Shade for Outdoor Classrooms

Toronto Amphitheatre

Hillsborough Library

Key Considerations

When designing shade for Outdoor Classrooms, creating a safe outdoor space that maximises the available area is our primary consideration. Due to recent events requiring the implementation of physical distancing, many establishments are now looking to maximise the areas available to them to create extra space. An outdoor classroom can be as simple as a shaded area with bench seating or something more complex such as an amphitheatre. Popular shade solutions for Outdoor Classrooms include free span fabric structures and many of our single-mast structures.

A Safe Space

Temperature Reduction – Our shade structures have been shown to significantly reduce the temperature of outdoor spaces, which is particularly important for large groups of children who are spending extended periods of time outside. Ensuring the comfort of students outside is not only an important safety measure but can help improve students’ concentration and overall enjoyment.

UV-Protection – One of the most important aspects to consider when planning an outdoor classroom is protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays. We offer a range of fabric types, all of which provide over 90% UV protection and many of which come with a 10+ year UV degradation warranty.

All-Weather Capability – In addition to our regular shade fabric, many of our shade structures are also available in waterproof fabric, which further extends the use of your facility into the shoulder seasons and during inclement weather days. Waterproof fabric can also be combined with Flush Track, which connects on side of a shade sail to an existing structure, which is great for entranceways or any space running parallel to a wall.

Shade Design Flexibility

When shading a facility that is used throughout the day, Shade Design plays an important role in ensuring maximum usage of the space. Certain shade structures, particularly Free-span Shade Structures, can be customized to provide shade at specific times of the day. We use software to analyse the position of the sun during key times of the day and can ensure your area is shaded during these times by adjusting the post and attachment point position.

Retrofit Possibilities

Many of our shade solutions are ideal for retrofitting into an existing facility, particularly those without substantial footings such as hip structures and kwik shade structures. The ability to install shade easily and quickly allows you to maximise the space available at your facility while keeping the construction time and cost to a minimum. We can also make use of your existing facility, for example, attaching to an existing structure, which can also help minimize cost and get your outdoor classroom shaded as quickly as possible.

Fabric & Colour

We offer a selection of fabric types in a broad range of colours that can be matched to your branding or equipment. Sails can be customized to your specifications with logos, multiple colours and much more. Posts can also be powder-coated in a variety of colours offering a large range of combinations.