When the Rahman family decided to bring the outdoors inside and the indoors outside, they turned to Dan Fortunato, principal at Fortunato Architecture, to help them.
In order to take advantage of a long backyard with a beautiful view, the current living area was dramatically transformed through the addition of a 1,600-square-foot deck, an in-ground pool, and an entertainment-ready patio with a built-in outdoor kitchen.
To meet the requirement of bringing the outside in, Dan Fortunato replaced the existing double-hung windows with four two-story windows at the corners of the great room.
Some of the additions and alterations required a high degree of technical know-how and clever solutions. For example, because the outdoor deck was constructed at a second level, a Trex RainEscape system was incorporated to protect the entertainment area below the deck. A Trex spiral staircase was also installed to provide access to the entertainment area, and low-voltage ground lighting was added for ambiance.
On windy days, the original windows creaked; incorporated into the new window design was a long structural member to eliminate the movement that caused the creaking.
Future details will include decorative wood trusses across the ceiling to serve as a unifying element between the natural world and the built environment, as well as to help stabilize the existing structure.