Story at a glance:
- Outdoor spaces require special considerations for durability as extreme weather events are on the rise.
- Miami-Dade certification standards ensure building resiliency.
- Renson’s Miami-Dade certified aluminum pergolas create sustainable outdoor living spaces that can last.
One of the most sustainable decisions an architect can make is investing in strong materials. When it comes to outdoor living spaces, where the weather can wreak havoc on outdoor structures, durability is essential.
“If you’re going to put outdoor structures in, it’s about creating spaces that aren’t going to be temporary,” says Peter Chlebogiannis, marketing manager at Renson, an outdoors, sun protection, and ventilation manufacturer.
In places like Florida, hurricanes pose a huge threat to homes and buildings. Miami-Dade County is at the forefront of developing rigorous building codes and regulations, known as Miami-Dade certification, to ensure building resiliency.
With extreme weather events on the rise, Renson invested in Miami-Dade certification for its Camargue aluminum pergola to ensure it’s creating strong outdoor solutions that can stand up to harsh environments. We talked to the Renson team about why Miami-Dade certification is important and its benefits to buildings no matter where they are built.
1. Durability
Photo courtesy of Renson
“In areas like Miami-Dade County you need structures or buildings to withstand hurricane wind loads up to Category 5,” says Jürgen Skoda, technical director at Renson. That means being able to withstand wind power at speeds of 157 miles per hour or more.
“The certification was quite an investment for us, but it means that our units can withstand wind loads that reach hurricane Category 5 speeds and will not break down,” he says. “They will not collapse because of its reinforcements. You can install it on the oceanside without any worries.”
2. Longevity
Camargue. Photo courtesy of Renson
Because of the strength required of Miami-Dade certified products, outdoor spaces designed with Miami-Dade certified structures are guaranteed longevity. In fact, the first Renson Camargue aluminum pergola ever installed still stands today, more than 20 years later.
“We’re building things that will allow people and their families to enjoy their outdoor space for a much longer period of time,” Chlebogiannis says. “It’s like adding an addition to your house. It’s there to stay.”
3. Sustainability
Photo courtesy of Renson
Together the durability and longevity offered by Miami-Dade certified products creates greener outdoor spaces.
“In replacement culture you buy a good that breaks down over time and will need to be replaced,” Chlebogiannis says. “Instead of installing a product that is built to be replaced, we’re creating Miami-Dade certified products that can stand up to a hurricane without having to replace it or creating waste.”
Renson’s aluminum pergolas are also made with 100% recycled aluminum and any extra materials incurred during the design process are added back into the material pool or recycled. The manufacturing process itself is also powered by renewable energy sources, leveraging both sun and wind power.
“At our headquarters in Belgium we don’t use AC even though it gets hot. We just have natural ventilation,” Skoda says. “We are a carbon-neutral company. In our new factory our heating system works through the warmth of the soil, through the earth itself. The whole Renson philosophy is healthy living, healthy outsides. We really try to give the opportunity to everyone that they can spend as much time as possible being outside with designs that will last.”
