Wind and water in this sheltered retreat

A custom poolside pergola shades while evoking the elements.

It has all the elements: fire, water, earth and wind. Canvas Specialty designed this high-end sheltered retreat—with its open hearth, a narrow flow of cool water at one side, green turf and hedges framing the ensemble placed on a flagstone plinth—to give the sensation of motion while remaining static. A neat trick that.

The undulating ribbons of fabric suggest repeating water waves or a rolling series of clouds overhead. The variations between one strip and the next let in light in a variable pattern that replicates sunlight through clouds.

Each strip of rolling ribbon is a lightweight aluminum truss frame with cross bracing within it to give it rigidity. These are clad tightly in PVC-coated polyester fabric that gives a luminous quality to the pergola roof. The powder-coated aluminum wave frame is held high by a steel support structure clad in wood.