St Thomas More Catholic School, Blaydon, Tyne & Wear

A central aspect of a courtyard regeneration project tendered by the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust (BWCET), these TRITON Mono canopies provide over 230m² of covered outdoor dining space for the students of St Thomas More Catholic School in Blaydon, Tyne & Wear.

Seeking to create a new dining area that could provide shelter and shade for students during break and lunch times, while helping to relieve congestion from the school’s existing dining hall, a tender set out by the BWCET comprised requirements for the design, supply, deliver and installation of an external canopy with surfacing works, as well as the relocation of an existing outdoor food pod to the space.

A series of site visits enabled the Streetspace team to secure insight into the trust’s progressive vision for this project, assessing the proposed area for the dining canopy, which comprised an under-utilised, large gravelled area with picnic benches. With the tender specifying a durable product with minimal maintenance requirements and an assurance of longevity, design proposals were developed for two canopy options in-line with the trust’s specifications, alongside a draft programme of works.

Included were 2no. TRITON Mono canopies are designed with overlapping polycarbonate roof panels, providing a strong balance of shelter, shade and protection from UV rays, while ensuring maximum coverage of the area. Designed and manufactured with a highly-durable all-steel frame, the school’s corporate colours were integrated into the structure’s steelwork.

With the project falling under the scope of Permitted Development, Streetspace Project Managers were able to work through the process of design, logistics and installation to ensure all project details were in-place and confirmed with BWCET, ensuring a quick turnaround once project works commenced on-site. In-line with the requirements of the tender, the canopies were installed during the school summer holidays.

The complete project has created a valuable outdoor dining and hub area for students that, combined with the relocated food pod, helps to reduce pressure on the school’s existing dining hall, while offering opportunities to increase revenue.