Future-ready materials: Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate often gets overlooked in favour of glass, but it’s one of the most underrated materials in modern architecture. It’s lightweight, tough, easy to work with, and offers incredible light transmission, all while being far more impact-resistant than glass.

It’s a material you start to see everywhere once you look: school walkways, canopies, outdoor dining areas, sports facilities, covered play spaces, commercial sites, and more, all benefiting from a solution that performs well in all seasons without weighing down the structure.

As the construction sector heads toward 2026, one theme is becoming increasingly clear: material choice is no longer a simple tick-box exercise. It’s becoming a strategic decision that influences cost, programme, performance, sustainability, and long-term value.

Project teams are looking for materials that offer more flexibility, better durability, and improved efficiency without compromising design intent.

The push for daylighting and user experience

There is a growing focus on creating brighter, more comfortable environments, whether for pupils, employees, passengers, or the public.

Materials that allow natural light into spaces without compromising safety or thermal performance are being specified more frequently across a wide range of applications: façades, large roofing systems, covered walkways, atriums, transport hubs, and external gathering areas.

As design standards evolve, daylighting is no longer a “nice to have”; it’s becoming integral to well-being, operational efficiency, and building performance.

This shift is driving interest in high-performance polycarbonate solutions and other next-generation materials that combine structural efficiency with design flexibility. Lightweight systems that deliver long-term performance without heavy structural requirements are gaining real momentum.

Looking ahead

As the industry continues to evolve, it’s clear that material innovation will play a major role in shaping the next generation of infrastructure. Choosing smarter materials early in the planning process helps projects run smoother, stay within budget, and deliver environments that feel better for the people using them.

2026 looks set to be a year where thoughtful specification leads the way, and the decisions made now will shape the built environment for years to come.

Where Able Canopies fits in

At Able Canopies, polycarbonate has long been central to how we design and deliver durable, high-performance structures, and the industry’s growing focus on smarter materials aligns strongly with the solutions we’ve been offering for years. With our partnership with Palram, we are now able to support larger and more demanding projects across the commercial, industrial, and public infrastructure sectors, from expansive façades and large roofing systems to covered external spaces.

From bespoke canopies and shelter systems to large-scale covered walkways, our team designs, engineers, and installs structures that maximise the strengths of polycarbonate—durability, clarity, and long-term performance.

Able Canopies Ltd. design, manufacture and install commercial grade canopies, shade sails, awnings and shelters across the UK. We specialise in servicing the education, leisure, healthcare and retail sectors and have extensive experience working with architects and contracting firms on small and large projects.
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Future-ready Materials: Polycarbonate

The push for daylighting and user experience

Looking ahead

Where Able Canopies fits in

See also