Woodbridge School Prep, Woodbridge, Suffolk

Situated within the historic Suffolk Town of the same name, Woodbridge School Prep was looking to provide shade over an outdoor activity and playground area beside their astro turf pitch. With the area south facing, the space was subject to a lot of exposure to sun during the warmer months, meaning their pupils were vulnerable to harmful UV rays when the space was in use. The local St Mary’s Church added potential complications as a protected view requirement was in place from the school site, limiting the height of any proposed new structures within the sightline.

An initial consultation with subsequent site visits enabled the Streetspace team to assess these specific site considerations, developing a critical understanding of the schools vision for a playground canopy. With the primary objective for the structure to offer essential UV protection for pupils and minimise the risk of sunburn, fabric canopies provided a cost-effective solution to establish shaded space in the schools playground area and create a shield barrier.

An ORION Star canopy was selected to meet the schools ambitions for this project, combining the striking design form of the ORION Star with a shade sail to offer a high level of protection. The single central column offers versatile positioning with minimum disruption to the on-site layouts, with padding placed around the column to protect pupils playing in the space.

Installed during the 2022 summer holidays to be ready for the new school year, the playground canopy is a striking new feature in Woodbridge School Prep’s vibrant outdoor play and learning area. By creating a shaded external safe space, the new structure enables pupils to enjoy their time outdoors even during hot weather!