, which has many attractions for local families to enjoy. This beautiful town is known for having over 600 listed buildings, for the Quarry riverside park and for being the birthplace of Charles Darwin. There is a myriad of well-regarded pubs and restaurants to visit, as well as multiple shopping centres, independent boutiques and an indoor market.

What other A&S Landscape models can make great playtime canopies?
The Motiva Linear™ makes for a fantastic play shelter, but several of our other products are also great choices. The Maxima Tepee™ has minimal posts and an integrated gutter system, so it’s an ideal covered solution for sports and games at playtime. Additional popular choices include our shade sails, like the sturdy Maxima StarSail™ and stunning Maxima Umbrella™, both of which offer unrivalled UV protection and have the option to be turned into a waterproof sail shade. This can be incredibly useful in ensuring pupils’ safety when having fun outdoors in different weather.

A&S Landscape can help you explore your options when it comes to choosing the right shelter for your institution. Simply send them an email at sales@aandslandscape.com to get the ball rolling.

Where else in the country does A&S Landscape install canopies?
It’s not just their hometown of Shrewsbury where they work with clients looking for ideal shelter solutions. They install canopies across the UK and have done so previously in locations such as London, Manchester, Cambridgeshire, Glamorganshire and Devon. If you’d like to speak to one of their friendly team about starting your shelter journey, get in touch today. You can contact A&S Landscape, the canopy and shelter specialists, by emailing sales@aandslandscape.com or calling 01743 444100.