Shadeland

Project name: Don’t Look Down
Material used: Monotec 370
Fabric Supplied By: Shade Systems

What did the client request?

The task at hand was to conceive a shade solution for the building’s second-story balcony, one of its most exposed areas. The client envisioned a shade structure that would seamlessly integrate with their existing living space, extending from the ranch slider and offering comprehensive coverage, right to the perimeters of their deck.
The challenge was not just to provide shade but to create a solution that amalgamated form, function, and finesse. The solution had to be more than a sun barrier; it needed to enhance their outdoor living space, add aesthetic value, and above all, stand firm in the face of the peninsula’s high wind zone.

What makes this project unique?

The balcony stood imposingly at 8.5 meters above the sloping ground below, instantly eliminating the conventional approach of inserting poles into the ground. In response, our team was prompted to innovate, devising a custom pole design to meet the demands of the project whch had to be capable of enduring substantial stress. We designed our poles to not only withstand these pressures but also cater to the client’s specific wish – shading that extended right to the deck’s edge. To achieve this, the design featured poles angled strategically to protrude beyond the deck, extending the sail past the deck’s front edge. This design ingenuity provided the much-desired shade while maintaining the structural integrity of the shade sail. Further challenges arose due to the deck’s trusses, which were inadequate in terms of fixings in their original design. We fortified these by tying them down to the bearer beams as per the building code, thereby strengthening the overall structure. The installation was an extreme challenge to complete safely, the use of portable scaffolding and rope harnesses were required at points to achieve a safe installation. Our pole design incorporated multiple fixings, carefully calculated and placed to offer robust uplift protection. Simultaneously, this design ensured no sagging of the sail occurred, even as the poles bore the full tension.