1. Modern Gabled House in Portland

Scott Pitek designed this gabled structure for Betty Rahman on a 5,000-square-foot lot in Portland, Oregon. Rahman's cedar fence was made with planks that were charred and sealed with the ancient Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique, which is said to make the wood resistant to fire, rot, and insects.

2. Wabi House in Southern California

During construction, architect Sebastian Mariscal’s team adjusted the design of their fence to accommodate the boughs of an old pine tree in the backyard.

3. Twin Houses in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles-based firm Anonymous Architects built two side-by-side houses over two steep lots in Los Angeles's Mount Washington neighborhood. The near-identical homes are linked by a modern version of a white picket fence, giving them a visual sense of space.

4. A Modern Take on the Pitched-Roof

With its vertical wood slats, the garden fence of this home located just 15 minutes outside of Amsterdam unifies the main structure to a smaller shed.

5. Tadao Ando-Inspired Backyard

With input from her Berkeley Hills clients, landscape architect Mary Barensfeld used a computer to generate the circular patterns that were carved into a pair of Cor-Ten steel screens with a water-jet cutter.

6. Not Your Standard Hot Tub

For their design of an ipe-clad hot tub, The American Society of Landscape Architects gave Lord and Wyllie's firm, Surfacedesign, a Residential Design Honor Award. Just as stunning as the hot tub is the verticality of their redwood fence. The black stained planks are intermittently canted inward to create a sense of movement. As evening approaches, lights glows through the gaps, illuminating the space.

7. A Transformed Melbourne House

Architects Andrew Maynard and Mark Austin’s playful renovation and extension of a weatherboard home outside Melbourne created a series of gabled structures and a fence which aimed to create an integration between the garden and the home.

8. Tanner Springs Park in Portland

Ever since Portland made a goal to create a network of open spaces in the early 1990s, Tanner Springs Park—along with several others in the area—has become a quiet respite from its urban surroundings. In 2003, German design firm Atelier Dreiseitl and local landscape architecture firm GreenWorks, P.C. brought the community into the design process to turn it into what it is today.

9. Renovated Eichler Home in San Rafael

At five feet high, this slatted fencing encloses just enough—providing privacy without isolating this renovated Eichler home in San Rafael, California from its setting.

10. Backyard Marsh in San Francisco

A slatted Western red cedar fence adds a measure of privacy while permitting branches from a neighbor’s Japanese maple to cross the property line in the San Francisco home of landscape architect Marcel Wilson.

11. The Landscaped Outdoor Room

Mimicking the surrounding landscape, this snaking fence designed by landscape architect and artist Mikyoung Kim winds its way through the woods of Lincoln, Massachusetts. Unlike most fences—which follow rigid property lines—the Cor-Ten steel fence meanders around the property like an "organic mechanism for creating landscaped outdoor rooms."

12. Minimal Palette

Designer Tony Vella constructed this Melbourne beach home using recycled silver timber, off-form concrete, brass, white oak joinery, and handmade fittings and fixtures. The front fence of the house is made of stainless steel rods that have been sandblasted and coated with a protective penetrating sealer. The fence is cantilevered from a concrete beam below the garden, and the gate retracts into an underground pit. The cantilevered fence and retractable gate enhance security while maintaining a clean and uncluttered exterior appearance.

13. Screenplay

This Arlington, Virginia, home features an aluminum water-jet-cut fence that separates the house from its neighbors. Made from one sheet of metal for efficiency and cost-effectiveness, the material was cut down the middle in a zig-zag pattern, creating a screen look that casts beautiful shadows. The fence provides privacy and a modern touch to the property. Its intricate design showcases the attention to detail and craftsmanship put into every aspect of the home's exterior.

14. Pavilion House

The Pavilion House blends clean lines and minimalist design— a stunning example of modern architecture. Designed by Tel Aviv architecture studio Tal Goldsmith Fish, this home features streamlined concrete cubes and vertical iron louvers that filter light and add geometric texture to its smooth exterior form. The vertical iron louvers add visual interest and provide privacy and shade, making this home aesthetically pleasing and functional.

15. Sculptural Wall

This Atherton, California, home features a continuous curving wall that makes the home appear windowless from the street. The massive curving wall is an alternative to the typical perimeter fences in the neighborhood. Made from vertical cedar planks, the home's perimeter wall gives the home a sculptural appearance while providing privacy and security.

Also Appears In

A Modern Take on the Pitched-Roof