Story at a glance:
- Many designers are choosing aluminum pergolas when designing outdoor spaces.
- Renson options even include heaters, allowing you to be outside even when it’s cold.
- Renson helps people return to nature and not be stuck inside all the time.
In any outdoor space nature is the star of the show. But the great outdoors can also be greatly unpredictable, therefore making the accessibility and year-round use of outdoor spaces hard to design for.
But picture this: a luxury outdoor living space that can be enjoyed regardless of the weather, allowing occupants to come together and soak in the natural beauty around them without the worry of having to move inside.
This is just one of the many benefits of aluminum pergolas. We talked to Peter Chlebogiannis, marketing manager at Renson—an outdoors, sun protection, and ventilation manufacturer—about the benefits of aluminum pergolas as they relate to sustainability, design, overall well-being, and more.
Here are a few of the many reasons why designers should consider aluminum pergolas when creating outdoor spaces.
1. Aluminum pergolas provide an outdoor sanctuary for all seasons.
Camargue. Photo courtesy of Renson
“If I could sit outside and be comfortable, I’d do it every day. I’ve never sit inside,” Chlebogiannis says. But the reality is most outdoor spaces don’t account for day-to-day and seasonal weather changes—changes that are becoming more extreme over time.
One of the biggest benefits of aluminum pergolas is their ability to offer control over the outside environment. They make the outdoors accessible—and outdoor spaces usable—across weather conditions, be it heavy rain, snow, wind, or blaring, direct sunlight. Renson aluminum pergolas also include heaters, enabling outdoor comfort even amidst frigid temperatures.
“While the weather continues to change and get more extreme and unpredictable, the human necessities don’t,” Chlebogiannis says. “The whole Renson company positioning is about allowing people to be in outdoor spaces and experience nature and being able to control that experience without being uncomfortable.”
2. Greater accessibility to the outdoors improves mental health.
Photo courtesy of Renson
A perhaps unexpected benefit of creating a controlled outdoor environment that is accessible any time of year is the boost it can give to one’s mental health. People spend about 90% of their time indoors, and studies have shown that spending too much time inside can increase anxiety, depression, irritability, restlessness, and other negative feelings.
Meanwhile, being in nature and breathing fresh air can improve your mood, reduce stress, increase focus and concentration, and overall improve your cognitive abilities.
“There is mounting evidence, from dozens and dozens of researchers, that nature has benefits for both physical and psychological human well-being,” Lisa Nisbet, a psychologist at Trent University in Ontario who studies connectedness to nature, told the American Psychological Association. “You can boost your mood just by walking in nature, even in urban nature. And the sense of connection you have with the natural world seems to contribute to happiness even when you’re not physically immersed in nature.”
Chlebogiannis agrees. “It’s very unhealthy that we’re spending our entire lives inside,” he says. “If I had the option to sit outside right now in a heated bubble where I could get some fresh air and sunlight and wouldn’t have to worry about the cold wind, that would significantly improve my mental health. It’s about allowing people to return to nature and not be stuck inside all the time. Fresh air makes everyone feel better.”
3. Aluminum pergolas are made sustainably and are 100% recyclable.
Camargue. Photo courtesy of Renson
Just as the opportunity to be in nature comes with benefits for occupants, outdoor spaces designed with aluminum pergolas help the environment, too.
Renson’s aluminum pergolas are crafted with sustainability in mind from start to finish, Chlebogiannis says. Renson only uses 100% recyclable aluminum, and any excess materials incurred during design are re-entered into the material pool or recycled. The manufacturing process itself is also powered by renewable energy sources, leveraging both sun and wind power.
4. Aluminum pergolas elevate the design of outdoor spaces.
Camargue is seen here at a private residence in the West Hamptons. Photo courtesy of Renson
High design meets the outdoors with aluminum pergolas. Each Renson pergola is not only rooted in European design but also built and configured to emphasize biophilic design so the nature of beauty is not lost. “We put a big stress on seamless design, allowing the outdoor and indoor to be seamless,” Chlebogiannis says.
An added benefit is that Renson’s aluminum pergolas are customizable and can be designed and configured to enhance the natural beauty of any space.
“If the goal is to allow people to enjoy their outdoor spaces, you need to offer them the power of choice within that space. The pergolas themselves are cool, but each of the individual elements can be broken down and separated,” Chlebogiannis says. “For instance, the loggia doors come in a lot of different styles and are really good at separating indoor-outdoor spaces. The dropdown shades are a huge asset, as the individual shades can go up to 20 meters [about 66 feet] and offer not only privacy, but they’ll also keep out bugs out, sun, and stray rain. And we can even cut out the louvers themselves and put them into an existing roof line. Every part is versatile.”
5. Aluminum pergolas offer longevity and peace of mind to outdoor spaces.
Photo courtesy of Renson
Because of its quality materials, aluminum pergolas can stand the test of time—literally. Renson’s first Camargue aluminum pergola ever installed is still in use today, more than 20 years later.
“The benefit of a Renson aluminum pergola is, if you decide to prioritize an outdoor space, it will stay that way. It won’t break down; you won’t have to replace it. It’s like adding an addition onto your house. It’s there to stay,” Chlebogiannis says.
The longevity aluminum pergolas offer can bring peace of mind to designers that they are not only creating outdoor spaces that will be enjoyed for years to come but also have a lasting, positive impact because the pergolas are built specifically for the environment they are placed in.
“There’s a reason Renson is the luxury good that we are. We put endless effort into R&D,” Chlebogiannis says. “But also the way we sell the product is a benefit because you don’t just get the product and you’re on your own. We work through dealers; the person who installs your pergola is what we call a ‘local hero’ who knows the limitations of the product within your environment geographically. If you’re by the ocean they’re going to verify that the powder coating is attuned for salt. If you’re in an area with earthquakes, they’re going to use mounting plates that will make them more seismically stable.”
From accessibility to nature and the sustainable materials and processes they are built from to the positive impact on mental health and design benefits they allow, aluminum pergolas push the boundary of what outdoor spaces can be.
“It’s about creating healthy spaces that people can actually use,” Chlebogiannis says. “It’s an outdoor experience that betters the environment and people’s connection to it.”
