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The home is connected to a series of five unique outdoor spaces, hence its name: Five Yard House. Each yard takes a different approach to the landscape. The front lawn that faces the street is very orderly and manicured, and it maintains the appearance of the traditional neighborhood. “At one point, we debated a contemporary design for the steps leading up to the front porch—just to hint at the changes happening beyond,” says architect Miguel Rivera. “In the end, however, we decided it was best to adhere strictly to the historic nature of the district.”

Situated just 10 minutes from downtown Victoria, British Columbia, the waterfront property offers access to nature and urban life.

Floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors extend across one of the walls, creating an immediate indoor/outdoor connection while also inviting on-shore breezes inside.

A spacious guesthouse with separate entry is located on the lower level.

Designed by Fowler and Ward, this affordable two-unit home provides a beautiful solution to the Melbourne’s housing shortage.

Clara moved the lighting in the kitchen nook to create a banquette area for better flow. A Schoolhouse Ostara Pendant in satin black hangs over a CB2 Odyssey table and Serena & Lily Tucker chairs.

Before: The living room

Wooden beams extend beyond the structure to create shading trellises for the terraces at the front and the back of architect Ray Kappe's Los Angeles home.

The front door is tucked under a cantilevered terrace.

Floral wallpaper adds extra flair to the home's small powder room.

A verdant tundra that the architect dubbed the “courtyard” separates Bullitt’s house from his 900-square-foot studio. The space, which is planted with Bog Myrtle, bearberry, and other native plants, “reinforces...the dominance of the landscape over the building,” the architect says. “The end result was an exceedingly naturalized setting.”

Architect Will Winkelman and landscape architect Todd Richardson collaborated with client JT Bullitt to design a house that blends into its surroundings in Steuben, Maine. The green roof gives the impression that "the ground just jumped onto the roof," Richardson says.

When renovating a house in McAllen, Texas, for his brother-in-law’s family, architect Luis López designed an overhang with concrete beams that protects the front entrance from the area’s frequent rain. A large front window was inserted to provide views through the house to the backyard.

One of the main draws of Kevin Freeman and Jen Feldmann’s house is its connection to the neighborhood, which is why the front porch was a must. “Homes that have a door but no outside space say, ‘I’m not interested in you,’” designer Christopher Robertson explains. “This says, ‘I’m here to be part of the community.’”