Bloomcabin Bioclimatic Pergola

Moveable louvre roof

Balance daylight, cooling air, shelter and shade as conditions change

9–24 m²

Several configurations for terraces of different sizes

Optional automation

Powered control of the roof and compatible side features

Outdoor options

Choose from LED lighting, screens, side panels or glass walls

Moveable louvre roof

Roof angle controls both overhead daylight and the upward movement of warm air. Start by defining the terrace’s main purpose and the periods when shade will matter. Then review each edge of the structure to see where extra screening against sunshine, views or wind would provide a worthwhile benefit.

Outdoor options

Screens, solid panels and glazed walls each address a different requirement. A screen gives retractable privacy and solar control; glazing keeps an outward view while potentially moderating crosswinds; panels produce a more enclosed edge. Each choice changes brightness, outlook, ventilation and movement around the structure. Assess the four sides independently rather than assuming that a matching treatment everywhere will work best.

9–24 m²

Available configurations

approx. 250 cm

Height information for site planning

Premium aluminium profiles

Architectural outdoor frame with straightforward upkeep

Moveable aluminium louvres

Open, angle or shut

Integrated gutter system

Allow for discharge into the site drainage system

12-year warranty

As set out in the relevant warranty terms

Changeable weather

Ireland’s Atlantic influence often brings mild but variable conditions, with cool, windy winters and comparatively gentle summers. In spring and autumn, roof adjustments can respond to passing sunshine or showers without moving a separate canopy. An exposed edge may benefit from focused screening, but surrounding the entire structure is not necessarily helpful. Local exposure should always be assessed.

Orientation also needs to account for entrances, tall glazing, eaves and the routes normally taken between the home, garden and terrace. Locate columns and screens so that key passages and valued views from living spaces are not compromised. Beside a building, verify the full swing of doors and windows and retain access to exterior surfaces that will later need attention.

Give every side component a defined purpose. Shelter may take priority on the edge facing prevailing weather, privacy beside a neighbouring boundary, and glare control where low sunlight enters. Keeping other edges deliberately unobstructed maintains convenient movement, visual contact with the garden and passive ventilation.

Terraces facing south or west

For a south- or west-facing position, design around the hours when people are most likely to sit outside. Watch how light crosses furniture and nearby glazing through morning, afternoon and evening. Those observations show the roof angle needed to shade occupied places and whether low sunlight calls for screening along one edge.

Review more than the area directly beneath the roof centre. As solar height shifts, chairs, the tabletop and walking space may each receive different amounts of light. Judge the arrangement by the comfort of the places people actually occupy, rather than by a uniform blade setting across the canopy.

Assess the view from adjoining rooms as well. Shading the chairs does not prevent sunlight from striking tall windows or producing indoor glare. Check conditions both outside and from the rooms used most often before finalising roof orientation and the location of side features.

Power connection and LED lighting

Choose the supply point and wiring route for powered operation and built-in lighting during the early design stage. Their location must correspond with the final equipment and column positions, avoiding exposed cabling laid across completed paving afterwards.

Keep joints and electrical interfaces available for future checks even when cables are discreetly concealed. Fix their locations in relation to footings, water discharge, side fittings and furniture before exterior wall or terrace finishes are completed.

Arrange any outdoor electrical connection through a competent professional under Irish requirements. Restricted Electrical Works may be carried out and certified only by a Registered Electrical Contractor, who should decide whether the proposed circuit falls within that category and what completion certificate is required.

Drainage and ground conditions

With the blades shut, water passes through routes contained in the frame. Planning should follow its journey from the roof channels to the final outlet and onward into an appropriate soakaway, terrace drain or other prepared means of disposal.

At the proposed outlet, inspect paving falls, bed edges and anything that could impede flow. The discharge must neither collect there nor return towards the building or pass through a busy walkway. Establish its onward destination before assembly begins.

The structure requires a flat fixing base capable of supporting it. Finished paving gives no assurance about the construction below. Confirm the build-up, levels and anchoring locations, together with buried services and drainage features, before deciding exactly where installation holes will go.

Furniture at the right scale

Beyond the table footprint, provide clearance for chairs to slide out and for someone to walk behind them. Deep lounge seating occupies floor space differently and changes the preferred circulation pattern. Include the serving path from the house, the garden route and room to use any screen or wall. Furniture should function freely without striking columns, glazing or fabric screens.

Drawing to scale will show whether chairs have room to move, passages stay open and doors or screens work freely. Mark not just each furniture outline but also the extra floor area occupied while it is being used. Potential clashes then become apparent while the pergola dimensions can still be adjusted.

Record permanent planters, a barbecue and storage pieces alongside the table, chairs, lounge furniture or hot tub. Include anything intended to stand beneath or immediately outside the structure, then reserve clear approaches to the house, garden and serviceable equipment.

Consider solar height as well as orientation

The roof chiefly moderates light arriving from overhead. Early or late sunshine can enter below its outer edge and fall on chairs or nearby rooms. Account for the location and direction of the seating, the desired outlook and the hours of genuine terrace use, rather than relying on compass position by itself.

Roof blades and vertical screens solve separate problems. Adjusting the canopy controls overhead shade and ventilation, whereas a side screen tackles glare or unwanted views arriving horizontally. Combining the two selectively is preferable to shutting the canopy for long periods merely to manage brightness from one side.

Study sunlight during the hours when the terrace is normally occupied. Photographs taken at several points through the day can document reflected glare, sideways rays and moving shadow lines. This evidence helps place a screen on the edge where it provides a real benefit while leaving a preferred outlook unobstructed.

Screens or glass walls?

A screen can be raised or lowered to manage privacy and sunshine. Glazed walls continue the outlook and may temper a crosswind, although they remain in place and require cleaning access. Weigh the desired degree of shelter against visual openness, upkeep and the relationship between garden and terrace.

Different edges need not match. Privacy might matter beside the road or neighbour, while the garden-facing edge of a sheltered site could remain unobstructed. Check that any added component respects the main walkways, valued sightlines and the ventilation you want to retain.

Make a brief for each edge: identify the difficulty, the occasions on which it arises, and whether the answer should be fixed, clear or retractable. That provides a rational basis for comparing panels, glazing and fabric screens without duplicating equipment for one requirement.

Motorisation and controls

Operate a powered canopy from somewhere that gives a clear view of the moving blades. Plan illumination around the activities below: a focused source above a dining setting has another role from broad, balanced light throughout the covered terrace.

Settle the division between powered and hand-operated components ahead of purchase. The electrical preparation can then follow the final specification. Treat automated side fittings, illumination and roof movement as parts of one coordinated control arrangement.

Position switches or controls where occupants can reach and identify them conveniently. Their approach must stay clear when chairs, screens or doors are in use. A sensible final location therefore depends on completing the furniture and circulation plan first.

Keep drainage inspectable

Pollen, leaves and airborne material may gradually restrict concealed water routes. Provide reachable channels and outlets and examine them periodically, particularly where nearby trees shed debris. Clearing loose material promptly is simpler than removing compacted deposits after flow has slowed.

Watch the actual path taken after discharge. Paving seams, gradients, kerbs and shallow hollows may divert water from the designed route. Detail the outlet transition to limit wall splash and prevent lingering dampness around anchors and columns.

Use appropriate wet weather after installation to confirm that disposal follows the planned route. Future alterations to beds, edging or terrace finishes may redirect flow, so their drainage consequences should be reviewed before work proceeds.

Maintenance access

Provide practical reach to glazing, screens, water channels and roof blades for routine care. Select non-abrasive cleaning techniques compatible with coated aluminium, avoiding equipment that might mark the finish. Never apply force to a mechanism that will not move.

Do not let bulky seating or weighty planters occupy service zones permanently. Reserve working clearance beside columns, below outlets and along screens for intermittent maintenance. This requirement belongs in the furniture layout from the beginning.

Periodic observation can reveal foliage or residue accumulating along drainage routes and near the moving parts of side fittings or roof blades. After exceptional loads or a long idle period, inspect the mechanisms once more before returning them to normal operation.

Check the configuration before ordering

As a final check, relate the intended position to the outside measurements and clear area within the columns. Add furniture, posts and operational clearance to the plan alongside the canopy outline. The drawing should confirm that the required terrace is covered without narrowing garden routes or entrances.

Review the selected arrangement against every immovable site feature, including walls, openings, eaves, paving boundaries, electrical feeds and drainage. Resolving a discrepancy prior to purchase is considerably easier than revising prepared foundations or finished ground afterwards.

Create one schedule covering finish colour, roof controls, illumination, automation and all side components. Keeping those decisions together helps coordinate appearance, preparatory work and practical use instead of treating each optional feature as a separate project.

Allow for future changes

How a terrace is furnished may evolve. Leaving an orderly, uncrowded floor plan gives scope to swap dining furniture for lounge seating or accommodate extra chairs in future. Whatever the arrangement, do not sacrifice the routes required for movement and maintenance.

Where the selected equipment accommodates different furniture layouts, do not position power connections and lighting solely for one item of furniture. A flexibly usable floor area supports later changes between seating and dining without altering the pergola structure.

Fixed glazing deserves more detailed thought than furniture that can be moved. Examine how it changes circulation, outlook, ventilation and cleaning access. Retractable screens adapt readily when glare or privacy requirements vary, though their function is not identical. Select each element according to the issue present on that particular edge.

Bioclimatic pergola

Choose the bioclimatic form when active control of overhead light is important. Its terrace frame retains an open character while offering several roof positions, with compatible automation and side treatments available. It works particularly well where the preferred balance of openness, shade and shelter changes as the day progresses.

Classic pergola

A traditional pergola provides a simpler frame without a roof of adjustable blades. It gives definition to the terrace but cannot alter overhead cover promptly when sunlight or ventilation preferences change. Selection therefore rests on whether variable roof control has practical value for the site.

Wall-mounted pergola

An attached pergola can suit paving immediately alongside the home, provided its relationship with the building is carefully resolved. Review exterior finishes, openings, eaves and the proposed junction. A freestanding model allows greater choice of location, although the selected position must still offer an appropriate anchoring base.