Customized Shelters Make a Statement

When you're designing a park, you look to create an aesthetically pleasing and inviting space where families and friends can enjoy some respite and recreation. If you want to stand out, look for customizations that make site amenities your own.

Q: We're designing a park and considering shelters. What should we know?

A: Every site is different, so look for shelters that can easily be customized to meet your needs.

Start by thinking about the kind of aesthetic you want for your park, then look for designs that either meet your needs or can easily be customized to deliver the look you're going for. For example, you'd look for a much different design for a historic downtown square than you would if you're outfitting a more rustic landscape.

Once you've got your aesthetic in mind, you can choose from a huge selection of premanufactured shelters and gazebos, kiosks and pavilions, and other structures. Minor adjustments can be made to available structures to suit your setting. Even without customizations, premanufactured shelters feature a range of options, from roof and pillar designs to shapes, sizes and more.

Don't forget to take your prevailing climate into account. Salt air near the ocean or heavy snow loads in the mountains will have an impact on your options.

Q: Is there a way to fit predesigned shelters into our aesthetic?

A: Many shelter manufacturers offer myriad customization options. It can be quite simple to select custom-designed elements to add to an existing design to make your shelter stand out. You can add masonry or stonework to the support structure to create a more solid, formal look. Ornamentation can be added that highlights some aspect of your local history.

Power and lights are another customization that can make your shelters more attractive and inviting to visitors. Solar packages can make it easy to add power, even if there's no electrical connection.