The seat beside the driveway

Buy nothing yetMove the table before you buy the pergola.

Before you buy a pergola, move the table.

Every change below is put into the plan and the whole model is run again. That is why a pergola's winter cost shows up here without anybody having written it down, and why the cheapest thing that actually buys hours back is allowed to win.

Fixing

For

Reading at

4:00 PM·October

In the sun. The sun is 18° up.

Where it stands now

Read for an hour

The bench in the shade does not work for reading for an hour right now, and what it feels like is why.

“No” means the model does not support this use under the conditions being read. The controlling limits are listed below.

Past the limit What it feels like is about 95°F — 16°F over (at most 79°F)Estimate: Worked out, but at least one input was assumed rather than measured.
The air is 95.1°F. It feels about what the thermometer says, roughly 95°F.
An hour is long enough for a few degrees to matter.
Close to the limit Glare is 27 / 100 — 9 over (at most 18)Worked out: Computed from the geometry, the sun and the weather you gave it.
The sun is 38 degrees off the line of sight and low enough to stay in peripheral vision.
Glare on a page is the whole problem; heat is secondary.

Still unanswered:Privacy exposureNoise

Why these are unanswered

Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.
Noise. Nobody has told us what the noise is like here, and it is not something geometry can infer.

What would change this. This would change if what it feels like were measured rather than estimated, or if privacy exposure were measured.

Confidence low (34%). Treat this as a starting hypothesis, not an answer.

What this answer was built from

Use: Read for an hour
Place: The bench in the shade
Weather: Hot desert, brutal summers, almost no cloud (scenario shape), scenario (from a published source)
Method: Traced geometry and radiation at this hour, measured against what this use needs

The smallest thing that buys hours back

Face the seating north-east

Face the seating north-east fixes glare.

Summer solstice, 21 June: still 1 hour usable.

Winter solstice, 21 December: still 7 hours usable.

On this day: what it feels like is what closes it, and direct sun on the seat is the part that moves how it feels, with or without this change.

On both solstices: what it feels like is what closes it, and how much sky is overhead is the part that moves how it feels, with or without this change.

+1 hour this daymove it

Ranked by hours bought on this day, then by the least effort. Within half an hour, the change that gives up less winter sun comes first — not the biggest score at this clock time.

Not offered, and why

No observer is marked, so there is no sightline to interrupt yet.
No observer is marked to screen from.
Wind is not the limiting factor at this spot, so a windbreak solves a problem you do not have.
Every fixture here is already fully shielded.
Nothing here is low enough for a step up to see over.
No mature canopy here to work on.
There is no boundary here to build on.
No observer is marked to screen from.
No observer is marked to screen from.
No observer is marked to screen from.
Wind is not what is limiting this spot.
Wind is not what is limiting this spot.
Wind is not what is limiting this spot.
Wind is not what is limiting this spot.
Nothing here is relying on a deciduous canopy, so there is no winter gap to fill.
This point is a place for people, not a place for a plant.
This ground already sheds water quickly.
This surface already drains freely.
Every fixture here is already warm.
There is no lighting here to rearrange.

20 changes, tested at 4:00 PM in October

One at a time, so you can tell what caused whatLook at the plan

Does it have to suit you?

All 20 changes, in the order the engine ranked them. Say something about your situation and the ones that would not suit you get set aside.

I rent, so nothing permanentRules out anything that cannot be taken away again.
Nothing that needs a builderRules out changes that need footings, trades or a structure fixing to the house.
I want it working this seasonRules out planting and anything else that only works once it has grown.
I will not maintain itRules out anything needing regular watering, pruning or seasonal putting away.

TestAn afternoonYou can undo it

A 13 ft 9 in umbrella

ForecastWorksfrom No

A 13 ft 9 in umbrella fixes what it feels like and glare.

A 13 feet 9 inches canopy at about 7 feet 7 inches, tilted toward the low sun.

Gained: What it feels like
Glare
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: Nothing here.
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: A 13 ft 9 in umbrella
If it worked: what it feels like and glare no longer stops the hour.
If it didn’t: If the hour feels the same after you try it, the model guessed at the wrong thing.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

+3 hours of usable time on this day. Opens 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Summer solstice, 21 June: 1 hour usable now, 2 hours with this change. 1 hour gained.

Winter solstice, 21 December: still 7 hours usable.

Solstice hours are how long this use can happen on those days. The beam sentence is one clock time, and a different number.

On this day: what it feels like is what closes it, and direct sun on the seat is the part that moves how it feels. With this change, glare is what closes it.

On both solstices: what it feels like is what closes it, and how much sky is overhead is the part that moves how it feels, with or without this change.

It takes the summer sun and leaves most of the winter sun, which is the behaviour worth paying for.

TestA projectYou can undo it

An 8 ft 6 in panel to the south-west

ForecastWorksfrom No

An 8 ft 6 in panel to the south-west fixes what it feels like and glare.

A solid panel about 8 feet 6 inches high and 9 feet 10 inches wide, standing 7 feet 3 inches to the south-west. Low sun arrives almost horizontally, and only something vertical stops it.

Gained: What it feels like
Glare
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: Nothing here.
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: An 8 ft 6 in panel to the south-west
If it worked: what it feels like and glare no longer stops the hour.
If it didn’t: If the hour feels the same after you try it, the model guessed at the wrong thing.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

+3 hours of usable time on this day. Opens 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Summer solstice, 21 June: still 1 hour usable.

Winter solstice, 21 December: still 7 hours usable.

Solstice hours are how long this use can happen on those days. The beam sentence is one clock time, and a different number.

On this day: what it feels like is what closes it, and direct sun on the seat is the part that moves how it feels, with or without this change.

On both solstices: what it feels like is what closes it, and how much sky is overhead is the part that moves how it feels, with or without this change.

Summer beam up about 0 per cent, winter beam down about 92 per cent at this hour.

TestA projectYou can undo it

A drawable outdoor curtain

ForecastWorksfrom No

A drawable outdoor curtain fixes glare.

A heavy outdoor curtain on a track, drawn across the west side when it is wanted and open the rest of the time.

Gained: Glare
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: A drawable outdoor curtain
If it worked: glare no longer stops the hour.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

+2 hours of usable time on this day. Opens 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Summer solstice, 21 June: still 1 hour usable.

Winter solstice, 21 December: still 7 hours usable.

Solstice hours are how long this use can happen on those days. The beam sentence is one clock time, and a different number.

On this day: what it feels like is what closes it, and direct sun on the seat is the part that moves how it feels, with or without this change.

On both solstices: what it feels like is what closes it, and how much sky is overhead is the part that moves how it feels, with or without this change.

It does not meaningfully change the beam in either season.

CommitmentA projectPermanentYears to work

A deciduous tree 23 ft south-west of the seat

ForecastTightfrom No

A deciduous tree 23 ft south-west of the seat fixes glare.

A medium deciduous tree planted 23 feet to the south-west, grown to about 26 feet, with a crown roughly 19 feet 8 inches across.

Gained: Glare
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: A deciduous tree 23 ft south-west of the seat
If it worked: glare no longer stops the hour.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

+1 hours of usable time on this day. Opens 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Summer solstice, 21 June: still 1 hour usable.

Winter solstice, 21 December: still 7 hours usable.

Solstice hours are how long this use can happen on those days. The beam sentence is one clock time, and a different number.

On this day: what it feels like is what closes it, and direct sun on the seat is the part that moves how it feels, with or without this change.

On both solstices: what it feels like is what closes it, and how much sky is overhead is the part that moves how it feels, with or without this change.

Summer beam up about 0 per cent, winter beam down about 10 per cent at this hour.

TestMove itYou can undo it

Face the seating north-east

ForecastNostill No

Face the seating north-east fixes glare.

Turn the chairs to look north-east, which puts the low sun behind the shoulder instead of across the table.

Gained: Glare
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: Face the seating north-east
If it worked: glare no longer stops the hour.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

+1 hours of usable time on this day. Opens 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Summer solstice, 21 June: still 1 hour usable.

Winter solstice, 21 December: still 7 hours usable.

Solstice hours are how long this use can happen on those days. The beam sentence is one clock time, and a different number.

On this day: what it feels like is what closes it, and direct sun on the seat is the part that moves how it feels, with or without this change.

On both solstices: what it feels like is what closes it, and how much sky is overhead is the part that moves how it feels, with or without this change.

It does not meaningfully change the beam in either season.

TestMove itYou can undo it

Move the table 8 ft 2 in north

ForecastNostill No

Move the table 8 ft 2 in north does not move this in any way worth the effort.

Slide the seating about 8 feet 2 inches toward the north and change nothing else.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: Move the table 8 ft 2 in north
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It does not meaningfully change the beam in either season.

TestMove itYou can undo it

A second seat 19 ft 8 in south-east

ForecastNostill No

A second seat 19 ft 8 in south-east does not move this in any way worth the effort.

Put two chairs 19 feet 8 inches to the south-east and leave the main table where it is. The point is not to fix this spot but to stop needing it at the hour it does not work.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: A second seat 19 ft 8 in south-east
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It does not meaningfully change the beam in either season.

TestMove itYou can undo it

Sit under Deep eave

ForecastNostill No

Sit under Deep eave does not move this in any way worth the effort.

Move the seating under Deep eave, which is already standing and already casting something. Costs nothing and takes an afternoon of trying it.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: Sit under Deep eave
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It does not meaningfully change the beam in either season.

TestMove itYou can undo it

Two 8 ft 2 in parasols instead of one

ForecastNostill No

Two 8 ft 2 in parasols instead of one does not move this in any way worth the effort.

Two parasols about 8 feet 2 inches across, set 7 feet 3 inches apart along the table. Between them they cover a rectangle, which is the shape a table actually is.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: Two 8 ft 2 in parasols instead of one
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It takes the summer sun and leaves most of the winter sun, which is the behaviour worth paying for.

TestAn afternoonYou can undo it

Two low shielded lights instead of one high one

ForecastNostill No

Two low shielded lights instead of one high one does not move this in any way worth the effort.

Add a pair of shielded 200 lumen fixtures at knee height near the seating, so the useful light is where people are rather than thrown across the garden.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: Two low shielded lights instead of one high one
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It does not meaningfully change the beam in either season.

TestA projectYou can undo it

A shade sail over the seating

ForecastNostill No

A shade sail over the seating does not move this in any way worth the effort.

A sail about 16 feet 5 inches by 13 feet 1 inch, set at about 9 feet 2 inches and angled to shed water.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: A shade sail over the seating
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It takes the summer sun and leaves most of the winter sun, which is the behaviour worth paying for.

TestA projectYou can undo itYears to work

A deciduous climber on tensioned wires

ForecastNostill No

A deciduous climber on tensioned wires does not move this in any way worth the effort.

Wires strung about 8 feet 6 inches above the seating with a vigorous deciduous climber trained across them. In leaf it shades like a light pergola; bare, it gives back most of the winter sun a solid roof would have kept.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: A deciduous climber on tensioned wires
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It takes the summer sun and leaves most of the winter sun, which is the behaviour worth paying for.

CommitmentA projectPermanent

An 8 ft 2 in awning

ForecastNostill No

An 8 ft 2 in awning does not move this in any way worth the effort.

A folding-arm awning projecting 8 feet 2 inches from the house wall at about 8 feet 6 inches, retracted out of season.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: An 8 ft 2 in awning
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It takes the summer sun and leaves most of the winter sun, which is the behaviour worth paying for.

CommitmentA buildPermanent

A pergola with open slats

ForecastNostill No

A pergola with open slats does not move this in any way worth the effort.

A pergola about 13 feet 1 inch square at 8 feet 6 inches with open slats, slats running roughly north-west.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: A pergola with open slats
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It takes the summer sun and leaves most of the winter sun, which is the behaviour worth paying for.

CommitmentA buildPermanent

An adjustable louvred roof

ForecastNostill No

An adjustable louvred roof does not move this in any way worth the effort.

A louvred roof about 13 feet 1 inch square at 8 feet 6 inches, blades running north-west and closable.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: An adjustable louvred roof
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It takes the summer sun and leaves most of the winter sun, which is the behaviour worth paying for.

CommitmentA buildPermanent

A paler paving

ForecastNostill No

A paler paving does not move this in any way worth the effort.

Replace Shaded walk with a paler paving of similar mass. The surface itself runs cooler underfoot; the trade is that more light bounces back up at a seated person.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: A paler paving
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It does not meaningfully change the beam in either season.

CommitmentA buildPermanent

A solid canopy over the seating

ForecastNostill No

A solid canopy over the seating does not move this in any way worth the effort.

A solid roof about 11 feet 2 inches above the seating, 13 feet 1 inch by 11 feet 6 inches, guttered on the low edge. Unlike fabric it works in rain, and unlike a pergola it takes the winter light too.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: A solid canopy over the seating
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It does not meaningfully change the beam in either season.

CommitmentA buildPermanent

Horizontal fins above the opening

ForecastNostill No

Horizontal fins above the opening does not move this in any way worth the effort.

A run of fixed horizontal fins projecting about 2 feet 4 inches from The house, set above head height. Geometry does the work: high summer sun is cut, low winter sun passes under, and the view out is barely touched.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: Horizontal fins above the opening
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It does not meaningfully change the beam in either season.

CommitmentA buildPermanent

A ventilated timber deck instead

ForecastNostill No

A ventilated timber deck instead does not move this in any way worth the effort.

Replace Shaded walk with a ventilated timber deck. Heavy paving charges all afternoon and radiates back until well after dark, which is why an evening terrace can feel hotter than the air. A light deck over an air gap is done within the hour.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: A ventilated timber deck instead
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It does not meaningfully change the beam in either season.

CommitmentA buildPermanent

Take up the paving and plant it

ForecastNostill No

Take up the paving and plant it does not move this in any way worth the effort.

Lift Shaded walk and plant it. Nothing else on this list moves surface temperature as far: paving in full sun sits twenty degrees or more above the air, while planted ground transpires and typically sits at or below it. It is also the only change here that gets better rather than worse over ten years.

Gained: Nothing here.
Lost: Nothing here.
Unchanged: What it feels like
Glare
Still unanswered: Privacy exposure
Noise

The test: Take up the paving and plant it
If it worked: The hour is easier, even if no single limit disappeared.
If it didn’t: If what it feels like still stops the hour after you try it, this was not the mechanism.
Next evidence: Privacy exposure. No observer has been placed yet. Privacy is a question about who can see in from where, and until one is marked there is nothing to answer.

It does not meaningfully change the beam in either season.