The heat was sweltering, and I had to fight back the urge to hide from the sun, or jump into the pool. The courtyard was the heart of this home, and it was time to make it a room that could be lived in throughout the year, even during the sobering summer months.
A delicate steel canopy was the answer, providing shade and protection during the day, and a gleaming metal lantern at night.
The Vision
“Light and airy” is what the client had in mind for the canopy — but space for a new shade structure was tight. The four posts of the structure had to be set back from the edge of the pool, and from the footings of the existing house, to ensure there weren’t additional structural loads placed onto what had already been built.
Material choices were limited. Wood would inevitably dry out and collapse due to the intense desert heat and sun exposure. Stretched fabric wouldn’t fit with the existing home, and would require substantial structure to withstand the persistent winds of the Coachella valley.
This left steel as the best option for a low maintenance shade canopy. The structural system is designed as a moment frame, with steel beams connecting above, and grade beams and spot footings below, to keep the visible structure as slender as possible.
Materials
Initially punched steel panels were considered, but these didn’t meet the budget. So the team set their sights on a simpler solution — galvanized steel channels. These are used on every commercial project, so they are readily available, and the widths of the channels could vary, to create a unique rhythm when installed. A small gap is left between the channels, to allow slivers of light to pass through, much like the palm fronds of nearby trees.
At night, the channels act as a giant canvas for receiving light.
A linear LED is located on top of the roof of the house, and aimed upward. The result is an architecture that feels surprisingly light, for a structure made entirely of steel.
Project Team
Architect: Steve Duncan
Lighting Designer: Steve Duncan
General Contractor: Serna Contractors, Inc (Flavio Serna)
Structural Steel: F. C. Metal Fabrication