FUN IN THE SUN AND SHADE

As Australia’s love affair with swimming for fitness, competition and recreation continues to grow, councils are rising to demand by building new waterparks and aquatics centres, in addition to upgrading and improving existing facilities. Facilities at aquatic centres have improved dramatically over the years, with the addition of toddler pools, splash pads, water slides, waterplay and lounge areas now commonplace.

Most aquatic centres are outdoors or have outdoor facilities that cover large areas, which means that providing adequate shade can be a challenge. This is especially true where seasonal shade is required, as often sunlight and warmth are required in cooler months for thermal comfort and solar heating.

The ideal solution to covering these large outdoor areas is installing a retractable shade membrane. Shadeform’s popular Shaderunner® Retractable Sail is a fully retractable shade system, capable of spanning large areas. With support structures required only at the far ends of each Shaderunner®, the clear space beneath is kept to a maximum – a feature that is critical for large swimming pools. 

With extensions of over 20 metres, the Shaderunner® is able to span wide sections of pool spaces, without interruption of intrusive support structures and poles. With the use of a simple pulley system and manual winch, the Shaderunner® can be fully retracted when desired, providing the option of opening up the pool space and allowing natural sunlight to flood the space on cooler days. 

The demand for this flexible and durable shade sail system has increased over recent years as aquatic centres and waterparks across Australia are becoming increasingly desirable. 

At Gladstone Aquatic Centre in Queensland, Shadeform was engaged to provide a series of large-span Shaderunner® Retractable Sails, offering the perfect solution to provide a comfortable environment for patrons in the hot tropical climate. 

At Canowindra in New South Wales, a recent upgrade to the swimming pool required a contemporary yet sympathetic retractable shade solution. The pools span over 24 metres, so twin Shaderunner® Retractable Sails were utilised, running on the same cables but drawing to the centre of the pool – a feature that can be utilised to cover very large spaces.

The Shaderunner® Retractable Sail System is ideally suited for a range of commercial and domestic applications, from large aquatic centres, municipal areas and hospitality venues, to domestic swimming pools, courtyards and entertaining spaces.

The Shaderunner® Retractable Sail is constructed using only the most durable marine-grade yacht fittings and Ronstan ball bearing pulleys, ensuring years of trouble-free shading with minimal maintenance. The Shaderunner® is manufactured from a range of rigorously tested fabrics, from 95 percent Polyester Mesh to Waterproof PVC. Each fabric is mould-resistant and offers protection from glare and the sun’s harmful rays, with a wide range of colours on offer to match the theme of the space.

Contact Shadeform today to discuss shading solutions for your landscape.