Research
Research and innovation for the open air
Studying light, colour and comfort to design better outdoor living.
Why we research
A good pergola is engineering. A great one is also science. Alfaprotech's research programme exists because comfort outdoors is not an opinion: it can be measured, modelled and improved — in light levels, colour temperature, airflow, perceived temperature and the psychology of space.
How we work
Prototype, measure, refine. Concepts move between the laboratory and the open sky: materials age under real weather, mechanisms run through thousands of cycles, and full-scale mock-ups are lived in, not just looked at, before anything reaches production.
«Perfect open-air space is what people have always worked towards — our job is to get a little closer with every study.»— Alfaprotech research team
Research 01
The dream house of tomorrow
What does the home of the future look like when it starts from the outdoors? This study explores flexible shading, removable enclosures and spaces that change function with the seasons — architecture that follows life instead of constraining it.
Research 02
An open-air mind
Time outdoors changes how we think, rest and relate. Drawing on environmental psychology, this research examines how shaded, comfortable open-air spaces can support concentration, creativity and sociability.
Research 03
Beauty and the brain
Beauty is not decoration — it is information. The study investigates how proportion, rhythm and material warmth are processed by our perception, and how design choices in a pergola translate into a felt sense of wellbeing.
Research 04
Lively colours
Colour outdoors behaves like nowhere else: it shifts with the sun, the foliage and the sky. This research maps how colour families perform in open-air settings, informing the palettes offered across our collections.
Research 05
Healthy lighting
Light is a nutrient. The study looks at how shading systems can work with natural light cycles — protecting from glare and excess heat while preserving the qualities of daylight that matter to mood and rest.
Research 06
Design for wellbeing
The synthesis: bringing together light, colour, air and acoustics into a single design discipline for the outdoors. The goal is open-air spaces that actively contribute to the health of the people who live in them.
From research to product
None of this stays in the laboratory. Findings feed directly into louvre geometry, fabric selection, sensor logic and control software — so that each generation of Alfaprotech products is a little more intelligent, and a little more humane, than the last.
Start designing your open-air project
Whatever open-air space you have in mind, our team is at your disposal to guide you through materials, finishes and configurations.