It’s long been known that the American school system has an infrastructure problem. In 2018, the Government Accountability Office reported showing that 28 million students were attending school in buildings in need of extensive repair. These building deficiencies, including lack of proper ventilation and dysfunctional HVAC systems, leaky roofs and other structural decay, and crowded, crumbling classrooms that could not meet student educational needs were described as a “national crisis.”
In the summer of 2020, the Government Accountability Office performed another assessment of the country’s school buildings and found that these problems persisted. In fact, as many as one third of all public schools are believed to have inadequate ventilation, heating, and air conditioning. This deferred maintenance presents new problems for school districts.
And now, during the COVID pandemic when getting kids back into the classroom safely is a high priority, adequate ventilation, functional HVAC and ample space for social distancing are mandatory. Yet many schools have facility and space issues that make these accommodations problematic without adding new building capacity.
Modular Fabric Buildings Provide Safe Learning Spaces
Social distancing is the key to keeping students safe indoors during the coronavirus pandemic, but the nation’s schools were not built to accommodate this need. Traditional classrooms are built for size efficiency. In these spaces, students are intentionally kept together in a collaborative learning environment. Space between desks was never meant to be 6 feet, as it must be now. Schools need fast solutions to provide safe classrooms so children can get the classroom experience that is vital to their education and social and emotional growth.
Tension fabric buildings are rising to this modern challenge with efficient and spacious modular structures that can be sized to fit available space, whether it’s on school playgrounds, parking lots, or even turf or gravel. Benefits of these versatile fabric buildings on school campuses include:
- Customizable. Allsite’s tension fabric school buildings are designed to be customizable for the school’s specific needs. These structures range in size, with various options for doors, ventilation, anchorage, lighting and other features. The building’s interior is clear span, with no posts or other impediments. This allows the interior to be divided into separate spaces for safety, social distancing and efficiency, such as separate classrooms or group activity enclosures.
- Quick construction. Permanent buildings usually require years of planning and construction before they can be finished, but modular tension fabric school buildings can be quickly configured, delivered and installed, ready to use in a matter of weeks from order.
- Affordable. These buildings can be leased and don’t require capital budget funds as would a traditional school building. When they are no longer needed, they can be removed, leaving no permanent trace on the site, or they can be easily relocated to another school property for further use.
Allsite Tension Fabric Structures Temporary School Buildings
Allsite tension fabric structures provide schools with a unique solution for additional classroom, sports or other space needs. These structures are designed for year-round use. Turnkey packages can be leased, depending on the needs of the school district, to create short-term solutions in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, or as long-term solutions to on-going problems of school overcrowding, ailing school buildings or school renovations.
Accommodate Classroom Technologies
With some students working virtually and others performing in-person work, classrooms are more dependent on technology than ever before. Tension fabric school buildings can be used for teaching students on site or remotely. The structures are UV and weather resistant, safe from outdoor conditions. They can be fit with HVAC to keep the interior comfortable for students and teachers, and keep the technology inside safe and functional.
Provide Students the Space They Need
Students need healthy ventilation and space to make comfortable, safe learning possible. Tension fabric buildings can be as large as needed to provide students adequate space to socially distance at their desks, while also benefiting from in-person learning. High ceilings and ventilation features provide fresh air circulation, and no interior poles or other impediments make it easy to set up classrooms so all can see the teacher, follow lessons and take part in other school activities.
Durability to Stand Up to Year-Round Weather
Durability and structural stability are important features for administrators seeking to install modular buildings on their property. Allsite tension fabric buildings are the strongest fabric structures designed for rental applications. They are built on a high strength, engineered aluminum alloy frame covered by tensioned, heavy duty architectural grade fabric. This long-lived, low maintenance structure is fully able to withstand snow, rain and a variety of other weather conditions and can provide decades of reliable service.
Comfort and Convenience
Allsite tension fabric school buildings feature covers that are UV resistant, The bright white interior means less artificial lighting is needed than with a traditional building. They help reflect unwanted heat in the summer, and resist heat loss in the winter. The interior of each structure can be heated or cooled as desired, to ensure students are comfortable and housed in conditions desirable for learning.
Ultimate Flexibility
There’s a reason that Allsite tension fabric structures have been selected for sports facilities, churches, public meeting halls and homeless shelters, as well as for schools. They’re flexible and easily adapt to almost any need for comfortable extra indoor space. Space can be divided into separate areas with internal fabric walls, which means there is more usable space in one structure so that additional separate structures are not needed. The buildings are easily expandable in length or they can be reduced in length as needs change.
Safe Learning Facilities with Allsite Tension Fabric Buildings
Safe school learning facilities are available now with an Allsite tension fabric building customized to the size and features your school needs. Contact us today for a free consultation on your learning facility’s needs and goals.
