As I was thinking about what kind of patio structure to build, we had used an Ez-Up canopy the summer before to think about the shade patterns to determine where and what shape to create. I knew that I had to keep the size under a certain limit to comply with our towns regulations, so I wanted to maximize the shape, square footage, and ultimately create the right shade. I created quite a few drawings, and observed many structures at parks and other public places. I finally felt confident I wanted a modified gazebo shape that had a peak in the middle that modified that shape. I had not seen that shape anywhere exactly, so I decided I needed to create some models. First a very low-fi model out of an Amazon box, then a better, to scale 1/12th size mockup of the structure. The 1/12th mockup I loaded up with some heavy weight, and despite being made of balsa wood, it held, giving me some confidence this would hold when I built the real thing.