Protecting children’s health means, in particular, installing shade systems in schoolyards. The heat island phenomenon is also a feature of many schoolyards, in both town and country, with adjacent buildings limiting air circulation, and almost ubiquitous asphalt accentuating this phenomenon.
Oasis courtyards are gradually appearing all over the country, often as part of large-scale projects that include stripping (partial or total removal of asphalt), ground vegetation, tree planting, playground equipment… and a better distribution of pupils in the courtyard: the courtyard is no longer just for boys.
Protecting our children from the heat, starting in spring, is a public health imperative. Protected children are less sick, more attentive at school and more focused.
School grounds are increasingly being used for ALSH activities, so it’s no longer a question of protecting children outside school vacations… it’s now a question of protecting them all year round.
We’re all looking for shade from trees or plants in hot weather. Under a plant canopy, there are two main phenomena that contribute to this “feeling” of coolness.
Plants breathe. Plants evapotranspire.
The energy required to convert water from its liquid phase to its gaseous phase is extracted from the ambient air, which naturally cools down. We can expect a few degrees of reduction in the “dry bulb” temperature under a plant canopy, generally between 1 and 3°C.
The greater the quantity of water evapotranspired, the greater the local cooling of the air.
For the system to be effective, it is essential to have generous plant cover, with plants adapted to their environment.
At Sinallagma, we prefer to grow plants in the ground, as they are significantly more resilient than potted plants, which are subject to the ravages of solar radiation (a metal pot heats up) and variable water supply.
Besides… who’d want to live in a pot?
The key to the feeling of coolness under a canopy of vegetation lies in the phenomenon of radiation.
All bodies, even those with different surface temperatures, radiate towards each other. A transfer of energy (a physical flow that can be determined from Stefan-Boltzmann’s laws) is established from the hottest body to the coldest.
This is what we feel in summer, when a cloud passes in full sunlight, a sensation of falling temperature, whereas we are unable to objectify such a fall on the thermometer. It’s the sensation of a “cold wall” in winter when approaching a glass surface. Or the sensation of warmth near a wood fire.
Plants evapotranspirate for photosynthesis and to maintain a reasonable foliage temperature. This temperature is often lower (around 18 to 25°C) than our skin surface temperature (above 30°C in summer). Our skin, when close to vegetation cover, radiates heat towards the plants.. This transfer of energy creates a feeling of well-being that cannot be experienced under a parasol or any other non-vegetated shade structure, where the surface temperature will be higher than that of our skin.
We have also highlighted this phenomenon in relation to ground temperature, which drops significantly under the plant canopy, which itself radiates less (or even negatively) towards our bodies in summer.
Above is a photograph taken in the town of Paimpont in June 2024 using a thermal camera. We can see a 15°C difference on the ground between the area in the sun and its immediate neighbor in the shade of vegetation. The dark area corresponds to the vegetation cover and certain areas of shade on the ground. For the record, this small shade structure ( Telhouët 3m) was installed on asphalt and paving stones.
The number of new cases of skin cancer more than tripled between 1990 and 2023. According to the National Cancer Institute, skin carcinomas account for 90% of skin cancers diagnosed in France.
To prevent the erosion of our “sun capital,” it is essential to protect our children from an early age.
Installing shade structures with dense vegetation helps limit the risk of direct sun exposure in schoolyards and elsewhere.
Who would want a chemical-filled environment for their children?
At Sinallagma, we have opted for the development of wooden structures that are completely natural and sustainable. Focusing solely on the use of local resources, we have chosen chestnut wood, which is undeniably durable outdoors and does not require chemical treatment.
Unlike Class IV treated pine, which is full of chemicals, our structures are naturally durable. We also guarantee them for 15 years.
Chestnut wood is known to last, depending on the class of use,
Chestnut wood is the wood that “our ancestors” used to build the calvaries scattered throughout our countryside… and that no one repaints every year.
Plants play a key role in improving air quality in schoolyards. They act as natural filters, capturing fine particles and various pollutants that can harm children’s respiratory health. Through photosynthesis, they also absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and release oxygen, thereby contributing to a more breathable environment.
Some plants can even purify the soil and water around them. By installing suitable, well-maintained plants in schoolyards, we not only improve air quality but also the well-being of students, while raising awareness of the importance of nature.
The Sinallagma chestnut wood shade structures are the subject of a calculation note produced by an independent engineering firm, Origine Structures, based in Bordeaux. A team of structural engineers specializing in timber construction applied the EUROCODE 5 calculation method applicable to timber-framed buildings.
We chose Perpignan as the location in order to use the snow and wind assumptions considered to be the most unfavorable in mainland France.
Sinallagma developed ambitious specifications to ensure user safety, namely :
Our furniture revives the traditional joinery techniques of the Compagnons du Devoir carpenters.
Tenon-mortise, fork joints, half-lap joints… our team is completely fascinated by the beauty of these ancestral architectural techniques, which inspired us to honor them by developing durable and robust structures made of chestnut wood.
To ensure installation is carried out according to best practice, Sinallagma designs precise assembly instructions, detailing each step.
The bars that make up each structure are stamped, ensuring unambiguous identification.
In addition, the principle of reciprocal assembly leaves no room for error, as each piece has its own unique place, making it impossible to make a mistake.
A team of professional installers can take care of the complete installation of Sinallagma shade structures.
You’d like to do it, but you don’t have the time. And that’s understandable.
That’s why we offer tailor-made support for local authorities and design offices.
From supply alone to installation with mature plants, which will be effective as soon as they are planted, it’s up to you to choose according to your desires and constraints.
Here are the typical steps of a project
You can also opt for supply of structures and plants only, with installation by the city’s technical teams, with our assistance.
The typical installation time for a Telhouët shade structure with a diameter of 5m is half a day, including planting.
These structures are easy to install in hard-to-reach locations using compact, manual lifting equipment.
All the wooden parts that make up the structures are pre-machined to allow for quick assembly. Just like the wooden chalets of our childhood.
These short installation times also mean that installations can be carried out during the school term, typically on Wednesday afternoons. There is no need to wait for the holidays.
We work closely with our network of nursery growers and engineers to offer you a range of plants suited to your environment.
Climbing plants need to be carefully selected to provide a high-quality plant experience while limiting maintenance.
We have opted to install a combination of mature plants covering most of the domes of the structures, and a few younger specimens that will flourish quickly.
The aim is to create a model of local plant resilience, with real effectiveness from the moment of planting.
The mature plants offered are generally between 5 and 6m long. For a Telhouët structure, you need 3 mature plants and 2 young plants, which will climb along the five posts of this structure, typically suited to school playgrounds.
Some projects spark debate within a municipal council, and that’s normal. A community that spends wisely ensures its financial security and autonomy.
Greening a schoolyard helps to create cohesion within the community, as it concerns the health and safety of our children. These are often consensus projects that bring together the various forces at work.
Installing Sinallagma green shade structures allows you to propose a concrete project that is quick to implement and reasonably priced as we are usually below public procurement thresholds. This allows you to proceed by mutual agreement and thus save time in quickly deploying your projects.
Who better than elected officials to provide guidance to the community ? Deciding to plant vegetation in a square or schoolyard is a a powerful political act, sending a message to citizens about the importance of protecting children in a world affected by climate change. This is an example that could inspire others and thus contribute to the great undertaking of adapting to climate change… starting with the most vulnerable: our children.
The installation of reciprocal green shade structures in schoolyards can be perfectly integrated into your educational projects on topics such as nature in the city, climate change, culture, natural sciences, and mathematics.
The many facets of these shade structures—which are not just shade structures—engage students in a project that is meaningful and inspiring.
There’s nothing like taking advantage of sunny days to hold classes outdoors. Sheltered by the dense canopy of a Sinallagma shade tree, it is possible to accommodate many students, tables, chairs, and benches. And why not hold class on the ground?
Our modular system allows you to create large shaded areas that are protected from the heat. A protective canopy of vegetation keeps children safe from the dangers of the sun and heat waves.
Reciprocal structures, as the basis for a green shade structure, allow you to convey and share a number of concepts and values with attentive students.
It is a transition from shadow to light, from ignorance to knowledge.
A genius among geniuses, Leonardo da Vinci (1453-1519) sketched a number of reciprocal structures in his Codex Atlanticus, following in the footsteps of the medieval architect Villard de Honnecourt (1200-1250).
This concept of interlocking bars, where “each bar rests on the next, just as it supports the previous one,” based on a principle of reciprocity, is a message of hope for future generations.
Both in terms of resource efficiency (approximately 25% less wood compared to traditional frames) and in the message it conveys.
In a place of learning, reciprocity has its rightful place.
Teachers can then follow in the footsteps of Leonardo da Vinci by explaining the underlying geometry, the beauty of the shapes, and the Golden Ratio often found in Sinallagma structures.
The biomimetic approach, from design implementation to the manufacture of our structures, is based on one fundamental principle:
waste = resource
Nature does not create waste; therefore, we have designed the first green structures that are naturally sustainable, free from chemicals, plastics, and synthetic materials… and which will not be considered waste at the end of their life cycle. Wood is the only option for our structures, which are made from local chestnut (from forests in Brittany and Normandy), a wood that will return to the earth to store the carbon absorbed during the tree’s growth.
Reciprocal structures are also a fabulous inspiration from nature. Indeed, the meshwork of the structures (particularly the Telhouët model) is inspired on a macroscopic scale by the microscopic structure of the front legs of the multicolored squill, and its multi-layered helical arrangement.
This arrangement allows impact energy to be dissipated throughout the structure in a fractal manner without damaging it.
When applied to a structure, this construction system offers greater resilience to seismic risks.
Thus, sharing knowledge under a Sinallagma shade structure also opens up a field of possibilities with the discovery of biomimicry, whose European center of excellence is located in Senlis : CEEBIOS.
Sinallagma also exhibits its structures at the world’s largest biomimicry event, the next meeting of which will take place on September 12 and 13, 2025, in Marseille.
Climate change is hitting the younger generations hard. They will be “at the helm” within one or two generations. The time for awareness has clearly come, with its share of hopes and successful adaptation strategies.
In this context, teaching outdoors, in an island of freshness, a cocoon of nature, allows us to reconnect with the concrete and the tangible. Adaptation to climate change is embodied by an object/concept that surrounds and protects them.
The conviviality of these moments is conducive to sharing and mutual exchange, because climate change is one of the nine planetary boundaries, only three of which have not been crossed.
Installing a green shade structure isn’t just about providing shade. It’s a way, an excuse, to pass on a little culture to our children. Experiencing plants, especially for city dwellers, is central to young citizens’ learning.
Knowledge of plants, photosynthesis, irrigation, resilience, effects on biodiversity… these are all aspects that teachers can explore with students as part of educational projects.
So why not integrate shade structures near an experimental vegetable garden and use part of the structure to grow beans, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes…
A relatively recent concept, low-tech refers to objects, systems, techniques, services, know-how, practices, lifestyles, and even schools of thought that integrate technology according to three main principles:
Useful. Accessible. Sustainable.
We felt that this approach should be part of Sinallagma’s DNA and, in a way, provides fertile ground for future generations. Low-tech design means thinking about the finiteness of resources, reparability, sustainability, and user-friendliness in the sense of Ivan Illich (1926-2002).
Low-tech design gives hope to the students who will shape tomorrow’s society.
Sinallagma green shade structures can be deployed in several phases, allowing them to be adapted to increasingly tight budgets.
There is no need to wait for the total or partial de-impermeabilization of a schoolyard to do your part; installing a shade structure is quick and easy and can be done on the paved area.
The method of anchoring the structures to the ground (micropiles, pedestals, etc.) must be agreed upon and the exact location in the courtyard defined before work can begin.
Plants, preferably planted in the ground, will benefit from a generous planting pit, allowing them to develop and become more resilient, particularly during the summer when technical services or green space staff numbers may be reduced.
Typically, half a day is needed to fully install a structure, including the vegetation. This allows for great flexibility in terms of when the work can be done, which is no longer necessarily limited to school hours. A Wednesday afternoon is a perfectly realistic time frame for installing a shade structure.
It is also possible to mark out a playground area so that work can be carried out safely (for installers, students, and teachers) during school hours, in coordination with the relevant departments.
To help you move forward with your projects at your own pace and spread out your budget if necessary, Sinallagma offers a modular approach.
For example, the three illustrations of schoolyards show the Telhouët model with a diameter of 5m (approximately 20m² of shade), deployed at three different times.
With closely spaced structures, the vegetation cover can spread from one structure to another and form an attractive continuous canopy.
Some squares or schoolyards see their use change throughout the year (village festivals, races, games, concerts, etc.). It is therefore entirely possible to move the structures or dismantle them easily.
To do this, the plants must be handled with the utmost care in order to keep them in good condition.
Depending on the lifting equipment available, here are the most common methods:
Our shade structures are delivered in a wooden crate that can be stored in municipal workshops and reused during temporary dismantling.
Selected by a jury composed of mayors (naturally), Sinallagma is the proud winner of the Territorial Innovation Award in the “Ecological Planning” category. This is recognition by elected officials of the benefits of green shade structures in adapting to climate change.
The mayors rewarded us for:
An award given to the Maison d’Egypte in Paris by a panel of architects and heritage enthusiasts. The “Care d’Or” recognizes projects and initiatives in “architecture, research, and application.” It is the green shade structures, and in particular the principle of reciprocity, that are thus honored. From the medieval architect Villard de Honnecourt to the present day, via the master Leonardo da Vinci, Sinallagma innovates in frugal architecture.
Beyond the object, reciprocity… is Culture.
The Châtenay shade structure has been recognized for its innovative nature. This is a first for a green wooden structure, whose dome design is inspired by turtle shells. Its organic appearance, combined with the carpentry techniques of the Compagnons du Devoir, allows it to blend harmoniously into the built environment.
Sinallagma is delighted to participate in the missions of the CIBI (International Council for Biodiversity and Real Estate) as a member. This association promotes biodiversity in construction projects, particularly urban ones.
By introducing plants into the ground and densifying the plant canopy, green shade structures contribute to the development of a green network and the return of biodiversity.
They provide a protective plant cocoon for insects and birds, as well as a return of pollinators, depending on the plant palette chosen.
Installing green shade structures in schoolyards allows for the introduction of “non-human” life and helps children appreciate the ecosystem services provided by such installations.
Respect for others begins with respect for nature.
At Sinallagma, we are passionate carpenters. Our workshops and design office are located in Brittany, 30 minutes west of Rennes, in the Brocéliande forest.
We have formed partnerships with trusted landscaping companies to cover the region and offer you a local, turnkey solution.
Our technical team is available to answer your questions and help you with your projects, always with a smile.
Our partner nursery growers and landscape engineers are all located in France.
In short, we offer personalized support for your convenience.
The use of chestnut wood, a noble hardwood, combined with the carpentry techniques of the Compagnons du Devoir and the atypical and timeless design of reciprocal structures, gives rise to high-quality architectural projects.
Urban planning and architectural constraints become opportunities for our carpenters to propose wooden structures in keeping with your heritage.
In addition, our artistic collaborations make each piece unique, with the integration of antique wrought iron and custom-made stained glass, depending on your project.
This makes it possible to create your municipality’s coat of arms and integrate it into a structure, to create a forge based on children’s drawings, or to incorporate distinctive elements of the local architectural heritage. This is one of the creative stages of the project, which generally involves collaboration between teaching staff and the relevant elected officials.
We chose to use chestnut wood for several reasons:
The reciprocal structure model, based on the principle of vaults, allows for large spans with short lengths and sections of wood. This is the well-known principle used in the construction of cathedral vaults, for example.
This means there is no need to use laminated beams; we only use solid chestnut wood.
Concerned about preserving the planet, convinced that we can manufacture high-quality products in France at competitive prices, and that it is our duty to participate in the national effort to relocate knowledge and skills, we have opted for entirely Breton manufacturing.
From design to manufacturing, our technical team has devised environmentally friendly processes.
Every action has a carbon footprint. Wood naturally stores carbon, so it is important to preserve this resource and replant as we borrow chestnut trees from the Earth.
The most significant contribution to reducing our carbon footprint is the use of “sawn” or “air-dried” wood, i.e., wood that has not been artificially dried. The vast majority of commercially available timber has been kiln-dried to dry the wood in a matter of days, whereas natural drying takes several months.
In order to avoid this significant energy expenditure, Sinallagma has opted to use the ancient techniques of master carpenters by working with green wood. Like the framework of Notre Dame de Paris, our shade structures are left to dry in the open air once they are installed.
Our construction system allows the wood to “move” without impacting the strength of the structure. In fact, operating clearances are built as soon as the design begin.
The most low-tech and eco-friendly approach possible has led us to reinvent a construction method that respects the environment and guarantees children’s health.
Sinallagma reciprocal structures contain no chemicals, meaning no pollution and a healthy environment.
No plastic or other petrochemical derivatives are used in our structures, as they are made entirely from chestnut wood. We are returning to the ancestral principles of traditional carpentry, adding the design of reciprocal structures.
This allows us to affirm that Sinallagma structures, despite their longevity, will not constitute waste at the end of their life cycle.
More information?
Do you have any questions?
Our teams are ready and waiting to talk to you about your projects.
Horaires : Lundi – Vendredi 9h – 18h
Téléphone : +33 (0) 2 30 96 14 22
Email : contact@sinallagma.com
Adresse : F-35380 Paimpont
