Designing External Works That Are Truly ‘All-Weather’

In recent years, the UK has experienced a growing pattern of weather extremes rather than seasonal variation. The Met Office has confirmed that several of the past few years rank among the wettest on record, with parts of England and Wales receiving well over 1,200 mm of rainfall annually. Storm events have brought sustained high winds, surface flooding and prolonged disruption. While winters grow warmer than in decades gone by, cold snaps repeatedly push overnight temperatures well below freezing in winter months.

External Storage Takes The Brunt

Outdoor storage takes the brunt of this exposure. Unlike internal environments, storage buildings, stores and lockers are subjected continuously to driving rain, wind loading, standing water and repeated freeze thaw cycles. When infrastructure is designed only to cope with average conditions, weaknesses emerge quickly with distortion or degradation, drainage issues and access routes compromised. The result is accelerated wear, loss of usability, increased maintenance demand and reduced confidence in the space.

Design Considerations

Structure

Designing external storage that continues to perform in these conditions mean that structure, enclosure, drainage and access must be considered together. Robust steel frame construction helps maintain alignment and performance over time, whilst roof design becomes a critical factor. It has the ability to manage water effectively and accommodate lightweight green roof systems, supporting both weather resilience and wider environmental objectives.

Material

Material choice and finish play a defining role in long term performance. Galvanised or powder coated steel frames, combined with durable external panels in timber or steel, help structures withstand moisture, temperature change and repeated use, without accelerated degradation. The ability to coordinate finishes and enclosure types across a site supports visual consistency, while reducing the complexity that can arise when external works are specified in isolation.

Security

Security and resilience are closely linked. External storage that protects its contents from weather but fails under attempted theft, or vice versa, does not perform its role fully. Integrating security specifications into the core design, allows access control and recognised certification standards to be met without compromising usability or appearance. This approach is particularly important in exposed locations.

Specification

There is also a practical specification benefit to systems that balance standardisation with flexibility. Clear technical information, supported by downloadable CAD models, allows external storage to be properly integrated into wider external works and landscape design from an early stage. This reduces late-stage compromise and helps ensure that performance in extreme conditions has been considered alongside everyday use.

As expectations around safety, sustainability and long-term value continue to rise, external works can no longer be treated as secondary. External storage buildings are part of how a site functions throughout the year, particularly when conditions are least forgiving.