Deck and Patio Installation Begins at Archadeck Headquarters
Several weeks ago, we announced that we at Archadeck Outdoor Living’s corporate office are getting a new outdoor living area. We are thrilled to let you know that after some weather delays, we officially broke ground today!
To recap, up until now, our corporate office has been of void of any outdoor living structures (we know, it’s sad considering what we do). This year, we decided to change that and designed this custom deck and patio combination project. A large pergola will cover part of deck for shade and built in benches and retaining walls will provide places to sit throughout the space.
Last week all of the patio material was delivered and trust me, it is a lot of pavers. Included in the material is the outdoor fireplace that will be installed on the project.
In preparation for the first phase of building, we had to file for building permits. After the county reviewed our plans and specifications, we were able to grid out the deck and patio on the property. 
Victor, our Director of Construction and Drafting who is spearheading the build for us, went outside with members of his team and sprayed a pink paint to illustrate where the building will take place. This allows the sub-contractors to envision the space and know exactly where to build. With the paint and permits in place, we were ready to build! Of course, Mother Nature had other plans for us. After a few days of rain, the ground needed to dry out a bit before we started digging. And finally today we were ready!
The first phase of the build is the patio and footings for the deck. This morning, bright and early, bulldozers started digging into our lawn to grade the area. Grading is the process of leveling out the ground. For us, the land that we are building the patio is uneven, sloping down to the road. The bulldozer cuts out the grass and dirt to level the area so that when the patio is built is it sturdy and level. It has been pretty interesting to see the difference in just a day, these guys are fast! Grading is also key for the drainage of the patio. Uneven surfaces hold water and puddle instead of properly draining and may cause future problems.
The footings for the structure will also be dug this week. Footings are the load bearing parts of an outdoor living structure. Before we start building the deck portion of the project, a county inspector will come out and test the ground and evaluate our footings. When they are all given the green light, we will be ready for to start the deck!
Everyone here is more than excited for an outdoor space at the office. On a beautiful day like today, it would be wonderful to have a nice spot to sit and hold a quick meeting while enjoying the sunshine. Our goal in designing the space was to create a combination project that not only features some our most commonly built structures, but also to create a space that is usable. By including the outdoor fireplace and outdoor kitchen, we are ensuring that it is used. The other offices that are part of the building are just as excited to have a space to enjoy the outdoors as well!
Archadeck Outdoor Living Gets Dream Backyard of its Own
We at Archadeck Outdoor Living pride ourselves on being the experts in outdoor living structures. Whether it is a deck, porch, patio, pergola or other project, we design and build the backyards of our clients’ dreams. I hate to admit it, but despite being America’s oldest and largest deck builder, our corporate office’s outdoor living space is lacking. Actually, it doesn’t really exist right now, but we 
are thrilled to say that that will be changing soon!
Since we are currently in the middle of a $70,000 dream backyard makeover contest, we decided it was time to build our dream space too! Our corporate design staff of draftsmen have designed the perfect outdoor living space for our corporate offices that will soon be underway. I, of course, will be sharing photos and details of how it is coming throughout the process. To start, I want to show you what the plans look like.
As you can see in the first 3D rendering and the photo, our corporate office’s property doesn’t look like a place the outdoor living experts work. We, along with the other companies that we share our building with, wanted a place to enjoy the outdoors when the weather permits. Since we would be the ones designing and building the space, we created a combination structure to show our corporate partners, franchisees and potential franchisees.
The first step in the process is to get permission from the building owners to make the significant enhancements to the property. Much like our system of porch, patio and deck builders do with their clients, our corporate team presented them with several options to consider. An outdoor living project is a significant investment and it’s important to us that our clients feel confident in their purchase when they sign a contract. To ensure that is the case, our design options are presented in 3D renderings that depict what the space will look like on their property. These renders have our entire office waiting impatiently for the space to be available.
These renderings show the final design that is currently with the county for permits. The project will consist of a new paver walkway that leads to an upper paver patio surrounded by seating walls and a fireplace. There will be two entrances off the patio to a 900 square foot composite deck loaded with benches throughout. Since Virginia can bring plenty of hot summer days, a large pergola will cover and shade a large part of the deck. On the far end of the deck there will be a set of stairs that lead to a lower paver patio with outdoor an outdoor kitchen (company cookouts, here we come!)
For the detail-oriented, here are the specifications of the space: The deck will be a little over 900 square feet. In addition, it will have 105 linear feet of white, vinyl railings, 38 linear feet of composite bench, composite trim and solid board skirting. There will be a total of two pergolas, an entrance one, comprised of 34 square feet and the second one that covers part of the deck will be 484 square feet.
As for the paver component, the space will have a total of 1,020 total square feet of Belgard Holland Stone, 108 linear feet of seating wall and 4 stone columns. On the upper patio there will be a 9 foot wide fireplace and an outdoor kitchen on the lower patio.
We are all excited to build and enjoy the new outdoor living space. We are currently waiting for all of the local permits to go through before we break ground on the space. Sit tight for updates!
Archadeck of Des Moines makes a stay away from home a little more beautiful with this breathtaking courtyard pergola.
This Pergola built by Archadeck of Des Moines is breathtaking and truly unforgettable.
Archadeck is so proud to highlight the accomplishments and milestones of our many valued locations across the country. Today we turn that focus onto Archadeck of Central Iowa with the gorgeous pergola they completed for Holiday Inn & Suites in West Des Moines, Iowa. The pergola itself, in its classic white and crisp architecture goes a step further in its design with the magical radius angles. This project takes pergolas to a whole new level and the customers were so delighted they called Archadeck of Central Iowa back for a second helping of quality, beauty and design on another project.
This Pergola creates a courtyard perfect to soak in the afternoon sun.
The developer for the Holiday Inn & Suites in West Des Moines contacted Archadeck of Central Iowa and hired them to build a pergola in the courtyard area of their newly built hotel. This is not your average, run of the mill courtyard though. The wall of the hotel itself is curved and the hotel’s initial requirement is that the beams of the pergola be radiused as well, to stay in line with the design of the wall. After careful consideration and a lot of communication with the developer, Archadeck of Central Iowa decided that ultimately straight beams following the arc of the wall would be just as effective. The rafters coming off the wall give the impression of a true radius look that is more noticeable than the beam. They were able to deliver an unforgettable structure with creativity, ingenuity and a little magician-like creative design.
Pergola by Archadeck of Des Moines for Holiday Inn & Suites of West Des Moines
The developer has another hotel in the works to be built and have asked Archadeck to build another pergola on the upcoming hotel. The new hotel will have the same radius wall design as part of their courtyard feature as well.
Attention to every detail and quality craftsmanship creates lasting ties.
The details of the pergola itself are that it was constructed of durable vinyl with 10′ tapered round columns. It also has 2×8 beams, 2×6 rafters and 2×2 strings all with vinyl as well. Archadeck of Central Iowa created a memorable structure, and in doing so, forged a positive relationship with this well-known hotel chain. They are looking forward to working with them again and continue to create beautiful, quality built outdoor structures for commercial venues such as this one, and also in back yards all across Des Moines.
Harold Cross of Archadeck of Des Moines and Central Iowa
To learn more about commercial and residential outdoor structures by Archadeck of Des Moines you can contact them at (515) 266 – 8844 or email them at centraliowa@archadeck.net
Another job well done for Archadeck of Des Moines.
You can also see more breathtaking pergolas in their photo galleries by visiting http://central-iowa.archadeck.com/pickYourProject/PergolasAndTrellises.html
