What was the project brief?
Oasis Academy Coulsdon, Surrey, is a secondary school delivering education to children between the ages of 11 and 16 years. It’s an inclusive and welcoming community school that aims to help every child to reach their potential through a love of learning, a rigorous approach and the fostering of resilience and passion. Although it’s a school of religious character which follows an ethos based on the Christian faith, all are welcome, and this makes the school family rich and diverse.

As part of their plans to continually improve the school’s facilities, Oasis Academy Coulsdon wanted to explore ways to enhance their outside spaces with a shelter. They wanted their pupils to be able to enjoy being outdoors, even though the British weather often makes this a challenge.

What was the canopy solution?
For A&S Landscape's design team to develop the best custom canopy solution possible, it is always important for them to understand what the intended use of the canopy is going to be, the location of the plot and therefore the potential size of the shelter solution. Once this has been established, the team can then explore the choices available with the client. This exploration will also look at any optional additional features, such as bench seating, for example, that the customer may benefit from.

Oasis Academy really liked the option of Motiva Duo™ canopy with symmetric curved roof design. Constructed from a solid steel shelter frame coated in Dura-coat™ finish, and with lots of additional options available, this was the perfect choice for creating their custom canopy. This sturdy and durable structure can be constructed in a whole range of colours, and the Oasis Academy Coulsdon chose Signal Green (RAL 6032) steelwork and Opal effect polycarbonate roofing from the choices available for their canopy frame. This perfectly matched the school’s accent colours, and immediately made the canopy look at home on the campus grounds.

What was the result of their new canopy installation?
Nestled in a spot next to some of the school’s existing buildings, the new shelter solution fits in perfectly. The Signal Green of the canopy frame picks up on the other buildings that are also finished off in the same colour. The overall effect is of a cohesive finish which effectively makes the canopy architecture appear as though it has been there as long as the other buildings.

Not only does the canopy frame look great, but it also has boundless practicality. The finished canopy size is 12 metres by 5 metres, so is sizeable in the amount of shelter on offer. This makes for plenty of room for pupils to shelter underneath.

Testimonial/client feedback
After the canopy installation was completed, Oasis Academy Coulsdon, told us:

“A&S Landscape was extremely helpful, professional and flexible working around the needs of the school.”

The team were really pleased to hear this feedback. Working with schools regularly means that they completely understand the logistics of scheduling in building work on a busy school site.

About the client
Oasis Academy Coulsdon is located in the London Borough of Croydon. Their Parent Teacher Association is known as the Friends’ of Oasis Academy Coulsdon (FOAC). They have regular fundraising campaigns to deliver on projects which go towards improving the school even further. Fundraising also extends to encouraging the school community to give as they shop with the Easy Fundraising charity site.

Oasis Academy Coulsdon also operates a Community Hub. One of the organisations that the Hub links with is the Purley Food Hub. The Hub helps people in the local community who are in crisis and who are without food. This connects with the Oasis Academy Coulsdon Community Hub’s aims of ensuring that the school is also able to offer learning beyond the standard school curriculum. This enables the school’s pupils to engage with the public, voluntary sector and local businesses and also reinforces the school’s place at the heart of the community.

Why invest in a custom canopy at your school?
You can see all of the things that other schools have achieved by installing a custom canopy on their senior school site on the website. But to get you started, here are their top five reasons for investing in a shelter solution:

1. Bespoke design means that you get the solution tailored exactly to your needs.
2. A range of design options means that most budgets can be accommodated.
3. They can alleviate pressure on the internal parts of your school building e.g. dining facilities.
4. They’re a great way to get students to spend time outside in the fresh air.
5. They give you a flexible space that can be used for everything from outdoor learning to supplementing food kiosks.

Why choose A&S Landscape for your custom canopy?
A&S Landscape deliver high-quality, long-lasting shelter solutions across a broad variety of options. They are known for their reputation for designing and installing simple, yet attractive shelter solutions which also guarantee safety, as well as protection from the weather.

Their canopies are of versatile construction, meaning that they offer a range of sizes, dimensions and additional optional extras such as side panels and doors. Many of their canopies can be configured in such a way that adding future additional elements is easy. With over 44 years of experience, their knowledge and expertise is extensive. Combined with their team’s outstanding engineering skills, you are assured of the very best standards from the start of the process to the finish.

Whatever your requirements are, their friendly and knowledgeable team can find the perfect custom canopy solution for you. Get in touch today on 01743 444100 or fill in the web enquiry form to find out more.