Oakhill College, a leading independent school based in Sydney’s west, was seeking to redevelop an underutilised area on the school grounds. The goal was to transform the space into a multipurpose facility, capable of supporting a diverse range of activities, from lunch breaks and social events, to outdoor classes.

The brief

To enable their vision, the school engaged Alfresco Shade to manage the installation of a shade structure, significant in both size and complexity.

Having worked with Alfresco Shade in the past, key members of the school’s decision-making committee were confident they could deliver against the project objectives.

Solution

The size and nature of the project presented several challenges for the team at Alfresco Shade. The area to be covered was constructed over an old swimming pool, which meant careful planning was required for excavation and installation.

Bleachers built at the edge of the space were popular among both students and teachers alike, and covering them would mean the shade sails would need a 33-metre span, rather than the standard 30 metres. This, in turn, necessitated larger columns to support the sails’ weight, with a diameter of 323mm. 

Through consultation with the Gale Pacific team, Alfresco Shade recommended Commercial Heavy 430 FR – the high strength fabric was ideal for this application given its size, and being fire retardant, it gave the school added peace of mind.

“We recommended Commercial Heavy 430 FR based on its strength and fire retardant capability. We’re seeing increasing demand for FR fabric in several sectors, particularly councils, and some segments within the education industry,” said Ben Westcott, Alfresco Shade.

Commercial Heavy 430 FR also features an exclusive Cancer Council endorsement. It’s engineered in Australia to withstand extreme weather conditions on large scale tension structures, and made with a 100% round monofilament yarn, supported by a patented intertwining knit pattern.

Result

With the bulk of the installation done over the school holidays, the team at Alfresco Shade was able to minimise disruption for the school.

Oakhill College now has a multipurpose space that can accommodate a range of activities and functions. Visually the area now has a modern, welcome appeal that offsets the college grounds, and the school community has peace of mind knowing the shade sails are both fire retardant and Cancer Council endorsed.