FOR ARCHITECTS
Coordinate the shading detail
in design.
Not during construction.
Complex shading conditions — concealed pockets, oversized openings, sloped skylights, recessed drapery — coordinated before framing closes off the options.
A Window Modes dealer connects you to the fabrication workroom.
Plan now or future proof now rwith technical drawing resouces.
A Window Modes dealer connects you to the fabrication workroom.
Plan now or future proof now rwith technical drawing resouces.
WHERE WE FIT
We help when...
01
The shade needs to disappear into the ceiling
02
The opening is oversized, angled, curved, or otherwise nonstandard.
03
The pocket size, roll diameter, motor, and fabric need to be coordinated before framing.
04
A skylight, sloped ceiling, or reverse-operation condition rules out standard hardware
05
The project needs a trade partner who understands both the design intent and the field constraints.
06
You need CAD dimensions you can drop into a drawing set today.
WHERE WE FIT
From drawing set to coordinated assembly.
Recessed shade pockets are a framing decision, not a finishing decision
The pocket dimensions are set by the shade and motor going into them — which means the right time to specify is during design development, before framing is committed. Once the ceiling closes, the options narrow considerably.
Three things have to be coordinated before a recessed shade system closes correctly:
The pocket and the shade
Dimensions set by fabric weight, roller diameter, fascia depth, and configuration.
The shade and the motor
Each major platform has its own clearance requirements.
The motor and the wiring pathway
Conduit, power, and low-voltage runs roughed in before the ceiling closes.
next steps
Here's how we help
01
Download what you need.
CAD and BIM files for Blindspace pocket systems, motorized roller shades, and recessed drapery track. Organized by shadeand-motor combination. No form gate.
02
Get connected with a Window Modes dealer.
For project-specific sizing and non-standard conditions, a dealer in your market confirms dimensions against the actual hardware — and coordinates directly with the Window Modes fabrication workroom.
03
Specify with confidence.
The dealer carries the order through fabrication and install. The pocket, shade, track, and motor arrive as one coordinated assembly — not four vendors finding the conflict after drywall.
PROOF
Conditions you don't have to design around.
Four examples of the design problems we solve in the workroom — so the architecture stays intact in the field.
project image
Depth constraint
Shallow pockets at the ceiling
A standard inside-mount Lutron bracket needs 5.25 inches. Many ceilings don't have it. The custom top-mount kit positions the motor above the roller tube — 4.25 inches total assembly depth — so the pocket fits the available ceiling, not the other way around.
MORE ON CONCEALMENT
project image
Non-linear geometry
Curved and angled drapery
Bay windows, curved walls, and corner conditions. Three-section continuous tracks with bends fabricated in the workroom and joined on site. Hardware fully recessed in the TrackTrim profile. The drapery follows the architecture.
MORE ON drapery track
project image
Non-vertical orientation
Sloped skylights
Gravity-held pocket fascias don't engage on a sloped frame. The Safety Hinge closes on all four sides — top rail, both verticals, and angled base rail. The shade deploys against sloped glazing and retracts cleanly into the recess.
MORE ON speciality conditions
project image
Non-linear joinery
Corner glazing conditions
Floor-to-ceiling glazing meeting at a corner — mitered or butted. Mitered Blindspace profiles wrap the architectural corner without a break in the ceiling plane. Standard distributor stock is straight lengths; the corner becomes a coordination problem only if the profile can't follow the geometry.
MORE ON concealment
PRE-CONVERSATION CHECKLIST
What to bring to the conversation
If you're heading toward the dealer path, the conversation moves faster when you can name:
- Window size and orientation
- Shade type (roller, drapery, Roman)
- Motorized or manual
- Whether the ceiling is still open or already closed
- Whether the opening is a specialty shape — slope, trapezoid, skylight, reverse operation
Your dealer works the technical spec from there: tube diameters, motor protocols, profile geometry. The list above is the starting information.
frequently asked questions
Questions Architects Ask
What pocket dimensions are required for a motorized roller shade?
Pocket size is determined by four variables: roller tube diameter (set by fabric weight × shade width), motor platform, mounting configuration (inside-mount vs. top-mount), and single vs. dual shade. Each combination produces a different rough opening. CAD files at /resources/cad-bim include rough opening dimensions by configuration for Lutron and Crestron systems.
For project-specific conditions, a Window Modes dealer confirms dimensions against the actual hardware before framing.
What does Window Modes offer that other Blindspace distributors in the US don't?
Window Modes is the only US Blindspace distributor that also fabricates the shade assemblies and drapery tracks that install inside the profiles — which means pocket dimensions can be confirmed against the actual shade going inside, not a published spec.
Bespoke services exclusive to Window Modes in the US: cut-to-size profiles, mitered corners, and custom color finishes. Window Modes also fabricates TrackTrim-prepped drapery track — other US distributors supply the TrackTrim channel but not the track that installs inside it.
where to start
Two ways to begin the coordination.
DOWNLOAD CAD / BIM FILES
Blindspace pocket sections and TrackTrim profiles. Rough opening dimensions by motor platform and mounting configuration. BIM files via SpecSimple. No form gate.
Find a dealer in your market →
For project-specific pocket sizing, non-standard conditions, and dimensions that need confirmation against actual hardware before framing.
