Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

This was a thoroughly satisfying project to have been involved in – especially for the pet lovers at ArcCan! Battersea is a non-Government funded animal rescue centre for dogs and cats. Battersea rescues dogs and cats until a new home can be found and cares for over 8,000 animals every year.

These animals have usually been subjected to extreme neglect or abuse, and so the healing process can be a slow one. An important part of rebuilding an animal’s strength, fitness and confidence is to gradually increase the amount of time spent outdoors.

So the dogs and cats at Battersea were getting plenty of exercise and fresh air – but what the rescue centre noticed was that there was no area of shade in the paddocks. This meant that the animals were overheating during the summer and time outside during the rainy winter months.

To address this issue, we proposed a series of tensile fabric hypar canopies that would provide reliable waterproof cover over the dog walking areas. Hypar canopies, also known as sail canopies, are brilliant for creating an area of shade that is stylish without enclosing an area too significantly or reducing the amount of light coming into an area.

Four separate Chelsea hypars were installed in one area of the paddocks at evenly spaced intervals, creating 144m² of shelter whilst leaving sufficient open space for dogs to enjoy plenty of sunlight.

Next, two Concord hypars were erected in the next paddock to provide an additional 65m² of all-weather protection. All six structures were completed with galvanised steel posts, white PVC-coated fabric with special Battersea logo branding on each canopy.

If you are looking to create an area of cover that simultaneously acts as a sunshade and a fully waterproof solution – then we would love to hear from you. Contact us today to find out how a tensile fabric canopy can enhance your outdoor space.