SCREENED PORCH AMONGST THE TREES

In 1996, the owners built a custom modern house on a sloped wooded site in Arlington near the river. The deck and balcony, which were built with the house, were showing age and the change in levels and lack of shelter from the elements prevented them from using it very much. We demolished the deck and rebuilt it as a screened porch, deck and master bedroom balcony. The owners wished to be more protected to better enjoy their spectacular spot in the trees. Extending the screened porch to the kitchen door proved to be impractical and the owners rejected adding a door from their dining room but the path to the screened porch entry is largely protected by overhangs. We thought of it as a destination as well as an extension of the house. The sloped roof of the main section of the structure provides privacy for their balcony and master bedroom.

The cedar post and beam structure, fir ceilings and varying heights echo the interior of the house. The stainless steel cable rails on the deck and porch allow for relative transparency and provide sleek details that work well with the cedar framework of the porch and rails. The structures were designed to be beautiful on their own and to work in harmony with nature and the house they love.