Hillingdon Hospital, London – Case Study

Product: The Coniston Wall Mounted Canopy
Size: 1no.16.2m x 2.7-6m and 5no. 5.6m x 2.5m
Canopy Modifications: Rear Posts and Planter Boxes Canopy
Canopy Frame Colour: Hipca White RAL 9910
Planter Box Colour: Signal Blue RAL 5005
Installation Date: December 2020
Consultants: The Blue Iris Partnership
Architect: Murphy Philips LLP

The Brief
Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge, London were undergoing a refurbishment and required additional facilities to help keep their patients, staff and visitors dry and sheltered when arriving and leaving the hospital.

The project, which was managed by Kier Construction and Blue Iris Partnerships, included a number of canopies along the entrance to their emergency department where patients and ambulances arrive 24/7.

Although Able Canopies were not specified on the drawings created by the Architect at Murphy Philips LLP, Kier Construction were keen to put Able Canopies forward and explained to the Architect that we are well known to them, we’re already on their supply chain. And we have previously worked together on many projects which would speed up the procurement process.

A speedy installation was an important factor, because the hospital had an ever-increasing need for outside cover due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Their staff, patients and visitors had to wait outside more frequently due to the current restrictions in place.

The Solution
When putting our product forward to the Architect, Kier Construction explained that while our product wasn’t specified, the main features were in fact equal to the specified product and are designed for use in commercial settings, making it the perfect solution.

This product is the Coniston Wall Mounted Canopy which is an extremely versatile, commercial grade structure that met all the features required by both the Architect and the hospital including: A mono-pitch structure, integral guttering and drainage to the ground floor with no visible gutters, constructed from 100% non-corrosive material (aluminium) and a non-fragile polycarbonate roof system.

Even though the Coniston is a wall mounted structure, some of the canopies detailed in this project needed to be free standing as the existing ramp that the canopy would cover is a distance from the wall. This was not an issue as the Coniston can be installed with rear posts transforming it into a free standing canopy.

The final design consisted of six Coniston Wall Mounted Canopies connected to create a bespoke walkway from the bottom of the existing ramp leading up to and including the A&E departments’ main entrance. As shown in the drawing on page 4, the design featured odd shapes, with lots of level changes however, this is exactly what the Coniston was made for and it was therefore easily achieved. The order was placed by Blue Iris Partnership, the consultants that were working on the project.

The Coniston Wall Mounted Canopy posts usually require installation into concrete pads below the surface of the ground however, due to the ramp being elevated with no possibility of digging foundations, these needed to be surface mounted. We therefore used steel planters measuring 500mm x 500mm x 1250mm filled with concrete to combat this issue. All calculated by the structural engineer to ensure the canopies complied to wind & snow loadings.

The Installation
We were the main contractor for the canopy installation and so all aspects of health and safety and site setup was organised and managed by Able Canopies. We attended multiple pre-construction site meetings in the lead up to the installation. This ensured the site provided safe pedestrian and vehicle access to the hospital and to ensure the installation ran smoothly.

The canopy was installed over the space of 10 days and included night, day and weekend work to accommodate keeping key sections of the hospital open whilst the canopies were being installed.

All parties involved with the project were happy with the end result and the product installed by Able Canopies. We were particularly pleased with the result including the very quick turnaround achieved from inception to completion, especially given the complexity of the job.

If you would like to find out more about our products and how we can help you with your outdoor shade and shelter project, email us: sales@ablecanopies.co.uk or call us on: 0800 389 9072