Last update, likely final,  in   Dec 2016

"SKYSPACE"  construction

click on the "pics" to enlarge or go to their subject pages

This GAZEBO is a complex design. The roof, the center of attraction, is mounted on eight TELESCOPING columns. It allows the roof to be lowered to reduce the chance of wind damage. All though the design will withstand 20 lbs / ft^2 of wind load, this is not true for the steel frame work, when extended to the top. On the pool level are retractable seats and table. The "gutter" holds the LED lights which generate these spectacular views.

The roof is constructed as a 'SANDWICH"  using fiberglass laminations on top and bottom of a honeycomb core. The place of construction was in San Leon, a small fishing town, South of Houston Texas. For reasons, way to cumbersome to explain, we chose to use a space located between the hulls of the CATAMARAN, under construction at our place. The project was supposed to get under way in February, the coldest part of the year. We chose to cover the working area with a tough, clear plastic, to allow the green house effect to warm the area to some extend. Epoxy resin, our choice of the matrix for the fiberglass structure, likes temperatures between 70 - 90 F. As it turned out, the project did not get rolling until much later, leaving us in a real "HOT HOUSE". Most days, the temperatures reached 95 - 105 F by 11am, stopping work. These short working days delayed the project and added to the cost in a significant way.

Here are some pictures of the project:

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