CASE STUDY: OUTLET MALL PERGOLAS

A 15-minute drive from Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport, the expansive Leesburg Premium Outlets outdoor mall in Leesburg, Virginia, features Jeffersonian-style architecture with red brick and classic gabled roofs.

Creating beautiful areas of respite amongst the 110 retailer shops, bistros, and wine bars are pergola structures in three different courtyards along the strip.

“There was a desire for an instant outdoor area with a sense of enclosure in a human-scale space that was not dependent on trees,” relates Mark Willard, director of planning, Daft McCune Walker (DMW), whose Towson, Maryland-based firm designed the trio of pergolas.

After reviewing various design styles from contemporary to classic, the team decided upon a more traditional look to match the architecture of the outlet mall.

“Once that was established, then we looked for a good-quality, commercial-grade, low-maintenance material, and solid cellular vinyl material fit the bill nicely,” Willard explains.

The material’s flexibility also enabled DMW to customize the design and run conduits within the structure for electrical wiring to lights.

Each pergola incorporates two sets of 24-foot x 8-foot structures within each courtyard. One set is curved, while the other two sets are straight. Every pergola features a different arrangement to give each courtyard a unique identity and sense of place. The architects chose a classic white to mimic the mall’s architecture.

“The pergolas are placed as to define a space within a space and frame views both into and from the space,” Willard explains. “They also helped to define a zone that serves as a respite and is clear of heavy pedestrian thru traffic.”

To ensure that the pergolas had adequate structural integrity, the PVC beams and columns were reinforced with steel.

In working with the manufacturer, DMW appreciated its attention to detail, which was carried through the design process. “They made sure we had the right dimensional material, and ensured structural integrity and proper execution of the installation to produce a low-maintenance result,” Willard concludes.

CASE STUDY: UNIVERSITY PERGOLA

A PVC polymer pergola offers shade at this outdoor dining area at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

While Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth had a nice outdoor terrace available for the private university’s some 11,000 students, the hot Texas sun largely kept the students inside.

This all changed with the installation of a large pergola, providing approximately 2,700 square feet of shade in a beautiful setting.

In search of an aesthetic, low-maintenance option, TCU decided on PVC polymerl in white.

“The pergola has 9-foot clear height below the slats,” says David R. Hoyler, AIA, LEED AP, project manager, facility planning and construction, TCU. Exterior-rated white ceiling fans help with the air movement and are on timers so students can control when fans are needed.”

A couple issues that required close attention were ensuring that the conduit runs for the ceiling fans were concealed as much as possible, and carefully considering the movement of the shaded areas throughout the day. In addressing the latter, Hoyler utilized Sketch-Up software and performed shading studies.

As for the project process, Hoyler handed over his dimensions to the manufacturer, who then developed the design and sent back precise construction drawings. He partially attributes a smooth, on-time project delivery to the manufacturer’s in-house design team.

CASE STUDY: MARTHA’S VINEYARD PERGOLA

The cafe at the Farm Neck Golf Club on Martha’s Vineyard features an expansive pergola measuring 86 feet long with a 32-foot radius beam.

Considered to be one of the premiere golfing destinations in the Northeast, Martha’s Vineyard Farm Neck Golf Club wraps around a beautiful peninsula of farmland on the island’s eastern edge. To enhance the golfing experience, an 86-foot-long white pergola perched on top of a curved bed of stone creates a welcoming space for the club’s outdoor cafe.

While the owner originally wanted wood for the pergola, the manufacturer made a strong case for solid cellular vinyl based on its wood look and feel without the associated maintenance.

The structure features a 32-foot radius beam, 21 8-foot square posts, and three light apexes. To deliver lighting along the pathway, wire chases were incorporated into select columns. A cavity is designed inside a select joist on each of the three apexes so that the wires could travel up the column.

Another important aspect of the design and installation was double checking all the measurements to ensure precision for every curve and dimension to guarantee uniformity on each end of the pergola.

Ultimately, the project’s success and on-time delivery are attributed to a high level of coordination between the owner, masons, electricians, CAD designers, fabricators, and installation crew.