Smoking shelters

Covered smoking shelters for business and public space

Smoking shelters are covered, usually open structures in which smokers gather at a defined spot outside the building. They solve a concrete problem: without a designated place, smokers congregate at the entrance, smoke drifts into the draught lobby and butts end up on the forecourt. A shelter moves that to a place you choose yourself, with an ash bin that actually gets used.

They are installed by companies and production sites, hospitals and care institutions, schools and colleges, airports and stations, hospitality venues with a terrace, and local authorities at sports halls and event zones. The right choice depends strongly on how many people use the spot at the same time and on how visible the shelter is allowed to be.

Applications

• A smoking area at the staff entrance of a company or production site
• Waiting areas at hospitals, care campuses and public buildings
• Platforms, airports and car parks with heavy throughput
• Hospitality and event grounds where smoking indoors is not permitted
• A temporary set-up at an event or a worksite

Versions

The basic form is a roof structure on uprights with one or more closed side panels that keep out wind and rain. The more panels, the better the shelter, but a smoking shelter has to stay open enough to ventilate. Fully enclosed versions exist and then require mechanical extraction.

Variants differ mainly in capacity and equipment: from a compact shelter for a handful of people to a generous canopy for a shift change, with poseur tables, rails, lighting and an integrated ash bin or waste column. Panels in glass or clear plastic keep the spot open and socially safe, while solid panels give more shelter and privacy.

Material and technical points

The structure is generally built up from powder-coated or hot-dip galvanised steel or from aluminium, with panels in toughened glass, polycarbonate or coated sheet. For a smoking area, fire safety is a point of attention: choose materials that do not ignite easily and provide a closed metal ash bin with an extinguishing action, not an open tray. Roofing in translucent material keeps the spot light.

Placement and practice

Set the shelter far enough from doors, windows and air intakes, so that smoke does not draw back into the building. Take the walking route into account: a smoking area that is too far away does not get used, and then people are back at the door. Provide a paved, level surface and correct anchoring in line with the wind load, including for a temporary set-up.

Arrange the maintenance straight away. An ash bin that is not emptied defeats the whole idea. Agree who empties it, how often, and where the ash is safely disposed of. For a temporary set-up on an event site, you as organiser are liable for the stability of the structure.

When a smoking shelter is not the right choice

On a site where smoking is rare, a well-placed waste column with an ash bin and clear marking is enough. Inside a building a shelter is rarely the right solution without extraction. The classic mistake is putting the shelter where there happens to be room, instead of where people already stand to smoke.

What determines the price?

The price depends on the dimensions and the capacity, the construction and the material, the number and type of panels, the roof design, equipment such as lighting, poseur tables and ash bins, the finish and colour, the anchoring and foundation, and whether we only supply or also install. Printing or lettering in your house style may be added to that. Give us the number of users and the location, and we will work it out.

Defining your smoking area together

Tell us how many people use the area and where they stand today. We will propose a shelter that suits the place and the use. Get in touch for advice and a quotation.