Sail Shades

Visiting Australia in the last decade or so it’s hard not to notice the changes in architectural fashions. I doubt there’s a federation house left in any of the capital cities that hasn’t been renovated. Then there’s the use of galvanised metals reminiscent of the proverbial shearing shed. At the other end of the scale I was very taken with what they call sail shades. I wonder why they’re not popular in Israel with their KISS technology and their beautiful swooping curves like the arch along the back of a kelpie about to pounce.
In Australia, which has the highest skin-cancer rate in the world, sun protection has become a way of life. Schoolchildren are prohibited from playing outside without hats. And most playgrounds at parks, schools and day-care centres -- along with many commercial outdoor areas, such as parking lots -- are covered with swooping cloth structures that Aussies call "shade sails."
Shade sails differ from conventional, frame-supported awnings in that they harness tension to keep them aloft. They can be anchored to the sides of buildings, can be built with holes in the middle to accommodate trees or other obstacles, and can stretch over an area as small as a backyard patio or as large as a sports stadium.
As for who came up with the idea first the question remains unanswered, but it’s not really important. The Romans used cloth to create shade at places like the colosseum, the ancient Egyptians too. Stranded sailors would have done the same. Think of the survivors of the Batavia. I’ve read about a consortium of Australian investors who even brought Greg Norman in on the deal to construct these structures in Florida. What looks like such a humble idea to some looks like a great business opportunity to others. Maybe someone might see the potential in importing this architectural fashion idea from Australia to Israel, which is blessed with plenty of sunshine too and right up there with the big players when it comes to skin cancer.
Alan Bayman, an American playground-equipment manufacturer for 14 years, switched to the shade industry three years ago. He mainly targets public rather than private markets. Municipalities and federal agencies in the US tend to be savvier about tension structures and more willing to pay for shade, he says. Shade structures can reduce the air temperature by 15 degrees. Other markets are more of an uphill battle. That includes schools, though Bayman expects that to change. He frequently gets calls from "PTA moms," but said tension structures generally are too expensive -- his average sale is $10,000 -- to be funded by bake sales. His business has doubled in size every year and now does "many millions" in sales annually. He said the shade industry has been helped by advances in technology that make the fabrics more durable and the structures more wind-resistant.
Reducing the temperature is one advantage of shade sails says a school director who installed a canopy over a school playground a few years ago. Protecting her students from UV rays is another. But she also likes the structure's appearance. She said it's one of the first things new parents remark on when they tour the school.
"It looks so beautiful. It's very aesthetically pleasing."
Tension structures can make a striking addition to traditional architecture. They work as sculpture in front of a building.
Bill Potter, an American parks-and-recreation manager, is a big proponent of tension structures.
But how they look isn't his top priority. He just wants people to use his parks. When Potter took the reins of the department six years ago, he toured his new domain. And he noticed that parks and play fields with shade were heavily used, while those without shade frequently were as empty as a desert. “You’re only getting half the job done if you put the swing or the teeter-totter out in the blazing sun," Potter said. "They're a little pricey, but to me they're as important as the slide or the climb or whatever." It seems that someone over there thinks that serving your public is not just slapping the names of 3 letter management techniques on pamphlets at policy conferences.
But even at home installing shade sails could be an aesthetic alternative to building a pergola. There’s no problem ordering on the web, and doing it DIY though a bit of technical prowess and consulting wouldn’t go astray. Myself, I’d hire some professional to do the work. One of the interesting facets of the shade sail is the possibility of installing a number of them together, playing with their layout and combining them in a three dimensional geometric pattern to maximise the aesthetic and protective potential.
If I might go out on a limb and make a statement, egoistic as it may be, aesthetically shade sails are at least the equal of the regularly accepted pergola and more so. If beauty has some sort of correlation to the replication of nature around us then paradoxically the synthetic qualities of steel poles and sail cloth somehow match the Israeli environment more than heavy imported wooden beams from trees that can’t grow here. I love the red of jarrah as much as the next bloke but does it match Jerusalem stone?
How’s that for an expression of the state of integration of some jumped up white wog, somewhere along the scale between assimilation and desegregation?