A new innovative canopy has been installed at Alsager School in Cheshire, creating a new outdoor space for students.

The £320,000 development involved the design, build and installation of a sleek new ETFE canopy to enclose what was previously an open courtyard.

Yorkshire-headquartered Access North Build delivered a lightweight steel space frame – the first of its kind supporting an ETFE membrane in the UK – to span the quad.

The greatest challenge of the project was the location and layout of the outdoor space, which was enclosed by existing buildings on all sides.

As a result, the superstructure, which is over 400 square feet in size, had to be assembled in the school car park before being carefully manoeuvred over the establishment and precisely into position on the pre-installed locating bolts.

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Access North Group managing director, Berenice Northcott added: "This type of ETFE enclosure provides an extremely beneficial space for organisations within the education sector where student wellbeing is crucial. Additionally, the new ETFE canopy has a design life of 70 years providing it is regularly maintained, but if the time comes when it is no longer required, the ETFE membrane and steel space frame are recyclable, extending the environmental-friendliness of the build with the circular economy in mind.

"We relished the challenges of this particular project. Craning a huge space frame over a school and courtyard – which was bordered on all sides – without damaging buildings or people, was a testament to the planning, organisation and attention to detail of the team. The new roof has transformed a previously under-utilised area into a light and airy multifunctional space, resulting in a positive impact on staff and pupils."

(CM/JG)