Shade Structure

[cortney...@gmail.com]

Hi All - 

We have a large empty space in the middle of our school garden and want to create a 20' by 20' seating area with shade. I am looking into using a shade sail but open to all ideas. What do you use for shade in your school garden? If it is a large structure did you install it or have it installed? Of course we would be using this after we're all back in school and safe. I'm just trying to get information now so we're ready when that happens.

Thank you!

Cortney

[Moses Thompson]

Are there existing structures to anchor a shade cloth or shade sails or will you install posts?

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[cortney...@gmail.com]

Good question! We are located in Northern VA and the garden is in an inner courtyard in the school. There are no shade trees and no existing structures to anchor a shade cloth. 

Thanks,

Cortney

[Denise Rowcroft]

While this would not be a solution for this year, this dermatology association has shade structure grants available that could potentially fund a permanent installation in the future.

https://www.aad.org/public/public-health/shade-structure-grants

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Denise Rowcroft

she/her/hers (learn more)

Program Manager

GARDEN FOR EVERY SCHOOL 

a project of the environmental center

den...@envirocenter.org  l  541.385.6908 x 14
16 NW Kansas Ave. Bend, OR 97703  l  envirocenter.org

Please note, I am working irregular hours part-time from home M-F during this time, and can be reached via cell phone at 541-312-8700.

[John Fisher]

Great question. 

Here is the most complete resource I have seen related to outdoor shade structures created by the National Covid-19 Teach Outdoor Initiative, they have been sharing a great collection of resources:

https://www.greenschoolyards.org/shelter

Here are some more resources and ideas to add to the mix, but I will start with a failed structure that I built. The weight of this cloth was too much for this structure built with on 4x4 posts set in concrete. Rain and wind made the 4x4 posts tilt inward when the soil got moist. 

The next photo shows our solution with is a more substantial structure. The shade cloth is secured using a green house material wire lock product

Find photos of outdoor school garden gathering spaces here

View Washington DC School Garden Design Elements Photo Albums and here https://lifelab.org/for-educators/schoolgardens/gardenphotos/

We have had discussions the topic of shade structures in the past, See these threads

https://groups.google.com/g/school-garden-network/c/90yaUQi9xm4/m/YpI0r8VBBwAJ

https://groups.google.com/g/school-garden-network/c/KvT39YNFIrI/m/gX77rT8nDQAJ

As you consider shade structures and if you want your structure to last in to the future, consider checking with your district's regulations. I know in CA permanent structures need to be approved by architects or more easily selected from a list of pre approved products that our state has created. See the "Approved pre-checklist" on this site https://www.dgs.ca.gov/DSA/Resources/Page-Content/Resources-List-Folder/Databases-and-Listings and then look for shade structures which includes permanent and temporary options that have been pre approved.

Here is the most complete resource I have seen related to outdoor shade structures created by the National Covid-19 Teach Outdoor Initiative, they have been sharing a great collection of resources:

https://www.greenschoolyards.org/shelter

May the shade be with you!

John Fisher

www.lifelab.org

[m...@esynyc.org]

I wanted to second John's recommendation - the Green Schoolyards website. One of the shade structures I built appears on that page. It's an adapted high tunnel kit (from FarmTek) with bamboo fencing over it to provide shade. That structure has stood up to wind and (recently) snow with no problems at all. It's on concrete, anchored to a heavy recycled-plastic baseboard. I ordered 2 reinforcing trusses to make sure the structure didn't shift around.

You can cover the high tunnel structure with a shade cloth, which is easy to put on and take off and can go far enough down the sides to block low sun in the afternoon. However, you can't leave the shade cloth up if it snows where you are. I learned that the hard way - a second shade structure we built using a high tunnel kit collapsed last month because we left the shade cloth up. I'm Puerto Rican, so I know plenty about shade but not much about snow! Also, if your structure is in an exposed area, make sure it is anchored and reinforced to stand up to wind. Shade cloth can really exert a huge force when it is subjected to wind.

- mirem

[cortney...@gmail.com]

Hi John,

Thank you for all this information. I've finally had the time to look through and start figuring out what we want to do. We are thinking of having 4 poles and a shade sail, but after seeing your photos I'm not curious about your new set up. Can you tell me more about it? Is that a shade sail on the top? How big is your structure? Are the posts attached to concrete footers, not in the concrete? Do you have the plans for this type of structure?

Thanks,

Cortney

On Friday, February 26, 2021 at 2:04:13 PM UTC-5 John Fisher wrote: