Frensham Heights, a private school in Surrey, chose Setter Shelters to add a canopy to its early years classroom block. As part of the requirement for access to outdoors for early years, children needed to be able to use the play area in all weathers.

The area outside the classroom was terraced, extending 4m before dropping to a lower level. It was important that the canopy sheltered the upper terraced area without further restricting the available space and without clashing with the decorative timber shingle clad exterior of the building.

Setter designed a canopy in glulam that was capable of spanning the required area. The front supports were designed to extend over the terrace for installation on the level below.

After the design was agreed in principle, Setter structural engineers worked with the school's own engineer to ascertain that it was possible to bolt the canopy to the building structure itself.

A solution was agreed, with the cedar shingles being removed from the wall before the wall plate was bolted to the building. The canopy was hung from the wall plate and fixed to the front supports on the lower terrace.

Once it was installed, the shingles were replaced to fully integrate the canopy with the building structure itself, giving a unified appearance. The school now has maximum protection for the children without any supporting posts encroaching into the already restricted outdoor space.