Achieving the right balance of natural daylight, fresh air, privacy, and temperature regulation in a home is often a tricky business that involves a lot of different factors. One residence’s sweet spot will differ from another’s depending on things like climate, sun exposure, adjacency to neighbors and busy streets, and available garden space. For instance, you might envision easy access to your garden or views from a particular angle, but you don?t want the harsh mid-afternoon sun beating down into your living area through generously-sized windows. How is it that architects are able to create spaces that feel “just right” and make their clients ultimately feel like Goldilocks"

One simple and highly effective workaround is the use of transitional indoor/outdoor areas that feature lots of operable windows or walls that open wide on demand. These “rooms” can be fully enclosed when you want to keep them cool and shady or transformed into patios or verandas when you want to brighten them up and let in a breeze. For a recent renovation project in Australia?s Barrington heritage area, Matt Gibson Architecture + Design put an unusual and elegant spin on the standard transitional space.
The architects attached a modern black volume to the rear of a traditional brick villa, continuing the addition’s wooden floor and ceiling right out into the yard. There are no walls to close off this new dining and lounge area, which projects out ove...