01. Site Survey & Client Requirements
The project area is a narrow outdoor circulation corridor between the main villa and an adjacent wing. A stone-clad structural element and the white villa facade define the passage, while the adjacent glazed doors depend on daylight from above.
- Rain protection: The homeowner wanted continuous shelter over the daily walking route between the villa spaces.
- Summer solar exposure: The open paved corridor was exposed to strong daytime sun and surface heat.
- Column-free circulation: No vertical ground posts could be placed in the walkway because they would obstruct pedestrian movement and visual openness.
- Natural daylight: The roof needed to remain transparent so adjacent glazed doors and interior rooms would continue receiving daylight.
- Architectural integration: The canopy needed to coordinate with the villa's white walls, dark window frames and stone cladding.
02. Conceptual Design & 3D BIM Modelling
SUNRAY developed a clean-lined glass canopy that spans the corridor without intermediate ground posts and follows the site's slightly non-parallel geometry.
2.1 Post-Free Structural Grid
The roof is organized as an eight-cell grid with four longitudinal bays and two transverse bays. The support strategy transfers the canopy loads into the adjacent building structure through anchored ledgers and reinforced beam connections, leaving the walkway clear below.
2.2 Transparent Roof & Visual Integration
Laminated glass maintains overhead daylight, while dark charcoal aluminum members echo the villa's existing window and door frames.
2.3 Integrated Eave Drainage
The front edge terminates in a dedicated gutter profile that collects rainwater and directs it away from the pedestrian route.
03. Shop Drawings & Dimensional Coordination
Approved production drawings established the asymmetric site geometry, member sizes and gutter interface before fabrication.
- Front outer beam baseline: 6,058 mm
- Rear wall-ledger anchoring span: 4,953 mm
- Left projection depth: 2,065 mm
- Right projection depth: 1,980 mm
- Taper transition across the site geometry: 85 mm
- Primary rafters / beams: 120 × 50 × 3.0 mm
- Structural grid: 4 longitudinal × 2 transverse bays
- Integrated front eave gutter with dedicated rainwater channel
04. Precision Manufacturing & Factory Quality Control
Manufacturing focused on accurate member machining, reinforced internal connections and glazing preparation for the post-free canopy.
4.1 CNC Cutting & Machining
The 120 × 50 × 3.0 mm aluminum members were cut and machined for mitered joints, drainage details, anchor clearances and internal brackets.
4.2 Reinforced Connection Hardware
The project source documents galvanized steel insert brackets and multi-bolt connection hardware inside the aluminum members to stiffen key beam-to-beam and beam-to-wall joints.
4.3 Laminated Glass Preparation
Architectural laminated tempered safety-glass panels were prepared and inspected before shipment, with protected edges and glazing interfaces for the canopy rebates.
05. 1:1 Factory Trial Pre-Assembly & Fit Verification
Before export, SUNRAY completed a full-scale 1:1 trial assembly of the primary 6,058 mm canopy frame in the factory.
5.1 Frame Geometry & Dimensional Verification
- Overall lengths and projection depths were checked against the approved production drawing.
- Diagonal squareness was verified across the full canopy frame.
- Intermediate rafters were checked for flush alignment within the ladder-frame grid.
5.2 Gutter & Glazing Interface Inspection
- The integrated eave gutter fit was checked before disassembly.
- Glazing rebates were inspected for consistent panel support and seal clearance.
- EPDM compression-gasket interfaces were reviewed for uniform contact.
06. Export Packaging & Container Logistics
After factory verification, the aluminum frame, gutter members and laminated glass panels were protected for ocean shipment to California.
- Structural aluminum members were wrapped with foam and protective film.
- Glass and frame components were packed into reinforced plywood export crates.
- Crates were forklift-loaded and secured for containerized ocean freight.
07. On-Site Installation in California
After delivery to the California villa, the prefabricated canopy was installed between the existing structural walls without adding ground posts.
7.1 Rear Ledger & Structural Anchorage
The rear ledger was laser-aligned and fixed to the existing structural wall / floor-band zone using the project anchoring details, while the opposite end was secured to the stone-clad structural element.
7.2 Post-Free Frame Installation & Glazing
The prefabricated aluminum frame was positioned and secured overhead, followed by installation of the laminated safety-glass panels into the prepared roof grid.
7.3 Weather Sealing & Drainage Completion
EPDM seals and perimeter sealant were completed at wall interfaces, and the integrated gutter was connected to the rainwater discharge path.
08. Final Handover & Architectural Use
The completed canopy provides a protected inter-building passage while retaining daylight and a fully open floor area below.
- Barrier-free circulation: No ground support columns interrupt the approximately 6 m connecting walkway.
- Natural daylight: Transparent laminated glass preserves overhead light for the breezeway and adjacent interior openings.
- Rain protection: The covered passage provides shelter during seasonal wet weather.
- Integrated drainage: The front gutter controls runoff at the canopy edge.
- Architectural continuity: Dark charcoal framing ties together the villa's glazing, stone cladding and white exterior walls.
09. Application Scenarios
The same post-free architectural canopy concept can be adapted to other residential and hospitality projects where transparent weather protection is needed without ground columns.
- Private villa inter-building breezeways
- Residential entrance porches and patio walkways
- Covered passages between guest houses, garages and pool pavilions
- Boutique hotel and resort connecting corridors