St Christopher’s Prep School, Hove, East Sussex

The first stage of a redevelopment project for St Christopher’s Prep School in Hove, East Sussex, installation of these timber canopies was recently completed to provide effective covered space in the school’s playground environment. Leading the redevelopment was PJC Consultancy Ltd, an arboricultural, ecological and landscape design consultancy operating in the south-east of England. One of the main feeder schools for Brighton College, the principal aim of the redevelopment was to enhance the design of the school’s playground, modernising the more traditional Victorian design of the main school building.

Combined with the strong visual appeal of timber, glulam structures are an ideal solution for environments with salt-rich air. Compared with equivalent steel-base structures, timber isn’t subject to issues with corrosion or rust, and with the school situated close to the English Channel, this would help ensure longevity while reducing maintenance requirements and the need for protective coatings.

A detailed consultation process with PJC Consultancy’s Principal Landscape Designer Tim Ruffles outlined specifications for a multi-use canopy alongside an additional timber cycle shelter, with the position and quantity of structural posts a key consideration for the canopy to ensure safety for pupils using the space. This was followed by an on-site survey to gain a first-hand perspective of the schools available space for the canopies, with these key processes ultimately enabling the Streetspace team to secure crucial understanding of the requirements for this project in order to develop effective design solutions.

Final design proposals for the project included 2no. TAURUS Glulam canopies with polycarbonate roof-types. The larger 38m² timber canopy would provide multi-use covered space for pupils, to be situated alongside a multi-use games area (MUGA) with an artificial turf surfacing. With dimensions of 10m2, the smaller cycle canopy was installed to provide effective shelter for 6no. existing Sheffield stands installed adjacent to the schools main building, ensuring effective protection from inclement weather for bikes stored.

Included in the full package of works was the installation of 5no. secure outdoor storage units with ForestPanel SW TGV timber cladding, selected to replace and update existing storage sheds on the school’s playground. With groundworks completed by others, installation commenced and was completed during the 2023 school summer holidays.