St Peter’s Roman Catholic High School, Manchester

Despite their newly built facilities, St Peter’s were facing a tricky problem: the lack of shelter for pupils in their outside recreational areas. A courtyard adjoining the dining hall was an ideal location for a new covered area, but the odd rhomboid shape and tricky access made finding a suitable solution somewhat difficult. The transmission of natural light to adjacent classrooms also needed careful consideration.

Areas like this are simple to cover with Streetspace’s flexible canopy designs, so we installed a stunning 15.5m x 14.5m Orion Barrel vault tensile membrane canopy which provides a covered yet still fresh air space where students can socialise at break and lunchtimes. The structure was installed on a very quick turnaround during the summer break, ready for the new academic year.

The school are extremely pleased with the completed project. Chris Sharples, the site manager commented that “both staff and pupils love the design and the practicality of the canopy, and we now have a space where large numbers of pupils can shelter in adverse weather conditions. Our design brief and additional needs were met 100%.”