Guildford Grammar Shade Structures
Project Details
Location: GGS, Guildford WA
Completion Date: 2010-2020
Size: Multiple Structures
Fabric: PVC
Client: Guildford Grammar / Shade Engineering
The Guildford Grammar Shade Structures are a wonderful example of a school creating unique and exciting spaces with tensile membrane structures. Commissioned and constructed over 10+ years, they highlight the school’s commitment to student welfare through creation of outdoor shady school spaces.
The Brief
With budget considerations a factor, Guildford Grammar approached MakMax’s WA representatives and partner, Shade Engineering to design a cost-effective shade structure for their campus in 2010. The result was the installation of a large Monaco Modular umbrella (MS120) and the start of a long relationship between Guildford Grammar and Shade Engineering/MakMax Australia.
The Concept
The first of the Guildford Grammar Shade Structures was a Monaco MS120 structure, which was requested as coverage over an existing paved area between two of school blocks. With the additional of bench seating, this became a cool, shady space for students to enjoy during lunch and recess breaks.
A year later, the school approached Shade Engineering with a unique challenge, to install a similar structure on a raised area between two buildings. The shape of the space meant our normal square modular would not fit, nor would one of our 6 or 8 sided designs. The result was a bespoke 5-sided pentagonal Monaco (MP165).
The Materials
Over the past decade, Shade Engineering have commissioned us to engineer, designed and fabricate a number of shade structures for them to install at the school campus, including
- The original Monaco MS120
- A custom Monaco Pentagonal MP165 in a paved area at the top of some stairs
- A second Monaco Pentagonal MP165 near the basketball courts
- A pair of Monaco’s MH80 & MS60
- 6 x Centra CO50 Architectural Umbrellas dotted around the campus
- 2 x PVC custom shade structures (3.5m x 12m)
The Guildford Grammar Shade Structures are call covered in white PVC from Mehler, the structures, while differing shapes and sizes, all share common design traits to create a unified design aesthetic.
The Result
The school is clearly overjoyed with the quality of the MakMax product, as well as Shade Engineering’s design, delivery and installation skills, and the result is a unique and exciting series of shady areas for student to escape the Perth summer heat during lunch and recess breaks.
