Commercial Shade Applications

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Zoo Shade

Zoos are a popular outdoor attraction for families every year. Shade can be added to any outdoor viewing area, amphitheater, or gathering spot making watching, learning about, and appreciating the animals a more pleasant experience.

Protecting the animals at your zoo is just as important as providing sun protection to zoo visitors. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums includes shade as a requirement when providing animal welfare, care, and well-being. The accreditation standards state that when sunlight is likely to cause overheating or discomfort to animals, sufficient shade (in addition to shelter structures) must be provided by natural or artificial means to allow all animals kept outdoors to protect themselves from direct sunlight.

At the Kansas City Zoo in Kansas City, Mo., SkyWays tension sails were added to their African Elephant exhibit to offer relief from the hot sun. These uniquely designed shade sails keep these crowd favorites protected from the summer sun while also adding an interesting design element to the exhibit.

Restaurant Shade

Nice days bring everyone outdoors for leisure and play. Dining outside is a common activity that can go from pleasant to miserable very quickly depending on the weather. Making sure an experience stays positive keeps customers coming back and your restaurant profitable. Restaurant shade structures protect guests and customers from direct sunlight while adding style and ambience to your café, restaurant, or hotel. With the proper shade, guests can eat and drink without worry of the intense heat.

Infinitus Pizza Pie in Wheat Ridge, Colo. added SkyWays cantilever back-to-back shade to create a more comfortable patio dining experience. The restaurant shade structure keeps temperatures on the patio cooler, protects guests from UV rays, and ensures all patio diners enjoy their pizza comfortably.

Sports Park and Bleacher Shade

Every year, thousands of families around the country gather on the sidelines or in the stands to cheer on their favorite teams, whether rain or shine. From elementary school little league games to professional sport teams, baking in the heat or getting soaked in the rain detracts from the experience and deters fans from attending. By including a sports shade structure over your bleachers, players bench, or viewing area like at Doral Legacy Park in Doral, Fla., you’re not only protecting those utilizing your facility, but making it more appealing as well, attracting more visitors and participants.

Pool Shade

From lounging on the side to splashing in the water, pools and aquatic areas offer something the whole family can enjoy. Unfortunately, time in the intense sun and heat can be dangerous when certain precautions aren’t taken. Adding a pool shade structure to your outdoor pool or aquatic center offers the necessary safeguard for kids and adults who are spending hours in the sun’s strong UV rays.

Allentown Splash, Tennis & Fitness Park in Fort Washington, Md. added six panels of SkyWays shade fabric to offer a break from the sun and heat. They chose a custom-designed color and pattern to make their space not only functional but attractive too.

Playground Shade

Playground shade structures make outdoor playtime more enjoyable for both kids and adults. Providing adequate shade to playgrounds and surrounding areas extends play sessions by keeping kids and adults cooler and protected from UV rays. Including a playground shade structure will also prevent premature fading and deterioration, prolonging the life of playground equipment.

In addition to safety and function, shade structures also increase the aesthetics of a playground. May Niessen Park in Livermore, Calif. used brightly colored giant flower-shaped shade sails that cast fun shadows to create a more visually appealing playground to draw in visitors and increase their comfort while at their playground.

Integrated Shade

Integrated shade is ideal for keeping kids cool while playing on playground equipment. Integrated shade structures are critical for outdoor play helping to protect children and playground equipment from the intense sun. Integrated shade leverages posts from the playground equipment and reduces the overall space requirements. SkyWays® Integrated shade can be used on 7-post and 14-post Netplex® structures and with single or multiple-bay Swings. To keep kids of all abilities out of the sun, use SkyWays Integrated shade with ZipKrooz® zipline and over the Sway Fun Glider. Many shade design, shapes and sizes are available.

Visitors at the Hoover Recreation Center in Los Angeles, Calif. can stay cool under the integrated SkyWays® shade on the PlayBooster® Netplex® .The playground also includes a custom swing featuring a Molded Bucket Seat complete with integrated SkyWays® shade.

Dog Park Shade

Dog parks are a great way for dogs to receive the exercise and social stimulation they need to be healthy. But, just like humans, man’s best friend needs to be protected from the harmful effects of the sun and heat. Commercial shade structures at dog parks give dogs and their owners a place to play, sit, and relax while keeping temperatures down and reducing exposure to the sun's UV rays.

At the Sun City Festival Dog Park in Buckeye, Ariz., pets and their owners can take respite from the heat during play sessions. The joined tension sails ensure those on two or four legs are getting important protection from the intense summer sun. Sun City Dog Park also took advantage of the many color options to create a unique look for their space.

Outdoor Classrooms

Many schools are utilizing shade sails and structures to extend their classroom space to the great outdoors. By adding a commercial shade sail to an existing courtyard or over a new space, schools can embrace the benefits of nature for outdoor learning and not worry about the sun exposure and heat protection.

Our sample outdoor classroom concepts are a great option to explore, especially during the global pandemic we’re experiencing. Outdoor classrooms also offer a great way for school campuses to expand their learning space for use well into the future.

Playground products shown in video may not be appropriate for every age group. Playsystems shown in video are for demonstration purposes only. Product configurations may vary.

Video features the different SkyWays shade systems available for playgrounds, outdoor sitting areas, and more.

[video: scene fades into an elevated view of four different brown SkyWays shade systems covering the playground structures, swing set, and ZipKrooz play areas of a park. White text at the bottom of the screen reads: Branford Park Pacoima, CA.]

[video: scene switches to a ground view across the play area to the ZipKrooz zipline gliding bay with its large SkyWays shade overhead. Camera switches to a ground view up as the camera pans from left to right of the SkyWays shades over the playground swing set and ZipKrooz bay. Scene switches to a vertical pan up to the SkyWays shade covering the playground swing set as a young girl swings below. Camera switches back to a full aerial view of the three SkyWays shade systems covering the playground structures at Branford Park. Scene fades to an aerial view of a different park area with large and small SkyWays shade systems. White text at the bottom of the screen reads: Hoover Recreation Center Los Angeles, CA.]

[video: scene switches to a slight elevated view of a SkyWays shade sail covering the playground swing set. Scene switches to the camera panning up to a SkyWays shade sail system above a young girl climbing across the ropes of the Portal Climber. Camera switches to a ground view up to the SkyWays shade above a group of children swinging on the playground swings set. Camera switches to an elevated view of the play area with SkyWays shades as the camera slowly pulls away from the playground. Scene fades to a third full elevated view of a park playground with three different sized SkyWays shade systems. White text fades into the bottom of the screen reading: Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park Tampa, FL.]

[video: scene switches to a ground view of a young boy running towards a Weevos playground with a large square SkyWays shade above. The camera focuses on a man as he helps a young girl spin on a Saddle Spinner next to the Weevos playground. Camera switches to an aerial pan over the tops of the SkyWays shades of the park. The artificial grass and PebbleFlex surfacing make a unique zebra pattern on the ground. Scene fades to an elevated pan over the tops of an outdoor tennis court park with SkyWays shade sails set over the seating area of the court yard and surrounding bleachers. Text fades into the bottom of the screen reading: Festival Ranch Pickleball Courts Buckeye, AZ.]

[video: scene fades to a ground view of a Smart Play Venti playground filled with children as they play in the shade of the large SkyWays shade overhead. Text fades into the bottom of the screen reading: The Vista 1 at Hunters Creek Orlando, FL.]

[video: camera switches to a side view of children playing on the shaded Smart Play Venti playground. The camera pulls back for a full view side view of the large overhanging SkyWays shade over the Venti playground at the Vista 1 at Hunters Creek. Scene switches to a view up to a young girl as she grabs onto a rung of the monkey bars on the playground. Camera switches to an elevated view of children playing in the shade on the Venti playground. Scene switches to an elevated view as the camera pans away from the SkyWays shade covering the park playground as children play below. Scene fades to an elevated view of a SkyWays shade sail covering a square court yard covered in artificial grass next to a building and large tiki hut. White text appears at the bottom of the screen reading: Epperson Lagoon Wesley Chapel, FL.]

[video: camera switches to a side elevated view of the large SkyWays shade sail covering the square court yard covered in artificial grass. Camera switches to a back-side view of the building and square court yard with SkyWays shade sail as a man-made lagoon with inflatable agility course floats in the background. Scene fades to an elevated view of a dog park with SkyWays shade sails. White text appears at the bottom of the screen reading: Sun City Festival Dog Park Buckeye, AZ.]

[video: Camera switches to the opposite side of the dog park with an elevated view of the four-different free dog run fenced in locations. A man plays with his dog in one of the fenced in zones. Screen fades to white as the SkyWays logo appears in the center. The SkyWays shade logo is made of four triangles skewed into the shape of an arrow head above the text of SkyWays by Landscape Structures.]