Gazebo

If I had to identify the most challenging part of this deck design, it would be the gazebo. The reason is it shares two posts with the main roof structure. This requires it to overlap with, and be placed slightly below, the main roof.


Toward the end of the design process we lowered the main roof structure. This forced the gazebo roof too low, not leaving enough head clearance over the entry to the staircase. After much thinking on this, we decided to solve the clearance problem by cutting the staircase back into the deck area a few feet. So, by the time your head is near the gazebo roof, you've already stepped down two stairs, leaving plenty of room to avoid a headache.

You can see the stairs cut back into the deck in this picture. Originally, the top of the stairs would have aligned with that white post.


All along, it was hard to visualize what this gazebo would look like. I am very happy with the way it turned out. Seeing a design come to life in a physical building is very cool.