Challenge:
Current owner, William, and his family bought a unique San Francisco home 30 years ago when the existing Rollamatic retractable roof was itself about 25 years old. The original owner incorporated an atrium into the design and planted a ficus tree to bring nature into the indoor space. “The tree was thriving — contributing to a sense that we were living with the nature around us, not just next to it” explained William.

In 2019, after having lived in the home for over 25 years, they decided to undertake an extensive remodel. In conversation with their architect, ODS Architecture, they elected to update the retractable roof to achieve higher insulation value while allowing a warmer shade of light into the space than the original green-tinted fiberglass sheathing provided.

Rollamatic Solution:
We worked with the homeowner and architect to design and fabricate a new retractable roof unit to fit onto the existing atrium opening. To accomplish the desired privacy and light quality, we collaborated with the client and architect to select a white interlayer for the specified low-iron, low-e glass. “Rollamatic was great to work with. The glass roof brightens our space even when closed and allows us to see blue sky when we open it. It makes us feel like we live in the treetops.”