Space without limits - parking comfort in a premium carport
Problem - when structural poles get in the way
“You can park anywhere, but parking comfortably - it's already an art,” says Adam Kowalski, an architect of utility spaces with 15 years of experience. “I've seen dozens of carport designs where design considerations have completely obscured thinking about everyday use.”
A typical carport available on the market is a simple design - four poles on the corners of the canopy and you're done. At first glance, this seems logical, but reality verifies this approach already at the first parking. The poles are located exactly where we open the car door, creating an obstacle that we must avoid every day.
“My previous carport was just frustrating,” recalls Marek Lewandowski, one of Electrotile's customers. “Every time I had to position the car very precisely so as not to hit the pole with the door. When it was raining or it was dark, this activity became even more difficult. After six months, I already had a few scratches on the door.”
The problem is exacerbated when it comes to parking two cars side by side. Standard solutions then require a width of at least 6 meters, and still the comfort leaves much to be desired. The pillars not only limit the freedom to open the door, but also force precise maneuvering when entering under the roof.
Interestingly, automakers are well aware of this problem. According to statistics from one of the leading auto insurance manufacturers, as many as 23% of minor damage to car doors occurs precisely when parking under canopies with improperly spaced poles. These seemingly innocent damages generate considerable costs - the average expense for repairing dents and scratches on the door is about 1200-1800 PLN.
“Most often, these problems concern families with children,” notes Dr. Joanna Witkowska, ergonomist. “Children open the door without feeling, with impetus. If there is a pole nearby, a collision is almost inevitable. In addition, parents often need more space to help their children get off or fasten them in car seats.”
The situation is even more complicated for larger cars. SUVs that are gaining popularity have wider doors and require more space when getting in and out. Traditional carports were designed at a time when smaller cars dominated - today this concept simply does not work.
Experts also note an invisible aspect of the problem - parking stress. “It may seem trivial, but daily maneuvering in difficult conditions is a source of microstress that accumulates over time,” explains transport psychologist Dr. Michał Nowak. “Coming home should be associated with relaxation, not another challenge.”
It is also worth mentioning the scenario in which you own an electric car. The charging cables, stretched between the vehicle and the charger, provide additional obstacles in an already limited space. In traditional carports, moving between poles, car and cables is like overcoming an obstacle course.
When we take a closer look at the problem of inefficient use of space in standard carports, we note that this is not only a matter of convenience, but also of economy. With current land prices, especially in urban and suburban areas, every square meter matters. Traditional solutions require more space, offering less functionality - an equation that just doesn't defend itself these days.
The solution - innovative premium carport design
“Good design is not only aesthetics, but above all functionality that exceeds user expectations” - this is the motto that guided the Electrotile team of engineers when designing the premium carport. The result is a design that fundamentally changes the way we think about parking canopies.
The innovative Electrotile carport introduces a revolutionary solution - the structural poles have been deliberately moved backwards, completely outside the vehicle door opening zone. This seemingly simple shift, however, required a comprehensive redesign of the entire construction concept.
“The key challenge was to maintain full stability while freeing up space at the door of the car,” explains Tomasz Nowak, chief engineer of the project. “Standard solutions are based on an even distribution of loads, while our design requires most of the forces to be transferred to the rear pillars. It's like designing a bridge that's only supported on one side.”
The Electrotile team used advanced computer modeling to develop an optimal distribution of forces in the structure. Specially reinforced steel profiles with increased bending strength are used, which, despite the slender appearance, provide the structure with exceptional rigidity. Each element has been precisely dimensioned to carry loads in the most efficient way.
“We had to start designing from scratch, rejecting all previous assumptions,” continues Nowak. “We ran simulations of snow load, wind resistance and even earthquakes. The results were astonishing - our design turned out to be not only functional, but in many respects superior to traditional solutions in terms of durability.”
The breakthrough was the use of modern composite materials at strategic points of construction. These lightweight, but extremely durable materials made it possible to significantly relieve the entire structure, while increasing its resistance to atmospheric factors.
Crucially, the innovative design of the Electrotile premium carport allows you to comfortably park two vehicles side by side in a space of only 5 meters, while traditional solutions require a minimum of 6 meters. This difference may seem small, but in practice it means 20% space savings - often decisive when designing the zoning of a plot.
The owner of a single-family house in Warsaw, Mr. Andrzej, who decided to install a premium carport, shares his observations: “At first I was skeptical that the structure without pillars in front would be stable enough. Now, having gone through a winter with record snowfall, I have no doubts. The design didn't budge, and the parking comfort is incomparable to my previous canopy.”
Electrotile engineers pay attention to one more aspect - the modularity of the structure. The system is designed so that individual modules can be connected together, creating larger canopies without the need to mirror the columns at the joints. In practice, this means that a four-station carport requires not eight, but only six structural poles.
“It's like building from blocks, but one that is extremely durable and precisely fitted,” explains Karolina Wiśniewska, an architect working with Electrotile. “We can design a parking space perfectly tailored to the needs of a specific customer, without worrying about structural constraints. This gives us unprecedented design freedom.”
It is worth emphasizing that the displacement of the structural columns is also important for the aesthetics of the whole. Carport premium Electrotile looks lighter, more elegant. The view from the front of the property is clean, unbroken by pillars, which makes the entire structure seem almost floating in the air.
“In my experience, customers are looking for solutions that combine functionality with aesthetics,” says Wiśniewska. “Electrotile premium carport fits perfectly into modern architectural trends, where the key is a minimalist, clean line while maintaining full functionality.”
Another aspect of the innovative design is the universality of the assembly. Carport premium can be successfully installed both as a free-standing structure and adjacent to the building. In the latter case, the number of poles needed is reduced, which further increases the maneuverability space.
However, the company did not stop at design innovations. It was equally important to ensure simplicity of installation, which translates into lower installation costs. Specially designed modular connections make the entire process faster and less invasive to the environment than traditional designs.
