Outside Structure Solutions are specialist suppliers of shade and shelter canopies for all applications. With an extensive and diverse range it has meant that they have a canopy to suit you.

This year has seen an increase in popularity of canopies with retractable roofs, and this has been backed up by Outside Structure Solutions becoming an Official Factory installer (one of only three in the UK) for the Gibus range of structures.

The retractable range is constantly expanding. The most popular are currently the Med range which are fixed to the building at the rear and then slope forward to a set of permanent front legs. The roof retracts electrically to allow you to make the most of the sun and then shuts at the touch of a button for when the weather turns inclement. 

We have just finished installing a large Med Unica which has an aluminium frame at the Savannah Café and Bar in Haywards Heath. It was to replace an existing structure which was no longer providing them with the quality of outside canopy that they needed. In designing the new structure Outside Structure Solutions paid special attention to providing something that would enable them to use their terrace all year whilst also enabling the majority of the area to be enclosed with vertically retractable roller walls. The front of the premises now looks fresh and upmarket, and they are already seeing an upturn in trade.

Similar structures have also been installed at the Samuel Barlow Canalside Pub in Tamworth where they have fully enclosed an area overlooking their picturesque marina. It has been used as a casual seating area with sofas and armchairs, an exclusive dining area as well as being cleared and used for a disco! The canopy has enabled the pub to create a special space with the best views in the area.

Just before Easter we finished a great project on a smaller scale by installing a timber framed Med Elite for a small café which was in converted arches on the seafront in Southend. Small cafés have been running from the arches for years using old fashioned “butcher shop” awnings which are pulled out every day. In a break from tradition, Coastal Bite has opted for a retractable canopy to both make life easier and to make a statement. As part of a complete re-fit, the Med Elite has helped make Coastal Bite one of the cafés to be seen in.

Exploiting the diverse nature of the product range, Outside Structure Solutions were pleased to be asked to supply and install a large retractable sail shade for the Forestry Commission in Yorkshire. As part of a huge refurbishment of the Visitor Centre at Dalby Forest, we provided a 9m x 9m Ethos retractable sail. The largest of its kind in the UK it was installed in time for the Grand Opening on the May Bank Holiday. It proved so popular that people were already using it before the installation team had even loaded their vehicles!

But this is not the whole story for Outside Structure Solutions. As the name suggests we are in the business of finding solutions for your shade and shelter problems. Whilst the retractable structures are undeniably great to both look at, and use, for some customers this is not what is required. There is a whole range of fixed roof structures which can be free-standing or lean-to depending on location. The roof materials can either be polycarbonate or tensioned PVC fabric. This gives a broad range meaning that we are rarely unable to provide something to suit your application.

Earlier in the year we were asked by the Malt Shovel Tavern in Northampton to provide some designs for a structure to replace some ageing awnings. The customer liked the idea of a glass roof, but the costs were very high, so we offered one of our Mendip lean-to structures into which we substituted a solid polycarbonate roof. With the look of glass but at reduced cost and weight, all were happy. Just two days were all it took to change the rear terrace into an area that could be used all year.

If this has whetted your appetite and would like to know more about the world of Outside Structure Solutions, please get in touch. Our sales and installation teams are very experienced and will help you to come up with a canopy that fits your requirements, whilst making the whole process as easy as possible.

Please visit our website at www.OutsideStructures.co.uk or call us on 0844 561 7679