Case Study: International Dark Sky achieves immersive, unobstructed stargazing with SOLIDWORKS

Fancy a Night in the UK’s Most Luxurious Observatory

International Dark Sky partnered on SkyHut, a boutique pop-up observatory in Wales that needed a roof that could fully open with an unobstructed view of the night sky. The engineering challenge—designing a tensioned-skin roof and a mechanism that moves the entire load from the rear wall so actuators stay out of sight—led designers PipSqueak to use SolidWorks 3D CAD and simulation tools to develop the concept.

Using SolidWorks, PipSqueak calculated exact roof weight, simulated movement and load-bearing, and specified bespoke actuators and components that worked correctly on the first build, eliminating expensive physical prototyping. SolidWorks enabled a faster, first‑time‑right delivery of SkyHut, which was successfully constructed, featured on Channel 4’s Cabins in the Wild, and is now available to stay in across Wales.

International Dark Sky