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Collection by Megan Hamaker

Homes Blending Indoor and Outdoor Living Space

When you live in a climate that's right for it, there is nothing like having architectural elements that allow your indoor living to expand and blend with the outdoor space. Here, we feature six homes with huge sliding windows and doors that open the homes right up to the outdoors and let the breeze in.

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In his writing geared toward builders, A. Quincy Jones encouraged using large panes of glass and sliding doors to bridge the exterior and interior. Here, Nick Roberts puts the philosophy to good use for a weekend barbecue.
In his writing geared toward builders, A. Quincy Jones encouraged using large panes of glass and sliding doors to bridge the exterior and interior. Here, Nick Roberts puts the philosophy to good use for a weekend barbecue.
Kim and Gabriella enjoy their kitchen, which spills out onto their backyard deck.
Kim and Gabriella enjoy their kitchen, which spills out onto their backyard deck.
Dappled sunlight and reclaimed-wood floors and walls give the master bedroom a warm, peaceful feel. Giant sliding doors open onto a wraparound deck peppered with potted plants from the couple’s vacations in Brazil, Uruguay, the Netherlands, and Italy.
Dappled sunlight and reclaimed-wood floors and walls give the master bedroom a warm, peaceful feel. Giant sliding doors open onto a wraparound deck peppered with potted plants from the couple’s vacations in Brazil, Uruguay, the Netherlands, and Italy.
When he became the dean of Syracuse University's School of Architecture in 2004, Mark Robbins made a plan to help the city and, potentially, the entire country. “I wanted to see if we could build houses that simultaneously made propositions about sustainability and about the possibility of constructing houses in a city like Syracuse,” Robbins said. The result was three green homes for $200,000 each and the promise of more to come. Read more about the central New York project here.
When he became the dean of Syracuse University's School of Architecture in 2004, Mark Robbins made a plan to help the city and, potentially, the entire country. “I wanted to see if we could build houses that simultaneously made propositions about sustainability and about the possibility of constructing houses in a city like Syracuse,” Robbins said. The result was three green homes for $200,000 each and the promise of more to come. Read more about the central New York project here.
“Creating efficient space is valuable, but for us, rooms that offer visual and spatial continuity with nature are also important,” architect Julie Dowling explains. “When the sliding doors are open, the living room and kitchen double in size.”
“Creating efficient space is valuable, but for us, rooms that offer visual and spatial continuity with nature are also important,” architect Julie Dowling explains. “When the sliding doors are open, the living room and kitchen double in size.”