The idea of integrating indoor and outdoor space is far from new – it was an ideal of the Modernist movement in the 1920s – but recent developments in glazing technology have resulted in some spectacular new ways to expand the boundaries of the home, creating spacious feeling interiors and an almost seamless relationship with nature and the outdoors.
When it comes to summer entertaining and the focus of the house turns from the inside to the out, there is nothing quite like being able to expand living and dining spaces beyond the enclosure of the walls by throwing open doors and windows and incorporating terraces, decks and the garden as a single space, small or large. This same sense of space – most of us have more out than in – can be perpetuated year round if the visual markers that the eye reads as the confines of the building are dissolved, blurred or concealed through clever design. Techniques to achieve this range from using large areas of glazing to projecting elements like floors, walls, ceilings and structural supports outside the perimeter of the enclosure, plus clever engineering techniques such as cantilevering a roof or floor so that there is no apparent means of structural support. These design solutions and others detailed here will help you to create outdoor spaces that look like a natural extension of your interiors, and consequently a home that looks, feels and lives like a far larger space.
Relationship of Space
Indoor and outdoor space needs to be designed as one coherent whole so that the relationship between the two flows naturally, and when the building is opened up in warmer months, the outdoor space functions seamlessly as an extension of the home.An outdoor dining area should, therefore, be located in close proximity to the kitchen and main dining area, and needs direct access to these spaces with as wide a glazed opening as possible. Equally, an outdoor seating area – be it a terrace, deck or balcony should flow into an indoor living space and be linked via wide glazed openings and doorways. Design options for expanding the floorplan beyond the confines of the building include terraces, decks, verandas, balconies, outdoor rooms, loggias and courtyards.
The main factors that will influence the siting and orientation of a new dwelling should also inform the design and location of these outdoor spaces and ‘rooms’ to take advantage of the best views, the passage of the sun during the day, privacy from neighbours, protection from the elements and the topography of the site.
Visual Connection
Whilst the physical flow between inside and out is the most important design consideration, it is not sufficient alone to create the sense of an unbroken flow of space. This requires the formation of a strong visual connection, created by removing or minimising the enclosing elements, such as the walls, ceiling, windows and doors, and by sharing the same proportions, rhythms, palette of materials and design details.The principal technique is to use as large a glazed area as possible, so walls and doorways are all but transparent and there is almost no visual barrier. The effect is to make the outdoor space feel like part of the home, even when it is closed off.
On warmer days, as much of the space as possible should be capable of being opened up, using sliding doors, folding sliding doors or pivot doors — or in a more traditional house, French doors or floor-toceiling sash windows tall enough to walk through when open.
This is most effective, though, if windows and doors are specified with either minimal or no frame and the supporting structure is moved either within or beyond the immediate perimeter of the building to deceive the eye. This can be achieved by projecting the roof over offset steel columns, or cantilevering or suspending the roof load, so it appears to float over the glass and the enclosing structure without any apparent means of support.
Steel framing is a common design solution. The strength of steel allows a minimal structure with very long spans, overhangs and relatively thin supporting columns. Recent developments in glazing technology, however, have seen the evolution of structural glass beams, so structures can be built almost entirely of glass — a particularly effective technique, but one that remains very expensive at £3-4,000/m2.
Another way to connect the space visually is to repeat or mirror the architectural rhythms and details of the interior, for instance by creating a courtyard or balcony of exactly the same width as the room that opens onto it, or extending an internal corridor into an external walkway of the same proportions.
Designer's View
Shane McCamley (pictured) and Andrew Edmunds, Stephenson Bell
- Open the threshold up as much as possible with glazing, preferably using full-height panes. It is also worth considering using higher-spec glazing that can deal with the sun’s rays whilst not being coloured.
- Continue the building’s architectural language and rhythms into the garden.
- Use matching materials inside and out, preferably with matching finishes.
- Consider running walls out from the house into the landscape.
- Try also to use the same material formats, e.g. 600 x 600mm stone tiles both inside and out.
- Co-ordinate the setting out of each material’s joints, e.g. so that tiles’ joints run continuously from inside to out.
- Where you want to use matching internal and external flooring, the external flooring and how it is constructed will dictate the rest of the flooring design. As the outdoor environment is more demanding, there are fewer material and finish options.
- Bring external planting into the house
- Minimise the physical presence of the threshold, so that it does not act as a barrier to the outside, e.g. by opening it up as much as possible with glazing.
- Where possible, try to have the external floor level with the internal floor.
Phil Easton, Western Design
Choose your doors carefully. Bi-fold doors open up to give a very attractive clear opening, but need space to stack at one end and have large areas of frame which can block your view. Sliding doors have less in the way of frame but do not give you a clear opening. I have recently seen a new frameless folding sliding door from Frameless Glass Curtains.
You may wish to extend part of the house by constructing a pergola or glazed or tiled veranda. This is particularly effective as it means you can leave your table and chairs outside and they won’t be affected by the odd shower. Verandas are cheap and simple to construct using standard timber greenhouse sections.
