Among the thousands of workers in a colony, only a small handful of alate ants have the ability to take to the sky. This select group of winged drones and princesses does not fight, it does not forage for food, in fact, it does no real work at all. Once per year, however, it performs a vital role as it takes its nuptial flight, finding mates, and propagating new life for the colony.
Inspired by this act of renewal, Alate was conceived to breathe new life into a neglected patio shared by a brother and sister in adjacent duplex units. The translucent Polygal roof drifts over the space, held aloft by an array of steel trusses delicately balanced atop four airy columns. This canopy gently diffuses the harsh midday sun, creating a cool, sheltered retreat while still allowing natural light to filter into the adjoining homes.
Alate also celebrates the dynamic movement of water as the rain generates living, dancing figures as it patterns and streaks down the roof into the cantilevered channel and drops gracefully into the rain garden below, a poetic reminder of the new life it brings to the home.
This thoughtful design was recognized with the AIA Central States Region Architectural Merit Award for Architectural Detail in 2017, underscoring its success in transforming an overlooked space into a luminous, life-affirming haven.
