Outdoor living spaces come standard in balmy Florida, where lounging poolside and dining al fresco are part of everyday life. But in The Reality House, those requisite spaces aren't quite where you'd expect. Case in point: The pool isn't in the backyard. And while there's an intimate front patio cozying up to the front door, it's only an appetizer for the fabulous fresh air sanctuary that lies deeper within the heart of the floor plan.

“Whereas most houses have a view orientation to the back, this house exploits its best side,” says Don Hempel, a vice president of Issa Homes, speaking of the west elevation, which faces a tranquil pond. A shaded loggia off the main kitchen and family room offers the perfect vantage point for watching the sunset over the water.

This outdoor terrace is also visible and accessible (at grade) from the study at the north end of the home and from the second-generation suite for grandparents at the south end. Nearly every room in the house seems drawn toward this west-facing view, in the way that sunflowers naturally orient their gaze toward the sun.

But it's not just nature in all its glory that makes the side-porch design a winner. It has practical merits, too. “People are more likely to use side porches than front porches,” says Nagle, mainly because they don't feel like their lives are on display. “In our research, we encountered one family where Grandpa smoked and his daughter wouldn't allow it in the house. He spent much of his day on a side porch with a TV. Since they don't get out as often, elderly people need access to outdoor space. And that space needs to be easy to reach—no big stairways.”

Accenting the exteriors with rich copper flashing was an idea that came to Jeff Marchell, a vice president of Issa Homes, once the roof was in place. “The MonierLifetile roof tiles are a lifetime product, whereas standard galvanized flashing lasts about 30 years,” explains project superintendent Leslie Carlton. “Jeff thought the quality of the gutters and drainpipes should be equivalent to the roof material. We had just purchased a guttering machine, so we rolled it up to the site, took measurements, fed the copper sheets through the machine, and built the gutters to spec.”

There was, however, a small issue in the way of physics: The roof's steep pitch (with a rise-to-run ratio of 12:12) virtually ensured that excess water during a heavy downpour would shoot right over gutters installed in a standard flush position. “We had to create custom brackets to fit against the crown mold that pulled the gutters farther away from the house,” says Carlton.

FIRE FIRE On chilly nights, homeowners can gather on the patio around Heat & Glo's Dakota. The unit's Intel-liFire ignition system reduces gas consumption by providing a pilot flame only when needed. It is the first gas fireplace developed specifically for outdoor use, the maker says. The family also can cozy up to Heatilator's Icon 80 traditional wood-burning fireplace in the family room (not shown). Measuring 28 by 42 inches, Icon has a clean face that allows finishing materials to be applied right up to the edge of the firebox opening. www.hearthnhome.com.

PAVE THE WAY One of the most versatile building products, brick can be used underfoot as well as on walls. Here, it appears around the pool in the form of 100 percent clay pavers from Boral Bricks. The pieces are made from natural clay so the color will not fade over time. Shown here in Savannah Brown tumbled and Bourbon Street tumbled, the bricks are available in 13 colors and three styles: straight, beveled, and antique. www.boralbricks.com.

PROPER TOPPER An architecturally correct house needs the right roof. That's why The Reality House is topped by this Saxony Split Shake tile roof from MonierLifetile. Because it is made from concrete, the roof will withstand all that nature has to throw at it—hail, high winds, rain, and snow. It's also resistant to fire and has a fully transferable, nonprorated limited lifetime warranty. www.monierlifetile.com.

HIGH TILES Crossville's Empire Series porcelain tiles have the look of marble but the durability and maintenance of porcelain, which makes them perfectly suited to the shower in the pool bath just off the outdoor terrace. The wall installation is made up of 1-inch-by-3-inch mosaics in a basket-weave pattern in Palais Taupe and Corsican Cream, and a chair rail in Palais Taupe. Corsican Cream in an unpolished finish graces the floor. All pieces have precision squared edges, which allow grout lines to be neat and even. www.crossvilleinc.com.