No contemporary household treats the outdoor space without the presence of wood in contemporaneity beautifully tailoring the functional component into the aesthetic values of the surrounding landscape in different manners, responding to different needs, different settings and scenarios.
The pergola is by far the most common outdoor structure and thanks to its popularity is often confused with similar structures such as arbors, car park, trellises and lattices reason for which the following article will treat the difference between these, highlighting some of their advantages and disadvantages.
Pergolas and Arbors
The common misunderstanding occurs between pergolas and arbors where the outdoor structures commonly found private gardens and parks alike can be out of high resilience material such vinyl or coated metal to properly subdue maintenance.
Despite the clear similarities between the two arbors are hardly ever found freestanding being often attached to a fence to serve as a portal, a gate, beautifully nestled into the natural environment. The biggest difference between the two lies into the architectural component of each structure, arbors usually lack a certain graphic element present in the pergola, elements that greatly the emphasize landscape component and the leisure factor of the construction through a subtle monumentality.
Carports and Gazebos in Comparison with Pergolas
The gazebo is a very common structure in outdoor spaces, one that is often confused with pergolas as well, these are enclosed structures that unlike pergola have a closed roof. The construction uses a hexagonal or round blueprint raised from the floor level to protect the users from humidity in the rainy season. Gazebos are a very practical solution for outdoor entertaining being able to nestle the dining area or late poker nights with friends.
The carport is pergola-like outdoor structure in which the functional component clearly outweighs the leisure role yet the structures remain the same. Naturally the carport shelters a car as one can deduct from the title where the pergola is clearly used for entertaining, comfort and relaxation.
A pergola is able to forge unforgettable memories and experiences in full comfort where the pergola serves the user from a strictly functional point of view, the aesthetic being a benefic side-effect.
Vines, Latticework and Trellises in Landscaping
3 structures were mentioned in the subtitle and all of them have one single purpose, to bring vegetation and greenery closer to the household inhabitant sculpting space in the process whilst emphasizing through their simple, wooden presence.
Plants like Virginia Creeper, Hardy Kiwi, Wisteria, Bougainvillea, Hardy Kiwi, Dutchman`s Pipe are common choices for such embellishments redefining landscapes thorough sheer beauty, a mandatory presence in contemporaneity`s gardens.
A small part of these ensembles is the trellis, this represents the framework that allows vines to climb and thrive in their vertical plane, these can be realized in wood, vinyl or metal and they`re often confused with lattice due to the looks of the latter. The crisscross check-board pattern describes the lattice hence the often misuse of the term, latticework and lattice are panels installed as supporting structures for climbing plants where trellises are freestanding pieces.
What do you think? How do you use wooden structures in your yard? We would love to hear from you !
