Monday, September 26, 2011

Week Two Slow Home Challenge: Outdoor Living Space


In a slow home the outdoor living space is just as much appreciated and mindful as the indoor living area. The outdoor space should be a visual extension of a home's interior.

The folks over at Slow Home Studio (the founders of the slow home movement) have this to say about a slow home's outdoor space:

"Outdoor living spaces are equally important and a Slow Home should have at least one. They
should be visual extensions of the principal indoor living space, bringing many of the
internal functions of the house out into the fresh air and sunlight. In good weather these
spaces can often double the amount of available living space at only a fraction of the cost.
Unfortunately, most fast houses are designed as hermetically sealed boxes and most terraces
are left over spaces that may hold a barbecue but little else. The situation can be even worse
in multi-family units where the balconies are usually oddly shaped, poorly proportioned, and
only the minimum area required by the planning code."


This week I'll be tackling our outdoor living space. Our yard space is fairly decent in size, but the greater majority of it is in the front and sides of the house. This leaves our backyard serving many purposes (doggie zone, kid play area, garden, compost, and deck seating area). The above picture is part of our deck-which I love, in fact, I have often said it is my most favorite "room" of the house. Yet, then there is....this...




Right. You see I have some work to do! I'll check back tomorrow with some more detailed goals and plans, and a few other slow home resources. Till then...

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