Enjoy an outdoor café feel in the water: A sunny yet sheltered spot, thanks to the Renson Camargue

Johan Ons (ONS Tuinarchitectuur) can proudly look back on a unique project in Bierbeek, Belgium. A 20-year-old backyard, including a gigantic swimming pond, was given a facelift. Sitting in the middle of the water, the residents can look out over the water’s surface from the cosy comfort of a sunken lounge. An open space sheltered from sun, wind and rain by a Camargue^® patio cover.

A sunken patio surrounded by water

Johan Ons: “The owners specifically wished to enjoy an eye-level view of the water surface of the pond around them from their patio seats. So, when creating the total design of their backyard, we provided for a sunken patio surrounded by water, where the windows in the side walls even gave them a view below the water’s surface.

Relaxing outdoors

Although this patio in the middle of the water is not the main patio of the house, it is still the place where the residents spend most of their time. Whether very early in the morning to feed the fish, or simply to relax in the middle of the pond, or to make sure they’re right in the middle of the action when family and friends take a swim or go rowing on the water around them. The only disadvantage is that the patio is exposed to the sun, since there is not much shade nearby. That’s why we set our sights on the Renson^® Camargue, an aluminum pergola, when designing the new backyard.

Protected under a Renson Camargue patio cover

“The Renson^® Camargue was actually the first thing we both thought of as a way to provide an ideal shelter for this magical spot”, says Johan Ons explaining the choice of the top product from Renson^®’s Outdoor Living range. “You can open or close the bladed roof depending on how much sun or shadow you prefer. But there’s much more you can do. If a sudden summer shower catches you by surprise, you can simply close the blades and remain seated on the patio. And if the wind picks up, optional screens have been integrated in the side walls to keep you sheltered and safe. By closing the screens, you can transform the space into a cosy cocoon, without the wind playing spoilsport. This means that the owners will be able to enjoy their favourite spot ‘in the pond’ for longer on summer evenings as well in the mid-season, even with light and music that are also incorporated in the patio cover.”

Perfect integration in the backyard

Johan Ons looks back on this project with great satisfaction. Not only because he is happy to have found a very solid and durable patio cover like the Camargue^®. But also, and especially, because he feels that it is perfectly integrated into the entire project. “The fact that it does not interfere with the rest of the backyard design is mainly due to the openness of the structure and the light colour used. Thanks to the extensive choice of colours, you can opt for either a calm, neutral black or a RAL color to match the external joinery of the home. Once all the plants in the backyard are fully grown, this will be transformed into a real oasis of peace”, he concludes.

Author: Sue Deloore

Sue Deloore is an outdoor living specialist at Renson. She has an industrial engineering degree in electro-mechanics and completed a project management course at Vlerick Business School. She has shared her expertise on outdoor living and architecture on several reputable websites, such as Architectura.be, Bouwinfo.be and A-plus.be.

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