What defines a "Ramada"

Try this for a bit of gen info on page 6-7..Sounds like a self- supported roof but attached and critter-proofed..Consider any underground utilities when setting posts..Sorry about the long link,hope it comes through well..I just googled "ramada roof" to find it.. Dean

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:Axswvsqz3MoJ:

Though traditional ramadas were made with mesquite poles, ocotillo canes, and saguaro, these materials are not readily available in nurseries, and laws prevent harvesting from public land. Try eucalyptus, fir, or pine branches, or bamboo poles and palm fronds. Wood and stakes from a nursery or lumberyard would work. Build a more permanent structure with a solid or partially open roof; some modern versions even incorporate fireplaces, ceiling fans, and chaises.

Native Americans have been constructing similar sun shelters in the Sonoran desert for centuries

that pretty much sums it up.