New open living spaces enjoy close connections to the back yard.
Julia Heine/McInturff Architects
Timber louvers provide sun control.
Julia Heine/McInturff Architects
The pavilion at dusk.
David Wakely Photography
Custom Home March-April 2010 Case Study: Sonoma Flow Architec…
Custom Home March-April 2010 Case Study: Sonoma Flow Architect and interior designer: zumaooh, Oakland, Calif.; Builder: Caletti Jungsten Construction, Mill Valley, Calif.; Photographer: David Wakely Photography. The metal overhead grid shades the kitchen and edges of the east/west-oriented pavilion, its slats angled to block direct sun during the day.
Casey Dunn
Designed for frequent entertaining, the full kitchen includes a …
Designed for frequent entertaining, the full kitchen includes a grill, oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, and sink.
Casey Dunn
Western red cedar slats close off the kitchen and media center.
Casey Dunn
The thick masonry walls are oriented to deflect winter’s north…
The thick masonry walls are oriented to deflect winter’s northwest winds and collect prevailing summertime breezes.
Julius Shulman + Juergen Nogai
Sight lines from the kitchen and bath into other rooms expand th…
Sight lines from the kitchen and bath into other rooms expand the perceived size of both spaces. Prodema, a resin-bonded cellulose product with a natural wood veneer, tops the dining table.
Julius Shulman + Juergen Nogai
Sight lines from the kitchen and bath into other rooms expand th…
Sight lines from the kitchen and bath into other rooms expand the perceived size of both spaces.
Derek Rath
The Hover House experiments with uniting the front and rear yard…
The Hover House experiments with uniting the front and rear yards on a small urban lot.
Derek Rath
Pushing the house to the long side of the lot allows the outdoor…
Pushing the house to the long side of the lot allows the outdoor spaces to flow.
Interior elements deploy an abbreviated palette of materials in …
Interior elements deploy an abbreviated palette of materials in broad, simple forms. A plate of cold-rolled steel serves as a backdrop for the patio's gas fireplace.
2012 rada kitchen / merit Appleton Living Kitchen by Minarc, V…
2012 rada kitchen / merit Appleton Living Kitchen by Minarc, Venice, Calif. principals in charge/interior designers: Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdóttir, Assoc. AIA, and Tryggvi Thorsteinsson, Assoc. AIA, Minarc; general contractor: Core Construction, Apple Valley, Calif.; project size: 449 square feet (kitchen); construction cost: $300 per square foot; photography: Art Gray. With upper cabinets limited to a single end wall, the kitchen opens to light and views along its two outside walls.
The architect designed indoor and outdoor kitchens with a strong…
The architect designed indoor and outdoor kitchens with a strong flow and visual connection between them. Indeed, indoors and out are tightly linked throughout the plan.
Residential Architect March-April 2013 Case Study: Kafka Reside…
Residential Architect March-April 2013 Case Study: Kafka Residence, La Jolla, Calif. Architect Safdie Rabines Architects, San Diego; General contractor: Beacham Construction, La Jolla; Project size: 300 square feet; Construction cost: Withheld. At the Kafka Residence by Safdie Rabines Architects, living, dining, and kitchen areas share a single, open space that merges with an elevated deck.
Daproza, Johanna
Bob Greenspan (816-591-3370)
Photo by Bob Greenspan
Wayne C. Moore/Back River Photog
Photo by Wayne C. Moore
Eric Figge
The Estates at Del Sur – Plan 2, San Diego, Calif.
Eric Figge
The Estates at Del Sur – Plan 2, San Diego, Calif.
A prominent design trend throughout many of the projects honored with awards this year (including last month’s Gold Nugget Awards) is a blended indoor/outdoor transition. Jurors, architects, and homeowners alike are favoring outdoor spaces that blur the lines between out and in.
Seamless transitions through collapsible, floor-to-ceiling windows can make a primary residence feel like a vacation home, and open up smaller, indoor rooms by extending space into the landscape.
For a cohesive finish, architectural styles used throughout the home are mirrored outdoors. Details such as state-of-the-art entertainment systems, fireplaces, and pools make for an inviting sanctuary meant to be enjoyed year-round.
From an inside look at an Eichler update that transformed a home into an open-air pavilion, to design tips from the pros, here are eight projects from the pages of BUILDER and CUSTOM HOME that invite the outdoors in:
