Patio

Since Wright was consistently focused on nature, he built an internal courtyard that creates a peaceful retreat in the middle of the structure.

Residence VDB-Belgium by Govaert&Vanhoutte Architects

You can walk along the thin balcony that lines the edge of the house, where you’ll enjoy incredible views of the river.

Group vacations are great for splitting travel costs, but not so good for getting restful alone time. That’s why architecture studio Método used vertical space to divvy up a shared vacation house outside Mexico City.

The rear of the house features Victorian brick, a modern extension, and Velfac windows. Landscape designer Matthew Wright was inspired by the art of Henri Rousseau when choosing plants to set amid the garden’s Dorset pebbles.

To deal with the constant stream of wind that flows toward the front of the house, Garcia contained all of the usable outdoor space within the first 30 to 40 feet from the back of the structure. “I designed various configurations to provide patio spaces that are protected from the wind,” he explains. The interior is directly connected to these zones by the expanses of Marvin windows and doors.

A maple tree grows through an ipe deck in this garden that Mary Barensfeld designed for a family in Berkeley, California. A reflecting pool separates it from a granite patio, which is furnished with a Petal dining table by Richard Schultz and chairs by Mario Bellini. The 1,150-square-foot garden serves as an elegant transition from the couple’s 1964 Japanese-style town house to a small, elevated terrace with views of San Francisco Bay. Filigreed Cor-Ten steel fence screens—perforated with a water-jet cutter to cast dappled shadows on a bench and the ground below—and zigzagging board-formed concrete retaining walls are examples.

Atop the carport is a Hopper table and shade by Extremis.

Large scale narrow modular pavers surround an outdoor fountain at this residence. Unlike other producers, Stepstone develops its own molds.