Heating for Outdoor Living Spaces

Outdoor fireplace with cypress mantle

There are many ways to heat your outdoor space.  One way that is especially handsome is an outdoor fireplace, particularly when it either reflects or complements the architecture of the home.

Outdoor Fireplaces for Heating

The fireplace in the photograph above nicely complements the space in which it is set.  It features a large stone boulder slab for the hearth.  It is similar to a fireplace that Rick designed for the Mountaineers where he picked out a hearthstone boulder and created a fireplace around it.  One of our favorite sources of stone like this is Marenakos near Preston on I-90.

Rumford Fireplaces Efficiently Heat Outdoor Seating Areas

Rumford Outdoor Fireplace

Rumford fireplaces provide radiant heating which makes them particularly good at heating the seating area thus extending the time in the evening and season in which you can enjoy your outdoor space.  These fireplaces are particularly good at projecting heat outward rather than upwards.  They also make beautiful outdoor ovens.  The local expert on Rumford fireplaces is Jim Buckley of Port Townsend, WA.  Our brick mason friend, John Davies, swears by him.
There are many examples of outdoor Rumfords at Buckley Rumford Fireplaces.   

 Fireplaces Can Provide Nice Definition in Outdoor “Rooms”

Craftsman Outdoor Fireplace, photo by Mike Siegel/The Seattle Times

You can create an outdoor room with a roof attached to the house such as the one in this photograph.  This is an example of a craftsman fireplace that is quite dramatic and full of character.

Freestanding Fireplaces Can Provide Good Definition for Outdoor Spaces

Freestanding Fireplace

A freestanding fireplace can also help to create a definition of the space.  It creates a focal point when the gathering area is open on all sides.

Modern Freestanding Fireplace

This is a great example of a stunning contemporary freestanding fireplace.  Unlike the fireplace above, this one dominates the space and creates a strong focus.  It is very dramatic and is intended to stand out rather than blend in with the landscape around it.

Pharos Outdoor Fireplace

Metal fireplaces can also be very attractive and contemporary.  I like the contrast that the dark metal fireplace creates against the greens and blues in the garden space.

Firepits Are Another Way to Provide an Informal Focal Point to Your Outdoor Space

Stone Firepit

A fire pit is another way to heat your outdoor seating space and reflect the character of your home or garden.  The firepit in the photo above reflects the space around it and helps to define the gathering area.  This is a great example  of a firepit that is subtle and blends in with the surroundings.

Portable Firepit

Firepits can be permanent like the previous stone one or they can be portable like the one above.  For people who have a smaller space or who need to be able to shift the focal point of a gathering, these smaller portable firepits are perfect.  They come in many styles and sizes.

The new Australian homes A whole new class of design

Australian Hhomes

The new homes coming on the market are a true departure from the “El Cheapo” designs of the past. These are real designer homes, excellent quality and they’re Big with a capital B. They represent totally different living spaces and environments from their predecessors and they’re built to provide a different lifestyle. The modern Australian home comes with a lot of smart features like a

retractable awning, high tech house control systems in big hybrid open plan and CAD-based partitioned interiors.

The new interior architecture and designs

The new interiors are really advanced designs, using a range of options to provide a good, well-insulated environment from the Australian sun and dealing with the issues of coastal design as well. This is a revolution in a way, because in the past the interiors were “conveyor belt” BV designs, not particularly original, using low grade materials and cost-based, meaning great for developers’ bottom lines, and not much else. The stampede to better quality housing is a clear indicator that the end of that type of building is here to stay.

The days of shoddy mass-produced homes are well and truly over, and the days of unfussy homebuyers are also gone, from the look of the housing market. Quality is taking over, and materials are now an essential part of Australian home design. The new interiors usually have extremely high quality hardwood or tiled floors, top quality carpets, best practice environmental management, and a stream of extras which didn’t even exist when much of urban Australia was built in the 70s and 80s.

The new exteriors- Designer materials and ideas all the way

It’s fair to say that the exteriors have also had a drastic makeover. Much of the technology creating the fabulous new sunscreen blinds also didn’t exist during the building booms of the past. That’s one of the reasons the new buildings are so conspicuously different. The other reason is that the new environmental control concepts now extend outside the building, using the big sunscreens to deal with heat and light much more efficiently.

The new buildings really are a different species. They’re geared to a different world. The modern home can be huge, containing many features which older homes simply didn’t have and some which didn’t even exist in theory before. Something as basic as air conditioning, for example, was previously a “turn it on and hope for the best” technology. Now, it’s a science, with programmable units saving megawatts every day thanks to better environmental controls built in to the design.

The big new exteriors are unprecedented in design terms. It’s a whole new class of design technology, reinventing exteriors as living spaces and simultaneously dealing with a lot of issues which have plagued Australian home design since the colonial era. Designer materials and much better approaches to environmental management have produced an entirely different type of building.

This technology, from the sunscreens to the interior design concepts, is only in its infancy. In ten years, it’s completely changed the face of urban Australia. The future definitely isn’t going to be dull.

Edge House: From a different angle

This beautiful home sits on a sloped 1.75-acre site, wedged between steep avalanche fields beneath Shadow Mountain and overhangs Castle Creek below. Building on a sloped angular site, with expansive views and full-day sun and avalanche exposure, was a challenge. In my opinion, the architects did a terrific job in creating a modern home that reflects the different angularities of its surroundings.
The project itself is huge in scale, unifying a 10,600 sq. ft. residence, separated into various living spaces: service, private and public. Since the house sits on an exposed site in proximity to the entrance to Aspen, its massing and scale were toned down, making it seem smaller than it actually is.


Outside, the house features several exterior spaces in the form of terraces, gardens and decks, while capturing specific views. The roof and eave projections not only serve as shading canopies, but also deflect the sound of the river below into the interiors.
In addition to the overall modern look, some features simply cannot be ignored, like the stunning outdoor fireplace design and indoor pool.

Inside, the house is contemporary and inviting, featuring large open spaces cleverly planned and designed. Various materials were used, such as Prodema board, porcelain tiles, formed concrete, galvalume flashing/roofing and both aluminum clad and mahogany windows/doors.




* More info at Studio B Architects

The Vader House

Created by Melbourne-based architect Andrew Maynard, the Vader House is a Victorian terrace extension, which was commissioned by a couple who requested a large flexible area suitable for entertaining.
Due to non-standard height regulations, the high northern boundary walls and unique roof line offer maximized living space combined with a modern architectural design. The new center of the house is an outdoor courtyard space, accessed by a series of glass doors, providing a complete opposite of the dark masonry-clad rooms of the old house.

This contemporary home also features various elements of surprise and playfulness throughout; from a mezzanine study hide-away and hints of colored bright red interior…

to a sliding deck revealing an outdoor spa,

and bathroom windows turning opaque for privacy.

Over the courtyard corridor, you will find a high perched walkway offering views over the city of Melbourne, Australia.

Link

The Kokoris Residence

The San Francisco-based Kokoris Residence, by Jensen Architects, is a modern, hillside home with an inviting, all-glass front porch extension.
Floating concrete steps lead to a front porch hovering above a waterfall and a reflecting pool lined with shimmering shades of blue ceramic tile.

This entry is almost vitrine-like surrounded by glass walls. It leads to an automatic sliding translucent door, which slowly opens to reveal panoramic views of the city below.

Link

Inspired by Interwoven Bamboo Strips: The Green Weaving Club House

An impressive, modern golf and club house rises in Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla), South Korea. The Green Weaving Club House spreads over 5,670 square meters, but the building had to be built on a long and narrow site. This challenged the designers, Hyunjoon Yoo Architects, and they created a fantastic place where golf connoisseurs can enjoy modern facilities in a contemporary setting. The necessities almost overwhelmed the capacity of the site – if the building had been built like any other usual golf club, the rooms would have spread over 100 meters, cutting the golf course into half. So the architects decided to construct a shorter version of the building, with gaps in-between the volumes, creating apparent green passageways. Inspired by interwoven bamboo strips, all the rooms of the building – lobby, locker room, spa – celebrate the connection they have with nature. Ivy and slow- growing Pachysandra terminalis with glossy green leaves cover some of the exterior walls, creating exceptional green walls and creating an eco-friendly feature. The building becomes both architecturally beautiful and energy efficient. How many golf clubs can pride themselves on having such a contemporary design?

Inventive Urban Office Location: Parasite Office in Moscow

The capital of Russia proudly displays an amazing architectural project that uses a tight urban site as the base for a different kind of office. The Parasite Office designed by za bor architects rises from in-between two buildings to offer an alternative to office spaces all over the world. The 230 square meters office is nestled between two residential buildings, occupying the space which was left unused until its construction. Moscow was the perfect place for the architects to present their project at the architectural biennale “АRCH Moscow“. The wide passages between the buildings of Moscow are perfect for such innovative construction like the Parasite Office, creating new urban developments for creativity-related working spaces. The first office constructed like this will be za bor’s office. A three-floor volume with an accessible roof area will be the main volume of the office, which will be divided by modular floor panels. The light and durable cellular polycarbonate used for the facade of the polygonal volume will ensure the architectural beauty of the project, while the part facing the other side is flat and completely glazed. It still amazes me how architects constantly reshape out cities.