Thomas Aveling School, Rochester, Kent

Project	Thomas Aveling School, Rochester, Kent
Scope	MUGA All-Weather Sports Canopy

Setting new standards for all-weather sport and play environments in the education sector.

The Thomas Aveling School is an 11-19 co-educational non-selective secondary school in Rochester, Kent. The school sits in a large expanse of land with playing fields, astroturf courts and multi-play facilities amongst its resources for sport and play.

With an increasing student role for 2021, the School required additional all-weather sports facilities within a capital works budget that would not extend to the construction of an indoor sports hall. An area of netball courts adjacent to the existing sports hall was selected for a potential permanent canopy structure with new fencing, surfacing, lighting and to create new facilities that would reflect the school’s ethos of enhancing educational opportunities for students.

Proposals were developed for an All-Weather-Sports Canopy that would cover 3 tennis, netball and handball courts, a total of 2000m2. The steel frame 40m clear span structure is 50m in length with a PVC tensile membrane cover system, LED lighting and gable end panels. With contract awarded and the structural design in place, concrete pile foundations over 5m in depth were cast by Streetspace civils teams. Working closely with our structural engineers, steel fabrication partners, tensile fabric membrane manufacturers and M&E contractors the Streetspace team completed the stunning 2000m2 structure in March 2021.

MUGA All-Weather Sports Canopy at Thomas Aveling School

Tensile membrane roof covers not only look unobtrusive with their freeform design, they block harmful UV rays and provide superb light transmission that avoids the need for court lighting for much of the day. An additional benefit for adjacent properties is the excellent sound and light absorption properties of the tensile membrane roof cover system. An anti-corrosion paint system for the canopy steelwork was specified due to the sites proximity to the Medway estuary. Streetspace 25 year warranty on the structure provides long term peace of mind for the school.

Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs) in schools are key to keeping students active year-round, supporting a variety of support and play activities within one space. The Thomas Aveling School’s new sportspace365 canopy structure provides an excellent replication of a natural environment, covering the sports area without losing the outside natural feel. The sports canopy creates a bright and open covered area, free from obstructive columns.

The MUGA Canopy is the second tensile membrane structure project for Streetspace at the Thomas Aveling School, with an 1150m2 ORION Barrel Vault courtyard canopy completed summer 2019. The project included demolition of existing hard landscape structures, new drainage, retaining walls, paving and stepped sections to accommodate split level buildings.

For more information, visit our dedicated All-Weather Sports Canopies page.

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