Outdoor
living spaces are common wishes for many people who are designing the ideal
custom home. They come in may labels, like "Southwestern Living
Rooms", "Arizona Room" or "Arizona Court Yards".
Most often they have walls on at least three sides and provide seclusion
and privacy. They are often positioned in the center of the house for central
access.
A great
court yard design also connects creatively to the interior spaces.
Of course, most people want to connect to the "public" spaces
like the kitchen, living and dining areas. It is great when the chef of
the house can have instant access to the BBQ and the indoor oven in minutes.
Of course, guests love to be able to come and go from inside to out on
the fly, so chefs appreciates when traffic flow is designed to keep guests are
out of their way. Access to a bathroom from the courtyard is also a
convenient amenity for guests and home owners, too.
Early
risers like the idea of coffee in the court yard, so a quick jaunt to the
coffee maker, then to private outdoor space is appealing. Good space
planning makes a court yards accessible to bedrooms, guest suites,
master suites and bathrooms.
Care
must be taken to make outdoor living spaces fit the region. For example,
a Sedona, AZ out door courtyard would be very different from one designed
for Portland, OR. Most people want
to be able to use the outdoor spaces as often as possible, so a good design will incorporate ways
to extend the seasons of use. Court yards can often be located to buffer
the summer heat or temper the cold winters. Roof covers and enclosures
can be designed to mitigate rain, sun, wind, and pests. There are a
variety of screens, solid roofs, open pergolas, folding and cascading doors on
the market today to make court yards a pleasurable experience.
Be sure
to add good task and ambient lighting to the space, and don't forget a hose bib,
and electrical outlet. Make sure there is adequate drainage. Also,
please make court yard doors and windows work in the favor of natural light
flowing to the interior and work to frame views to the exterior. Of
course hire an experienced professional to pull it all
together for you!
