This LEED Gold high-rise, a 2011 Builder’s Choice Grand Award …
This LEED Gold high-rise, a 2011 Builder’s Choice Grand Award Winner, houses lots of people, but it features outdoor spaces that encourage gathering. Architect: Tony Cutri, Martinez + Cutri Corp.; Builder: Carmen Vann, Turner Construction; Landscape Architect: Mohamed Zaki, DeLorenzo Incorporated
James R. Lockhart
A sitting area mimics a welcoming interior fireside, but with pl…
A sitting area mimics a welcoming interior fireside, but with plenty of space to embrace being outside. Architect: William T. Baker; Builder: Warren Sirzyk, Renaissance Development Corp.; Landscape Architect: Joe Gayle, Joe Gayle and Associates
The Bozzuto Group
Outdoor fireplaces aren’t just for Californians. In Baltimore,…
Outdoor fireplaces aren’t just for Californians. In Baltimore, a rustic-looking fireplace anchors a courtyard space in a mixed-use community that’s LEED certified—and a mix of young professionals, university professors, and empty-nesters. Architect: Sam Rajamanickam, Design Collective, Inc.; Builder: Mike Schlegel, The Bozzuto Group; Landscape Architect: Catherine Mahan, Mahan Rykiel Associates
Matt and Meghan Feyerabend
Scandinavian design informs this house, with an outdoor fire pit…
Scandinavian design informs this house, with an outdoor fire pit whose design follows the building’s modern lines. Architect: Matthias J. Pearson; Builder: Edward Ernst, Upriver Construction Company; Landscape Architect: Matthias J. Pearson
Matthew Millman
The theme of Assembly House, a 2011 Builder’s Choice Grand Awa…
The theme of Assembly House, a 2011 Builder’s Choice Grand Award winner, is gathering and interaction. Here fire meets water, providing a dramatic punctuation mark to a reflecting pool. Architect: Shay Zak, Zak Architecture; Builder: John Metzler, Metzler Contracting; Landscape Architect: Todd Cole, Suzman Cole Design Associates
Christopher Mayer
There’s plenty of seating area at this fire pit, located in a …
There’s plenty of seating area at this fire pit, located in a mixed-income development of townhouses and low-rises. Architect: KTGY Group; Builder: O'Brien Homes/Sunnyvale Associates; Land Planner: KTGY Group
Paul Bardagjy
In this backyard, a two-sided fireplace does double duty as fire…
In this backyard, a two-sided fireplace does double duty as fire pit and patio wall. Architect: Jay Corder; Builder: David Wilkes, David Wilkes Builders; Fireplace Design: David Wilkes, David Wilkes Builders
While grills are still the number one most requested feature for a home’s outdoor space, a recent survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects reveals that fire pits are, well, on fire. According to the ASLA survey, fire pits and fireplaces are among the top three most sought-after features for outdoor spaces, just after a place to grill and an undemanding landscape (hello, xeriscaping).
“For us, the fire pit was integral in extending the home’s design out into the landscape—it increases our family’s interaction with nature,” says architect Matthias J. Pearson, who included a fire pit in the design of his own home, Äkta Linjen (EK-ta LIN-yen, which is Swedish for “Authentic Lines”) in Siloam Springs, Ark. Contained fire in an outdoor place is a special touch: adding light to the darkness, bringing variety to gathering places, and helping everyone make each day last as long as possible.
Hot on the heels of fire pits are seating and dining areas, then lighting, and then installed seating, such as benches, seat walls, ledges, steps, and boulders. Weatherized outdoor furniture comes after that, perhaps signaling a trend toward low-maintenance and natural-looking features that will serve as memory points for potential buyers. Also worth noting is that all these features appeared several rungs above a swimming pool in terms of desirability. For inspired ways to illuminate buyers’ imaginations with fire pits, check out the slideshow.
Amy Albert is editor of Custom Home and a senior editor at Builder. She covers all aspects of design. Previously, she
was kitchen design editor at Bon Appetit;
before that, she was senior editor at Fine
Cooking, where she shot, edited, and wrote stories on kitchen design. Amy
studied art history with an emphasis on architecture and urban design at the
University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Los Angeles. Write her at [email protected], follow her on Twitter @CustomHomeMag and @amyatbuilder, or join her on Custom Home's Facebook page.
