Nestled inside the master-planned community of Travisso within the dramatic Texas Hill Country, you’ll find a luxurious oasis complete with the addition of a travertine-style poolside patio.
As beautiful as the hardscape patio foundation was, the only dilemma was that the family felt that something was lacking – something over head when they glanced upward to the heavens. And that something was shade. So who better to call than our outdoor living creative solutions team?
A Touch Of Shade Was The Perfect Architectural Touch That Made It Perfection
Our first order of business was to install footers to adequately support the poolside patio pergola cover transforming the area into an outdoor living oasis protected from the intense rays of the sun when desired.
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Before.
After.
Instead of installing a totally covered area which would be counterintuitive from an aesthetic standpoint, our design solution plan was to embrace the stunning backyard vista and gently frame it with architectural interest.
Outdoor Living Made Functionally Convenient With An App For Lighting Thanks To Lutron Technology
With Travisso being at the hub of Austin’s technology-savvy footprint, we ran power to the pergola using a Lutron system. The latest in whole-home automation, easily controlled via Wi-Fi, this wireless convenience is controlled with an app via the homeowner’s phone or smart device.
The beauty of this is when the children decide to linger out there as the sun sets, turning on the poolside lighting is just a touch away – from anywhere inside the house with a tap on the app.
Shade And Exquisite Design In Perfect Balance
Archadeck of Austin installed this large custom pergola which not only adds a measure of shade, but also adds tremendous vertical interest to the entire outdoor living and relaxation space.
The custom designed pergola has posts, but one post on the edge of the home actually ties into the stucco house beam. The thinking behind this design was to make sure that no views from the windows of the home were obscured by having this area free of a structural post.
The resulting open sightline allows all poolside guests – and those members of the family still inside the home – more visibility and enjoyment of the outdoor living space.
For the handsome supports that serve as the pergola’s overhead support, we used 8 inch by 8 inch Glulam Beams and wrapped them all in cedar. Glulam Beams are crafted from Douglas Fir dimensional lumber layered and laminated together with durable, moisture-resistant structural adhesives. By laminating a number of smaller pieces of timber, a single large, strong, structural member is manufactured from smaller pieces.
These Glulam architectural beams have an intricately unique appearance, meaning that the exposed faces have been sanded, and all exposed corners have an eased edge. When stained, the visual result is magnificent, as the construction material takes on a rich and beautiful color and texture.
To achieve this, we chose Sherwin Williams oil-based stain in the color Charwood.
We added grooves into the structure to accommodate any future wiring in the event they want to add additional lighting fixtures. The pergola also features decorative Ogee ends in this design which brings yet another aesthetic highlight via their flowing concave convex arch pattern. This detail is not only beautiful to the eye, but it also facilitates the drainage of outdoor moisture as it easily rolls off the structural ends.
A Structure That Reduces The Impact Of Outdoor Heat While Enjoying The Soothing Leisure Of Wading In The Pool
Adding functional comfort to your outdoor living spaces is a creative challenge we embrace. To discover how we can do just that for your outdoor living complex, click here; and let’s meet for a complimentary design consultation.
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Jim Schallon, lead designer at Archadeck of Austin.
