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A grand limestone arch opening onto a Lisbon square

Design

The Architecture of Shade

Arcades, loggias, pergolas, and trees: designing a neighborhood for the long California summer.

Rosebend Design Team6 minute read

In the south of Spain, shade is not an afterthought. It is the first move. Streets are narrow and oriented to the breeze; arcades line the squares; vines grow over every pergola.

Shade as a material

We treat shade as a building material in its own right. Our streets are planned around tree canopy; The Plaza is ringed by arcades; every home has at least one deep loggia.

“The most luxurious thing on a July afternoon is a cool, shaded place to sit.”

The result is a neighborhood that invites you outside at every hour, not just at dusk.