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The Palmer Catholic Academy got in touch as they wanted to improve the school’s facilities over the summer holidays. The primary aim was to create some new functional covered spaces which would provide students with sheltered areas to use during break times and between lessons. The addition of new outdoor covered areas would mean that students could enjoy spending time outdoors regardless of the weather – creating more usable space for the school.
The requirement
There was a clear vision for this project. The Palmer Catholic Academy wanted to create a covered outdoor entrance walkway that would offer sheltered space when entering and exiting the building. The school also wanted a new covered area in the school’s central courtyard. These new sheltered spaces would create zones where students could gather, interact and enjoy the outdoors throughout the school year, no matter the season or weather conditions.
The challenge
One of the primary challenges we faced was the fact we had to elevate the entrance walkway canopy to make sure it didn’t interfere with the building’s existing signage. To do this, we had to develop specially designed brackets that would accommodate the increased height.
In addition, the oval-shaped canopy that was chosen for the central courtyard posed a unique challenge due to the numerous trees on site, many of which were protected by Tree Preservation Orders. This meant we had to position the posts at a significant distance from the edge to avoid disrupting the tree’s root systems.
The solution
We proposed our Connekt canopy system for this project. For the entrance walkway canopy, we installed the Connekt on vertical brackets and colour-coded the system in blue to match the building’s existing aesthetics. We also ensured we carefully adjusted the height of the canopy to avoid obstructing the building’s signage.
For the central courtyard area, the Connket Oval system meant we could minimise the number of supporting posts required, keep the canopy away from the protected trees and ensure a great appearance from all angles.
Results
The project was completed as scheduled thanks to clear communication throughout. The finished canopies not only improve the functionality of The Palmer Catholic Academy’s outdoor space by giving students sheltered areas to socialise, but they also contribute to the overall aesthetics of the school. Students can now enjoy the outdoors comfortably without worrying about the weather, creating a more positive learning environment.
