An architect had designed a modern New Jersey shore home located right on the beach. There is a third floor terrace providing an exceptional view of the area. The client wanted to be able to enjoy this area to the max, so he asked his architect to make the space more user friendly. So, we began the process of a beautiful beachfront pergola! The architect designed a modern, cantilevered pergola structure for two reasons. First, it enhanced the modern architecture of the shore home. Second, it provided comfort by giving shade and relief from the hot sun. Not only did the third floor terrorists benefit, but the entire house benefited by having a reprieve from the hot sun.
We faced one main challenge. It was that this shore home was built as close to the beach as possible. Therefore the location eliminated the possibility of utilizing any lift equipment on their property or beach itself. We then evaluated the possibility of setting up a crane in front of the house. However, we quickly eliminated this as an option due to the narrow alleyway and overhead wires. The only option left was to go to one of the main streets and look at the possibility of shutting it down. We would then have to set up a large crane that could reach across the adjoining houses and suspend the pergola structure into place.
The pergola structure itself was a challenge. Overall it measured 35 feet long and 5 feet wide plus 7 feet vertical with a 90 degree turn to the floor structure for rigidity on the north side. On the South side there was a 7 foot horizontal frame to assist in the cantilever support. We had to be mount the horizontal frame under the downspout and extend to chimney structure for both aesthetic and structural support.
So we planned the install date. We had the street shut down the day prior, and the large crane set in place. The morning of the install, they installed extra counterbalances on the crane. Then we assembled the pergola on the street. We connected the straps to the 35 foot pergola frame in preparation for lifting the entire pergola structure into place. Our hearts were pounding as we watched our hard work being hoisted into the air over many residential homes. The horizontal reach of the crane maxed out but it was just able to get the pergola into the correct position. We successfully installed the pergola on this New Jersey home terrace overlooking the beach. We were happy to provide architectural beauty and shade relief for this home for many years to come.
