How should you go about choosing your bioclimatic pergola?

The bioclimatic pergola, initially intended to create a shaded outdoor space protected from bad weather (rain and wind), now exists in a host of models that address different needs. The use you wish to make of your bioclimatic pergola will determine the model you should choose. Nowadays, you can think about installing a bioclimatic pergola for:

• extending your living room, lounge area, kitchen, etc. onto the outdoor world;
• protecting your terrace from too much sunshine and, as such, having a shaded outdoor space;
• protecting your garden furniture when it rains, and being able to leave it outdoors all year round;
• having a lounging area at the end of your garden, where you can relax and spend time reading, without being disturbed;
• hosting a spa;
• having a covered area close to your pool;
  etc.

… and, based on where it's installed

The place you choose to install your bioclimatic pergola is another decisive factor when choosing your pergola model. Thanks to free-standing models, as a new bioclimatic pergola owner, you can set up your pergola:

• as a standalone structure, for example at the end of your garden, to create a relaxing space far from any noise that may come from your home;
• as a lean-to, against a façade of your home, to extend an indoor living space outdoors.

Based on the configuration of your garden and/or home, and based on your desires, you'll have to choose the place you think would be most suitable to install your bioclimatic pergola. It's worth mentioning however that, for bioclimatic pergolas intended to be used to cover a terrace, it's often recommended to leave a part open to optimize its ease of use.

The size of the bioclimatic pergola is another vital aspect to take into account when choosing a pergola model. The space to be covered largely determines the size of your bioclimatic pergola. Your needs, the space taken up by your garden furniture, as well as any urban planning rules and regulations in effect in your municipality, can also impact the size of your bioclimatic pergola.

In most French municipalities, installing a bioclimatic pergola with a footprint of between 5 m2 and 20 m2 only requires you to declare this to your local town hall. For larger bioclimatic pergolas (with a footprint of over 20 m2), a building permit is often required. On the other hand, a small bioclimatic pergola with a footprint of less than 5 m2 doesn't require any administrative declaration. In any event, it's important to define the right size for your pergola (height, width, overhang) with the help of a professional. As installing a bioclimatic pergola will have an impact on the outdoor look of your dwelling, it's also advisable to check urban planning rules and regulations beforehand to know what you can or can't do as such.

The integrated adjustable slats are one of the key features that explain the huge success of the bioclimatic pergola in recent years. These slats let you play with light and with the level of sunshine. By moving the angle of the adjustable slats a few degrees, you'll let more (or less) sun shine onto the pergola and invite more (or less) sun rays into your home (for lean-to models). By moving these adjustable slats, you'll also be able to control the temperature of your pergola (by opening up the slats, you'll create a current of air that will refresh the air in the pergola), and protect yourself and your furniture from the rain. The only thing you need to know to make the most of the slats of your bioclimatic pergola: choose the right orientation. When choosing your pergola, you'll therefore need to take into account the sun's exposure and the path it travels throughout the day to decide on the orientation of your bioclimatic pergola slats.