Terrace and outdoor living design

• Terrace and covered patio - an outdoor living and dining room connected to the kitchen and the living room.
• Pergola and canopy - a fixed roof, a glass roof or adjustable louvers.
• Roof deck - outdoor space on a flat roof, with waterproofing and railings resolved.
• Outdoor kitchen and fire - grill, sink, storage, a fire pit or an outdoor fireplace.
• Pool deck - loungers, shade and safe, slip-resistant surfaces around the water.

A Room Outside

The best terraces continue the floor, the ceiling line and the view of the room behind them. We align the terrace with the indoor floor where we can, so the doors open without a step, and plan the furniture, the paths and the view at the same time. At the house in Yuzhny the outdoor terrace has Paola Lenti SURF loungers, chosen because they extend the restraint of the house into the garden instead of competing with the glazing.

Built for the Rain

A cover turns a summer terrace into a space for most of the year. We design roofs and pergolas with gutters and downspouts, glass or polycarbonate roofs that keep daylight in the rooms behind them, and adjustable louvers that open in the sun and close in the rain. Radiant heaters, a fireplace and good lighting keep the space comfortable on cool evenings, and decking is chosen for wet conditions: dense hardwoods, thermally modified wood, composite or porcelain pavers with a slip-resistant surface.

Light After Dark

Ascetic House uses hidden LED lighting with automatic brightness control so the grounds are comfortable at night. On a terrace we light steps and edges for safety, the table for dinner and the trees for depth, with warm light that does not attract attention from the whole street.

Pools and Outdoor Water

When a terrace meets a pool, the deck, the shade and the view are designed together. In Ascetic House the 25-meter pool can be used almost three seasons a year; see our swimming pool design service for the pool itself.

Permits

In Seattle, raised or attached decks, roofed structures and roof decks usually need a permit, and roof decks also raise questions of structure, waterproofing and guard heights. Our architects prepare the drawings to local code, and they are signed by licensed professionals we work with.

How We Work

We start with how you want to use the space, survey the house and the site, develop the layout and a concept with renderings, then the drawings: plans, sections, structure of the cover, drainage, lighting and finishes. The terrace can be designed with the landscape of the garden, as part of a custom home or as a home addition.