Designing a Connection to Nature in Modern Architecture

Nature’s beauty is timeless. Serene. Whether it’s the change of seasons or the shift of dappled morning light to evening’s long shadows, nature’s art fills our senses. We design homes that bring its intrinsic beauty into your daily life. For some it might be waking every morning to a sweeping view of the mountains; for others it may be a framed view of a rippling creek from the kitchen sink.

The connection to nature is part of our design DNA and leads us from the initial concept sketch to completion. In every instance, we capture what nature offers to us, then layer each design move to bring the outdoors into the home.

We begin by shaping the house to bring coziness and definition to the outdoors. Whether the home forms a courtyard or is more loosely enclosed, we create outdoor spaces that feel purposeful. Once the exterior spaces take shape we soften the edges of the home to blur the boundaries and invite nature to enter. By pulling on roof edges to create trellised overhangs and stretching site walls to lead you to the entry, we create warmth and intimacy in a vast site.

As the broad strokes of the design take shape, we carefully consider the details to be sure the connection to nature is strengthened and present. By keeping detailing edited throughout the interiors of the home, nature can take center stage. We create glass walls that extend from edge to edge, rather than windows within a wall, so that the definition between indoor and outdoor is softened and majestic views take priority.

We also create alignments with natural elements around the home: A vertical window behind a staircase that frames the tree just beyond; a living roof seen as you reach the stair landing, inviting a moment of pause and reflection. We also create focal points at the end of throughways, framing the views beyond, so that nature is ever present as you move within a home.

Throughout our design process, we continue to weave materials and forms until the two worlds — interior and exterior—are in perfect harmony. As a bird carefully weaves each thread of grass and twig to create the unique expression of its nest, we bring the same care and adoration for the surroundings into each design we craft.