St. Joseph’s Primary School

St. Joseph’s Primary school in Aldershot caters for children aged 4 – 11, and recently underwent building works, to increase the school size and facilities. This extension programme included a large WeatherSpan canopy from Waverley that adds over 175 m2 of covered learning space adjacent to classrooms. St Joseph’s had installed two WeatherSpan canopies some years ago, and being impressed with how the canopies had retained their initial appearance without rusting and fading they again selected to install a freestanding mono pitch canopy to the rear elevation of the modular building.

Primary schools often find themselves lacking in space to effectively teach and manage the young students. Waverley is familiar with this problem, having previously helped many schools maximise their learning space. Canopies can be used for various applications, including covered outdoor play areas, covered teaching areas, and sheltered walkways between buildings.

Side in-fill panels increase protection from wind & rain

The modular building was constructed between two existing buildings and is set in from the back of the buildings to create a sheltered alcove. The canopy was required to fill this alcove as well as running the length of the rear elevation. Waverley’s specialist design team visited site and created design drawings for the schools’ approval. One end of the canopy finished just before a steep slope that exposed the area behind the building to high winds, so the design included solid end panels to provide additional shelter. Panels are constructed of double wall aluminium panels and are powder coated to match the canopy.

Cooperation with ground workers reduces risk of slips in icy weather

Waverley also helped plan the groundworks, to ensure drains were located directly adjacent to the canopy posts. This enabled the school to take advantage of the canopy’s unique integral drainage feature. The plastic downpipes are concealed inside the front posts of the canopy and exit just above the finished ground level to deposit rain water directly into the drains. This means there is no surface water run-off from the canopy reducing the risk of slips in wet and icy weather. The generous integral gutter canopy was also sufficient to take rainwater from the roof of the modular building.

As the canopy was installed, the competent and qualified installation team worked with the school and main contractor, to ensure the installation did not affect the general running of the school, including working around the laying of tarmac underneath the canopy. The canopy integrated perfectly with the drainage system, including taking rainwater from the building’s roof, and the job was completed on time, and under budget.

Spanning a length of 30m, with a 5m projection; and integrating with an underground drainage system, the WeatherSpan canopy’s ability to fit seamlessly into any building design and layout has resulted in a vast improvement in the school’s learning environment.