Although there’s never a wrong time to consider creating shade on your commercial property, this guide was prompted by a recent revelation by one of our Yellowstone team members.
“You never see people hanging out in the full sun.”
Ok, the beach is an exception for those who aren’t fearful of dangerous UV rays, but most people love finding shady areas to make their outdoor time comfortable and enjoyable. On the hottest days of summer, shade is the only reason outdoor time is even possible.
This guide will give you several commercial property shade solutions, HOA shade ideas, and insights on maximizing shade in warm climates. Only recently have researchers discovered how harmful the lack of shade is for people. However, there are many other reasons to consider creating shade, including protecting your landscape elements and reducing temperatures inside buildings.
Perhaps most importantly? Increasing shaded areas on a property makes it “lively,” meaning other people find it appealing when your visitors, customers, residents, and employees are actively using outdoor spaces. People do hang out in full shade.
Assessing Your Property’s Needs
First, think about which outdoor spaces people use the most on your property in ideal weather. Then take note of all the shade you already have and the times of day that shade covers the most area.
Consider your local climate to guide decision making too. For example, certain cities have many more cloudy days than other locations (Grand Rapids, MI and Buffalo, NY have over 200 cloudy days annually).
Another thing to look at is when do people use your outdoor areas and how the sun’s position affects their activities. See sun facts below:
- Solar noon: Sun at the highest point in the sky (not always 12 PM)
- Hottest time: Usually 3-4 hours after solar noon
- UV rays strongest: 10 AM to 4 PM
- Sun angle: Highest in summer, lowest in winter
On retail properties, the busiest times are likely afternoons and evenings. Office or warehouse employees take outside breaks during the morning and lunchtime. HOA shade ideas make the most impact depending on demographics (55+ communities’ outdoor areas are busier earlier in the day compared to younger family neighborhoods’ usage).
Natural Shade Solutions
It may seem obvious that choosing fast-growing trees (examples coming up) are the best way to create shade. However, you want trees that fit your region's climate (right plant, right place philosophy protects your investment). And strategic tree planting is often overlooked if you don’t have access to a certified arborist.
For instance, tall trees block afternoon sun from the west but avoid planting them close to powerlines they might grow into. Use evergreens for year-round shade and keeping outdoor AC units cool. Then there are large shrubs that don’t grow super-tall but do provide shade where people are seated (e.g., walking path benches).
These natural shade ideas prevent properties from looking “abandoned” and encourage people to follow the crowd to the coolest spots around. What about those fast-growing tree species?
- Hybrid Poplar
- Weeping Willow
- Autumn Blaze Red Maple
- Thuja Green Giant
When planning years ahead, American Elm, Sugar Maple, and Oak trees provide some of the largest shade. Still, choosing low-maintenance, drought-resistant species is the most cost-effective and sustainable strategy—once established, they’ll require less water, fewer nutrient supplements, and live longer.
Many properties have limitations, though.
Structural Shade Solutions
Sometimes, man-made shade is your only choice. No worries, today’s options have exploded with handsome, functional, and flexible choices. Not only do you have a wide variety of pergolas, gazebos, patio covers, shade sails, and canopies, but material choices have taken a huge leap forward.
This, along with customization features, means it’s easier to match shade structures with your property’s architectural style. Plus, advanced materials help cool outdoor spaces even more—new composite wood innovations have cooling properties to go with UV-resistant durability, for example.
Don’t forget that you can also incorporate plants and vines with some structural shade solutions to enhance the cooling effect like green roofs and green walls provide. Choosing lighter colors (whites, yellows, and grays) turns down the heat too. They work great for temporary shade solutions since matching a property’s style may not be the main concern for single-day events.
As for permanent shade to cool building entrances and windows, lighter colored awnings and overhangs may be impossible if they won’t match the building’s color scheme. Just try to avoid the two most heat-absorbing colors, dark green and black. And consider using similar materials to the building’s make-up.
Innovative & Modern Shade Solutions
Shade structures have come a long way.
- Some pergolas adjust to control levels of sunlight allowed in
- Retractable awnings are available (manual and remote-controlled)
- Wind sensors auto-retract shade covers to protect them in extreme weather
- Powder-coated metals reduce cleaning effort and eliminate the need to repaint
Adjustable solutions allow you to create shade with precision depending on the time of day, season, and specific activities. A common area that’s used for 9 AM outdoor yoga needs less shade than the same area’s 3 PM playdates for children. Then you have regions that get hit with snow, making retractable patio covers and canopies a necessity.
Beyond technology, natural elements can intertwine with shade products. Green roofs add cooling insulation to a shade structure. This sustainable shade solution isn’t only great for warm climates. It can extend outdoor use as the weather becomes chilly, providing warmer insulated precipitation shelter.
Living walls give you shade where most people forget to utilize it—vertically! Moss walls, for example, can provide cleaner air while being a healthy sun blocker for an outdoor seating area or extend a gazebo’s shade for people and nearby plants. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Community & Employee Engagement
It helps when your residents, guests, and visitors can take part in creating shade ideas. Residents and employees are more likely to utilize newly added shade spaces when they understand why shade is vital and how they can make a positive impact.
Engagement ideas:
- Get feedback from homeowners about HOA shade ideas on the table
- Schedule a tree-planting event
- Run a contest for the best sustainable shade idea
- Ask community garden members to create a green wall
- Check into grants that might cover the costs of added shade (especially in shade deserts)
- Use volunteer days to inspect and clean shade structures
Also, hold discussions about additional strategies to cool off outdoor spaces. There’s a reason people flock to rivers, lakes, and oceans in the summer. A cool breeze is extra refreshing coming off the water, so just add water to common areas. Splash pads are an option, but so are more budget-friendly water features like:
- Rain gardens (reduce waterway pollution)
- Ponds
- Fountains
- Misting systems
- Waterfalls
Simply hearing water flow has a psychological cooling effect. Water sounds are soothing, so they’re a natural distraction from stressful heat. The sounds can trigger memories of actual water experiences, too, creating a placebo effect.
Sustainability & Environmental Considerations
We mentioned advancements in certain composite woods, but have you considered these other eco-friendly materials for sustainable shade solutions?
- Recyclable and locally sourced fabrics
- Certified sustainable wood (ensures it’s sourced responsibly)
- High-density polyethylene (HDPE: 100% recyclable)
- Bamboo is a fast-growing, renewable resource (caution - is highly invasive when planted, so consider using it as a material, rather than planting)
- Recycled steel or aluminum for frames and supports
Providing shade while protecting the environment is a double win. Consider similar eco-conscious wins for seating and gathering areas. Examples include installing concrete and stone benches for their natural cooling properties. With outdoor flooring, ceramic tiles can reduce heat, especially when lighter color styling is an option.
Enhance these areas further by installing native and drought-resistant trees and shrubs. They can handle the heat, and with efficient drip irrigation, soaker hoses, and irrigation rain sensors, they’ll thrive without wasting water resources.
Combining all these elements is how to create shade for commercial properties focused on sustainability and encourage active communities.
Maintenance and Long-Term Planning
Of course, everyone wants to extend the life of their property’s shade solutions. Trees and shrubs require mindful care until they’re established, which typically takes about two years. New installs require deep watering to reach the roots, mulch to regulate soil temps, and a nutrient program feeds growth. As trees and shrubs mature, proper pruning helps maximize the shade created and keeps them healthy, which fends off pests and diseases.
To maintain shade structures like awnings, shade sails, pergolas, and gazebos, please download our new Shade Maintenance Checklist and remember these three keys:
- Note dates of past and future maintenance
- Plan for severe weather to prevent damage
- Clean debris off the tops of shade structures
Yellowstone Landscape’s designers are a great resource for expanding shade options on your commercial property. Our designers are available at no extra cost when we do the installations for a project.
Another way to envision possibilities is to look at other commercial properties. Drive around during the summer to see how other property owners have created shade for their residents, guests, and employees. Or grab your laptop and use various Google Maps’ views to browse ideal shaded properties. Pro tip: search Phoenix first—people there know the value of creating shade!
Don’t forget to watch how your people are using shaded areas on your property. The more you add, the more they should begin making the most of those cooled down spots. One thing you may not think about, though? Let everyone know about any new shade that’s been added. It’s easy for busy people to overlook even the most obvious, most beneficial additions.
Conclusion
To recap, the starting point is assessing your property’s unique shade needs. This should give you ideas for utilizing mature trees and shrubs already on site. Next, consider the natural and structural shade solutions we described. There’s no limit to the materials, features, and styles available with the innovation happening as manufacturers and landscape designers realize the importance of shade.
As you consider options, remember to make other elements part of the decision-making process.
Anything that reduces unhealthy heat extremes, like lighter-colored materials and creative water features, is worth investigating. The same goes for sourcing sustainable shade materials that protect the planet while protecting your long-term budget, just as native plants and trees do.
Making outdoor spaces ten percent cooler is a big deal when the goal is to liven up your property with activity to make it appealing to others. The hot rays of full sun don’t encourage people to make use of their beautiful green spaces. But the full range of healthy and visually pleasing shade solutions does provide that encouragement.
Feel like you need more guidance on creating shade, HOA shade ideas, or the best trees for shade in hot climates? Get in touch with Yellowstone Landscape today.
