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The home opens out to the private garden to the north and remains closed to the road and neighbours on the south side.

The large deck space acts as an outdoor living area in warmer months, and has exterior heaters so the space can be used for outdoor entertaining on cooler evenings. It is constructed from FutureWood, a sustainable composite product made from sawdust and recycled plastic.

The pool and covered patio sit on the corner opposite of the entrance courtyard. The patio can be accessed through sliding glass doors from both the dining room and kitchen, and the master bedroom. Having lived on the site for so long, designer Jamie Chioco was able to quickly make informed decisions about the design—for example, one of the neighbors uses his backyard for large family gatherings and barbecues, and so it was decided early on to not to have many openings on that facade in order to give both homes privacy.

Four-panel sliding doors fully pocket, eliminating any boundaries between the interior and the courtyard. A central fire feature anchors the seating area, referencing the traditional fireplace found in living rooms.

Although the two-story atrium is smaller than the courtyard, it is no less important to the design. The glazed pocket doors are opened daily, connecting the family room to the rear yard, and framing the sculptural form of the 30-year-old Japanese black pine garden bonsai.

“I designed the pool as a form related to the house, but almost stepping down in scale,” says architect Kirsten Johnstone. “Australia’s strict regulations around pools create challenges to achieve compliance. Here, we have used some timber battens and continuous bluestone paving to connect the pool to the entertaining area.” The garden is planted with drought-tolerant indigenous plants to support local wildlife.

Transparent walls and Japanese design cues define this renovated home in an Austin suburb.

Aranza de Ariño and Claudio Sodi gave the architects at S-AR carte blanche to design they 850-square-foot beach retreat. The studio delivered an open structure that frames its natural surroundings.

A small deck and a custom concrete planter complete the seating area off of the main bedroom.

The couple planned out all of the exterior landscaping themselves. "[It was] painstaking, the time spent measuring," says Emily.

Emily and Mike created a small courtyard behind the office with custom concrete seating, a stone patio, and a mature tree as the focal point.

Lane also designed a detached screen porch for the property. Its orientation captures the view of a small mountain across the lake. “A New Hampshire lake house always has a screened porch,” he says. “This one allows for a separate experience that connects you to nature.”

Questions from your contractor mean that they have taken the time to review the construction documents or drawings and scope of work.