The outdoor
space between the street and the front door, is the start of the entrance
to your home. This sequence of spaces differentiates between public
and private areas.
The street is the start of an intimacy gradient
that extends to your front door and into your home. This transition
from the street to the inside of your home should be a tranquil experience,
slowing you down after experiencing the traffic on I-95 and the challenges
of the day.
Creating an entrance transition from the street to the
front door and inside your house can create a space with a feeling
of calm. Having your front door open directly to the street you overlook
the opportunity to create a graceful arrival to your home.
The experience of entering your home and passing through an outdoor
room between the street and the front door influences the way you
feel once inside. If the transition is too abrupt there is no feeling
of arrival and once inside the quality of an intimate privacy doesn’t
exist.
The important thing is that an actual physical outdoor space exists
between the street and the front door. The essential quality of creating
this place is defining the space and to create a sense of enclosure,
with a change in surroundings and view. While emphasizing a variation
in the light, sound, path direction and surface texture.
Below are some considerations you may want to think about in the design
phase of the project:
1) Define a space or path extending from the street to the front door.
Think about the transition as an actual space or outdoor room rather
than just going from point “A” to “B”. Create
a sense of enclosure with a gate or garden wall.
2) As this space is shaped think about changes in level and direction
in the walking surface at points of significance.
3) Activate all the senses as you pass through this outdoor entrance
room. Create calming sounds with chimes or water. Introduce smells
with fragrant flowers and bushes. Provide a Zen view at a change in
direction or stopping point on the path. Vary the amount of light
with a trellis. Change the texture and size of the paths surface material.
4) Change the scale of the path. Create a space at the street and
just outside the front door for greeting or saying goodbye to guests.
Create a space in the middle
of the path or inner center as a point of reflection while looking
towards a Zen view.
If done well, the outdoor entrance room you created between the front
door and the street will feel comfortable arriving and comfortable
leaving. This will be a remarkable addition to your home.
