St Peters College PTFE Shade Structure
Project Details
Location: Brisbane, QLD
Completion Date: April 2020
Size: 11m x 14m (165 sqm)
Fabric: PTFE - Chukoh FGT800 LT8
Photography: © Al Morris
A 165 square metre arched PTFE shade structure canopy was erected to provide shade and weather protection for students accessing the sports locker area of St Peters Lutheran College in Brisbane.
The Brief
Located in the centre of the PE and sporting facilities of St Peters Lutheran College, the sports lockers near the changing rooms required a durable canopy to provide sun and weather protection for students when storing their gear before and after sport.
The tight courtyard with non-parallel borders and surrounded by lush gardens required the design to have bespoke geometry in order to provide maximum coverage while fitting around the existing buildings.
The Concept
The school’s consulting builder originally requested the membrane roof connect to the adjoining building, however, to maintain tension on the fabric and the curve of the canopy, we proposed a steel frame designed to fit around the high-side of the adjacent roof and overlap the lower slope of the roof.
The Materials
To add to the complexity of canopy’s position, the structure is located adjacent to a basketball court which was considered a major fire escape route and evacuation point. We suggested that PTFE fabric, with its greater fire-resistance properties, would be more suitable for the position rather than PVC fabric.
Another challenging element of the structure’s location was the tight space to work in. The lockers are surrounded by garden beds on two sides, plus ingress and egress routes via two sets of stairs, making it difficult to find flat, level ground for heavy lifting equipment. Small, maneuverable scissor lifts we employed for working at height, while footings had to be created through a variety of surfaces, such as under pavers and in the garden beds.
The Result
Designing a structure that embraced the challenging geometry, surrounding landscape and need for fire-retardant materials, have all worked to create a stunning addition to the prestigious private school in Brisbane’s leafy suburb of Indooroopilly.
The PTFE shade structure, despite being surrounded by foliage, is still looking as bright and white as the day it was installed – highlighting the incredible dirt-repelling properties of PTFE.
