Covered Outdoor living areas:
The summer months are prefect for outdoor living. An outdoor living space can be anything from a patch of grass to a covered deck. Decks are great for outdoor living, but if they are in constant sun they can become too hot to enjoy; not to mention the risk of sun burn! A great solution is to cover your deck. A few options are listed below:
- Sunsail, like this one from Mitre10
- Pergola, open frame with vine grown above.
- Built roof addition
- Louvre roof system
Permanent Roof Cover
The image above shows a Dixon Wild Architects project in Northland. The covered deck is directly adjacent to main living space, accessed by glazed sliding doors. The roofed deck creates a large outdoor living space where the occupants can enjoy the view; while being protected from the weather.
Louvre Cover
An alternative to the roof addition is a proprietary louvre system above the deck. The image below is an alteration DWA did of an existing house. The louvres above the patio create a space that can change depending on the weather and time of year. If the occupant desires more light they can open the automated louvres. If they want to keep the rain out the louvres can be closed.
Check out the referral for this Greenlane project on our About page.
Approval for building work
Enclosed roofs over decks can require approval from council. It is important to contact council or do some research into your shade structure before commencing work. Things to note:
- Enclosed roofs over decks may increase the overall building coverage of your property. This may mean a resource consent is required.
- Deck, uncovered less than 1m may not require building consent. But resource consent may still be required
- Pergolas are open, and do not change the building coverage of your property.
Dixon Wild Architects can help with consents of decks and covered outdoor living spaces.
