Collection by Zach Edelson
Striking Modern Promenades and Walkways
The very word "promenade" has a whiff of European historicism, however, its premise is simple: shouldn't it be easy to leave your home and take a stroll into nature? These five dwellings maximize their beautiful settings and get their residents into the outdoors.
Michael McCarthy and Marcia Myers on the exterior promenade.
When building such a modest structure in a large landscape, designer and client often had to defend their vision to their collaborators. “We knew this house was going to be for Maggie and she would live there alone,” designer Lauren Moffitt says. “But people are always projecting for future resale. Putting in the smallest size of anything—to any subcontractor, it’s just not reasonable.”
The long gangplank of a deck runs right out into the fields, a fact that Treanor relishes.
A promenade, playfully dubbed “the wharf,” offers a spot to catch morning rays. Photo by: Paul McCredie
The trellis—made of a solid steel base and aluminum rods—modulates the daylight streaming into the house. The height matches that of the apple trees out front. "The trellis and plinth bridge the gap between house and garden," says Mazor.
A central wood-burning fireplace efficiently heats the whole home, minimizing the need for supplemental in-floor heating incorporated in the concrete floors. Natural cross-ventilation is achieved through the use of CO2 directed grills at the north and south of the home, an added green feature that further reduces the ecological footprint.