Multi-purpose structures
Careful space management must be considered when designing cabanas and gazebos in small yards. Clients’ wish lists often include toilets, change rooms, bars, fireplaces, built-in grills, shade structures, outdoor televisions—all in one area. Although careful attention to traffic flow and dual-use design is essential, clients will need to be reminded of the ‘less is more’ design philosophy when coming up with the final plan.
Cabanas are often used as a place to house pool/spa mechanical equipment. Pumps, heaters and blowers can be quite noisy and generate a considerable amount of waste heat; however, an insulated cabana with proper ventilation makes it a suitable space for year-round use. To conserve as much space as possible, one solution is to build the cabana over top of a concrete equipment bunker. This provides a safe, quiet place for the mechanical room and an excellent footing structure for the cabana or gazebo located above.
Fire effects
Fireplaces, grills, flame effects and fire pits require careful planning—especially in small space designs. The obvious danger of live flames and heat demand a stringent regard for client safety. Various techniques include isolating the flame effect with height or barriers such as walls, water and screens, while limiting flame automation effects to keyed-in controllers can also help prevent unauthorized use.
Common sense, local building codes and great designs will allow these spectacular effects to be implemented safely in a small space. In some cases, however, safety concerns may prevent the inclusion of these types of features.
Focus on the little things
To create a functional, esthetically pleasing small space design, builders should focus their attention to the small, intricate details of the project. For example, this can be achieved by disguising all skimmer lids and control panels by eliminating as much plastic as possible, and by using more costly, detailed construction materials such as Ipe, glass tile, mosaics and natural stone. Further, design unity or the use of repetitive colours and textures can have a calming influence, while the use of mirrors or tempered frosted glass can create interesting visual effects.
The lessor the variety of plant and construction material, however, will result in a more visually pleasing presentation; therefore the number of colours, shades and textures presented to the viewer should be limited.
Colour theory
Colour theory principles can be used to create a mood for the design space. For example, warm colours can give the space a perception of intimacy or even make the space appear larger. Both proportion and scale can be manipulated to achieve visual balance. Combining colour theory with simplistic designs and minimal variety will result in a pleasing and inviting environment.
Exterior and interior integration
Seamless integration of interior and exterior architecture becomes critical in small areas. For instance, during nice weather, doors can be left open to listen to the soft sounds of falling water in a well-designed yard. However, care must be taken to limit these types of features in small spaces, as large volumes of water falling from a significant height can overwhelm the senses of a client who is trying to relax.
Building indoor pools, spas and water features also require particular care in project design. The high cost to construct these environments often result in small pools that require efficient use of space. In these cases, combining all of the aquatic features into a single area and installing an underground bunker to house the equipment are both cost effective and energy efficient design strategies.
These projects are often attempted by contractors with little knowledge of waterproofing, flow rates, design, sanitization and air quality. This lack of knowledge in both design and construction can lead to poor air quality and damage to the structure of the home.
