Building Schools for the Future has been described as a programme of unprecedented scale and vision, aiming to transform education for every young person and teacher in the country.

The team here at Fabric Architecture are perfectly placed to help your BSF project deliver on its promise to design and build schools for the 21st century.

Providing tensile fabric structures for schools is an area of particular expertise and experience for Fabric Architecture. We take pride in offering the most extensive range of designs and prices available in the industry.

Our Signature Structure range draws on years of experience providing practical solutions while Design and Build custom projects are undertaken from concept to installation for any size venture.

Partnerships

The company takes great pride in working closely with head teachers, architects, councils, main contractors and especially the kids to create a learning environment that can make a difference.

Working in partnership to create a space where the students can take ownership and are filled with a sense of pride produces many intangible benefits. Our use of space, colour, texture, form and function bring together designs that inspire students and the wider community.

Situated in the heart of Gloucestershire, Fabric Architecture is fortunate to be surrounded by a wealth of highly skilled manufacturing trades.  Steel fabrication and finishing, canopy pattern cutting and fabrication, fixings and machining are all within a twenty-five mile radius of our offices. 

This allows us to maintain close working relationships with suppliers, whilst boosting the local economy.  As a result, a minimal carbon footprint is created in controlling the quality and efficiency of our suppliers and fabricators. 

With a wealth of purchasing knowledge we also have the flexibility to source suppliers local to your project, and are already well versed in out-sourcing steel manufacture, specifically for projects within the BSF Programme.

Flexible Use

Our structures are designed to allow for flexibility in their use.  Imagine a typical day in the life of one of our structures:

08:45 Drop off point for parents   
10:00 Outdoor classroom for the art students 
11:00 Games time for the PE class   
12:00 Sun shelter during playtime   
14:00 Outdoor science lab
15:00 Pick up point for parents
18:00 Community Tai Chi class for seniors
20:00 Outdoor Concert for all the community
 

Sustainability

Fabric Architecture recognises that it has a responsibility to meet the environmental challenges that arise through its own operations. Sustainability is the cornerstone of the BSF program and we here at Fabric Architecture are excited to be able to help you achieve your Carbon Reduction Commitment goal. Our Solar Glass Weave (SGW) fabric is the perfect eco-build medium and is made from strands of glass coated in silicone. This can provide an added dimension to your project with a non-toxic, recyclable, 30+ year life span. SGW blocks all of the harmful UV rays but allows the good ones to pass through so grass and plants can continue to grow underneath.

Water management is also a large part of the sustainability goal. Many of our structures have built in water management systems so that the water can be harvested for many purposes, perhaps even to help support a school learning garden.

BSF Activities

There are a number of things we are working on to create the most unique and community focused projects possible. We are creating story telling spaces, performance areas and even student life-spaces that encourage young people to stay on campus longer as well as multi-use areas that will be enjoyed by the wider community.

We have also created legacy curriculum materials for schools, all relating to tensile fabric structures, working with The Sorrell Foundation on an ongoing basis, to provide fabric samples, fun science fact sheets and high resolution images. We are finding that many of the pupil-clients are already specifying canopies for their schools and are now able to add these materials to their brief, to articulate their aspirations for exciting outdoor spaces.

Visit The Sorrell Foundation website.

Investigating New Technologies

Fabric Architecture are leading the market in creating multi-purpose outdoor learning spaces for today’s students as well as tomorrow’s. We are investigating wind turbines attached to our masts as well as Solar technology which can be embedded into the fabric providing sustainable energy to power screens and whiteboards. Wi-Fi technology can also play an integral part of your outdoor classroom keeping everyone connected. Our aim is to help your school transform the outdoors into a multi-purpose, inspirational space where students can work, play and relax.

Congratulations to you and your BSF Team

We know the hard work and dedication a programme like this requires. Fabric Architecture work on the same principles and continue to be committed to the BSF Scheme.