A studio, not a factory.
We take a space from site analysis and sun study to a buildable structure, verified for Eurocode wind and snow loads by structural engineers we bring into the design. Founded in Berlin in 2025, we are the design and engineering studio of TF Leicht Bauten Berlin. Building, supply and installation are handled exclusively by TF Leicht Bauten Berlin in Germany, and by N.E. Advanced Shading in Israel and the Middle East.
Shade is not the goal. Better public spaces are.
The best public spaces are the ones where people feel welcome, comfortable and safe — where children play longer, families stay past midday, and a square still works at midsummer. Those are the places we design for.
Shade is what turns an exposed area into somewhere people choose to be. Designed well, it reads as part of the architecture rather than something added to it.
What we stand for
Every place is different
Every design answers to its site, the architecture around it, and the people who will use it.
Built once — built right
Longevity is designed in, decision by decision. We don’t design for the lowest initial cost — we design for lasting value.
Nothing is assumed
Analysis and engineering sit behind every line. Ask why an element is the size it is, and there is an answer.
The smallest connection matters
Quality is the sum of thousands of small decisions, from the overall concept down to a single connection.
Nature first
If mature trees could do it all, they would. We don’t replace nature — we cover the ground where natural shade isn’t possible, and leave the rest alone.
Materials are a decision, not a default.
Every structure we design is a knitted fabric on a steel frame. Both are chosen for how they hold up years after handover.
The fabric
Round yarn, not flat tape
Tape yarn keeps stretching for years after installation. Round monofilament holds the shape the sail was cut to.
Nobody comes back to re-tighten it
The fabric is heat-set, so the tension stays where the installer left it.
Fewer seams to fail
The fabric comes in 3.25 and 6.5 metre widths, so large sails need fewer seams — and a seam is where load concentrates.
Built for schoolyards
A close lock-stitch resists cutting, and the smooth round yarn sheds dirt instead of trapping it.
Sun, or sun and rain
Monotec™ 370 is specified where the job is shade. Where the structure also has to shed rain, we specify Serge Ferrari Soltis® 502.
Flame-retardant where required
Where a fire standard applies, we specify Monotec™ 370 FR — the flame-retardant version of the same fabric.
The steel
Custom calculated engineering
Verified by structural engineers for site-specific Eurocode wind and snow loads.
Smarter steel for a lighter profile
S355 handles standard structural spans. When you need to preserve open space, we upgrade to S700—carrying the exact same load in a thinner, less obtrusive section.
Total interior & exterior galvanizing
Hot-dip galvanized (EN ISO 1461) to protect cut edges and hollow interiors from internal corrosion.
Coastal-grade C4 finish
Powder-coated over sweep-blasted zinc for long-term resistance to coastal and industrial air.
The canopy is not the goal.
We design them — in fabric and steel, engineered span by span. But what we’re making is an outdoor environment where people choose to stay, not only today, but for decades to come.
