01. Site Survey & Client Requirements
The site is an exposed penthouse rooftop terrace in Singapore, bounded by a reinforced concrete rear wall with an access door, service conduits and six outdoor air-conditioning condenser units above. The terrace also includes a low concrete parapet along the front edge.
- Tropical heat and solar gain: The open terrace was exposed to year-round heat, glare and intense UV radiation.
- Monsoon rain: Sudden tropical downpours required fast drainage and reliable weather sealing.
- Existing rooftop services: The enclosure had to fit beneath the 3,400 mm concrete overhang and coordinate with the access door and AC service zone.
- Indoor-outdoor flexibility: The homeowner wanted an enclosed dining lounge in hot or rainy weather and a large open-sky terrace during comfortable evenings.
- Compact usable width: The track system had to preserve a 1,600 mm clear walking zone within the available rooftop geometry.
02. Conceptual Design & 3D BIM Modelling
SUNRAY developed a six-bay wall-mounted retractable glass enclosure with a steep single-slope roof tailored to tropical rainfall and the existing penthouse geometry.
2.1 Single-Slope Wall-Mounted Profile
The rear roof beam anchors at 4,040 mm on the concrete wall and slopes down to a 2,200 mm front glass facade. The fall directs heavy rainfall away from the building core and toward the front drainage zone.
2.2 Six-Bay 3+3 Bi-Parting Kinematics
The six modules split at the center, with three bays sliding left and three right. In the open configuration, both groups stack within 1,503 mm end zones to create a 5,595 mm clear central opening.
2.3 Enclosed Dining and Open-Sky Modes
When closed, the enclosure creates a protected rooftop dining room. When retracted, the central terrace becomes an open-air entertaining space while the end modules remain parked at both sides.
03. Shop Drawings & Dimensional Coordination
Approved production drawings established the 8.6 m longitudinal layout, module lengths, wall mounting height, front eave height, roof projection and retracted stack geometry before fabrication.
- Total track baseline: 8,600 mm
- Clear central opening: 5,595 mm
- End stack footprint: 1,503 mm each side
- Bay sequence: 1,398 + 1,398 + 1,504 + 1,504 + 1,398 + 1,398 = 8,600 mm
- Roof projection depth: 4,040 mm
- Ground-track width: 2,200 mm
- Clear interior walking width: 1,600 mm
- Rear wall mounting height: 4,040 mm
- Front eave height: 2,200 mm
- Rear concrete overhang: 3,400 mm
- Front parapet width: 270 mm
04. Precision Manufacturing & Factory Quality Control
Manufacturing focused on reinforced multi-track aluminum profiles, tropical-rain drainage details and precise moving interfaces for the six telescoping modules.
4.1 Multi-Cavity Aluminum Tracks & Roof Profiles
The source documents heavy-gauge 6063-T6 multi-track floor sills, wall-mount ledger beams and sloped roof members with reinforced internal cavities and integrated drainage channels.
4.2 CNC Machining
Automated CNC machining was used for roller channels, mounting pockets and drainage slots required by the telescopic system.
4.3 Dark Charcoal Architectural Finish
The aluminum components received a dark charcoal fluorocarbon coating selected for strong equatorial UV exposure, tropical humidity and rain.
05. 1:1 Factory Trial Pre-Assembly & Kinematic Testing
Before export, SUNRAY carried out full-scale trial assembly and movement testing of the 8.60 m system on calibrated factory jigs.
5.1 Baseline Alignment & Six-Bay Nesting
- Wall-mount ledger coplanarity, track parallelism and diagonal squareness were checked across the 8.60 m length and 2.20 m track width.
- All six modules were tested for smooth center-split movement without binding or profile interference.
- End-stack clearances were checked against the 1,503 mm nesting footprint.
5.2 Motor Synchronization & Weather-Seal Inspection
- Synchronized electric drives were cycled repeatedly for opening and closing.
- The project source records a complete operating cycle of approximately two minutes.
- EPDM sweep-gasket contact was checked along module overlaps for airtight and watertight performance.
06. Export Packaging & Ocean Logistics
After factory testing, the aluminum modules, track sections and glazing components were protected for ocean shipment to Singapore.
- Profiles were wrapped with foam, corner protection and industrial stretch film.
- Disassembled modules, multi-track sills and glazing panels were packed into reinforced export plywood crates.
- Crates were secured in shipping containers for delivery to the Port of Singapore.
07. On-Site Installation in Singapore
Following delivery, the prefabricated system was installed on the penthouse rooftop under professional contractor supervision.
7.1 Wall Ledger Anchoring & Track Leveling
The 8,600 mm rear ledger was anchored to the concrete wall at the documented 4,040 mm mounting height, while the floor track was leveled and fixed along the 270 mm front parapet zone.
7.2 Module Assembly & Glazing Installation
The six pre-machined modules were assembled on the guide tracks and fitted with Low-E roof glass and clear tempered vertical facade glass.
7.3 Motor Wiring & Bi-Parting Calibration
The electric drives were connected to the central control system and calibrated for synchronized remote-controlled movement toward both terrace ends.
08. Final Handover & Residential Use
The completed enclosure converts the exposed rooftop into a flexible living and dining area that can switch between weather-protected and open-sky operation.
- Heat and glare control: Low-E roof glazing helps reduce solar heat gain while maintaining daylight.
- Monsoon protection: The single-slope roof and EPDM sealing system support rapid rainwater shedding and weather protection.
- Large open-sky zone: Retraction creates a 5,595 mm central opening for evening dining and ventilation.
- Fast conversion: The source records approximately two minutes for a complete open or close cycle.
- Architectural integration: The dark charcoal frame complements the modern white penthouse architecture.
09. Application Scenarios
The same single-slope wall-mounted retractable sunroom concept can be adapted to other urban projects where rooftop weather protection and open-air flexibility are both required.
- Penthouse and rooftop dining terraces
- Hotel and restaurant rooftop lounges
- Villa balconies and upper-level patios
- Urban residential terraces requiring motorized tropical-weather protection