17 Cool Shade Spaces

Feeling the cool breezes of shade beneath the massive timbers of a solid wood pergola is a very pleasing experience. You immediately become aware of being re-energized by the timber itself.

Wood is a natural and extremely effective insulator. It retains heat during the daytime and releases heat at night.

The primary source of the earth’s energy is derived directly or indirectly from the sun. The sunlight warms the earth at an optimal temperature that can sustain life. Sunshine gives us energy and is wonderful, yet too much sun can get uncomfortable and also drain us of energy.

Heat is only a shortened way to say heat energy. Energy and matter are the building blocks from which our entire universe is formed. Matter can be seen all around us. Energy, on the other hand, is invisible and so we are not quite as aware of it but energy can make things around us move or change from one form into another.

Wood is energized with a built-in natural thermostat. Just like a tree, the larger the dimensional scale of the wood the better it can regulate a thermal equilibrium for an amelioration of temperature. The meteorological character of wood gives a perfect balance of comfort that is not found in any other alternative shade material.

A Design Manager at Western Timber Frame™ can calculate the amount of shade for the best sun to shade ratio throughout the day, months, seasons for the most comfort year-round.

The standard sun to shade ratio for most ShadeScape™ DIY Pergola Kits have more and closer together shade planks for an 85% sunlight-to-shade ratio. At 85% shade coverage, a standard ShadeScape™ Kit is comparative to the comfort of a shade tree.

Like a dancing kid mesmerized by their shadow, I find so much fascination and comfort in the geometrical patterns and soothing breezes of shade. So, today these 17 cool spaces is a showcase, not so much the design of the shelter but on the beauty of

Shade.