Helston Community College

Customer Objective

The objective for this canopy was to provide students with an outdoor covered area, an area that could be used at lunch time and in free periods. There is no other outside space which is covered at the college and they were looking to provide more cover, so students could move from the congested inside areas.

Problem solving with the canopy design

The area chosen for the canopy was a courtyard where students congregate at break times. The college wanted a large canopy for this area and possibly an additional canopy should the first one prove popular. The college wanted to create a dry area where they could put some seating/benches out if required.

Choosing the right product

The Connekt system was chosen, purely because of the aesthetic appeal and the fact that there are no posts at the front edge allowing for free flowing traffic………no posts to bump into.

Installing the Canopy

Whilst the canopy design was perfect for the college the installation of the canopy was particularly difficult due to access to the courtyard. This was overcome with a new design to the post element of the canopy. Rather than using one fabricated post our structural engineer changed the design to create a post fabricated in sections. This meant the post sections could be transported and manoeuvred easier, overcoming the accessibility problem. The post was erected in stages and bolted together removing the need for any large machinery.

Interesting facts about the canopy

The new design of the Umbrella canopy post will make future projects easier and also increase the opportunities to sell the system further. In the past if access was unsuitable this may have restricted the option to choose such a canopy as a single post is both heavy and awkward.

Helston Community College
Church Hill
Helston
TR13 8NR