T H E G RE AT OUTDOORS Luxury homebuyers pay a premium for residences with livable outdoor spaces, so architects and builders have become creative in accommodating those preferences.

By Roger Grody

“I think a lot of developers are doing a great job in transforming tight spaces into little paradises.” Brickell City Centre’s luxurious penthouses spill onto expansive terraces accommodating outdoor kitchens, plunge pools and spas.

ivable outdoor space has long been an in Greater Miami, reports that properties with There are few places in the country Market (SoMa) district, architect Jeffrey Heller A three-bedroom penthouse at 181 architect Renzo Piano, is slated for completion essential element of luxury residential outdoor spaces sell at a premium. “I think a lot of that are as exciting from both a real estate and has capitalized on the neighborhood’s newest Fremont sold for $15 million last summer, setting later this year. Not only will it offer sprawling L architecture, so even in areas where land developers are doing a great job in transforming lifestyle perspective as San Francisco, but the PHOTO COURTESY SWIRE PROPERTIES recreational asset. Although there are no private a new price-per-square-foot record (more than common areas fully integrated with an adjoining is increasingly scarce, such as revitalized city tight spaces into little paradises,” Rein says. “If compact city with extraordinarily high land costs balconies, 181 Fremont is loaded with communal $4,500) for condos in San Francisco, and a full- 35-acre park, but generous recreational spaces centers or overdeveloped coastlines, that coveted you have a spacious balcony, the indoor-outdoor has always forced designers of luxury residences recreation space and enjoys direct access to an floor, 6,941-square-foot penthouse was originally within each of the 70 high-end residences. In indoor-outdoor lifestyle is addressed through lifestyle takes on a whole new meaning, and to be creative. At 181 Fremont, where luxury elevated park above an adjoining transit center, listed at $42 million. fact, the oversized terraces typically occupy 40-50 creative design. buyers are more willing to sacrifice their single- condominiums occupy the upper floors of a lavish integrating that unexpected greenspace into the Miami Beach’s Eighty Seven Park, a sleek percent of each unit’s floor plate, reflecting the Kathrin Rein, a Keller Williams luxury agent family homes.” 800-foot-tall high-rise in the city’s South of lives of the building’s residents. residential tower designed by renowned Italian developers’ recognition that outdoor amenities are

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066_KW Mockup.indd 66 2/4/19 4:15 PM 067_KW Mockup.indd 67 2/4/19 4:15 PM At The Residences at Rolling Hills Country Architect Robert Hidey created private recreational Club, recreational space is integrated into the space on outdoor decks, in lieu of traditional unique natural setting. backyards, at Jewel in Southern California. PHOTO COURTESY DAMIAN TSUTSUMIDA PHOTO COURTESY BROOKFIELD RESIDENTIAL COURTESY PHOTO

essential even in high-density environments. Because the Playa Vista lots are diminutive, Cliff May, the father of the California ranch residence with an additional 2,000-square- Retracting the sliding glass walls at Eighty with virtually no conventional space for outdoor house whose vision helped shape the Golden foot terrace is priced at $9.9 million. Another Condominium owners at San Francisco’s Seven Park creates outdoor living rooms and recreation, Hidey and Brookfield created State Dream. For these Peninsula residences, Harwood International project in the lavish 181 Fremont benefit from the building’s dining rooms that appear to float above the ingeniously private side yards and decks adjoining whose prices ascend to nearly $5 million, neighborhood is Azure, a sleek glass tower whose integration with an adjoining park. Atlantic, fulfilling the quintessential South Florida great rooms on the third floor, in lieu of traditional recreational space is externalized, leveraging terraces feature gas fireplaces for those chillier luxury lifestyle. A two-story penthouse — it was backyards. “I always try to connect the interior the impact of the natural setting through bridle, Dallas evenings. placed on the market late last year for a record with the outdoors, and it’s actually easier to do walking and biking trails. Downtown Miami’s Brickell City Centre, $68 million — will feature 12,410 square feet that in a modern aesthetic than in traditional Designer Larry Garnett, whose writings a billion-dollar mixed-use project of Swire of interior space coupled with more than 18,000 architecture constrained by the discipline and and media appearances inspire sustainable Properties, offers twin residential towers, Reach square feet of outdoor terraces, a dramatic rigors of wall mass,” says Hidey. design, encourages builders to incorporate private and Rise, whose generous terraces ensure commitment to indoor-outdoor living. Many developers were reluctant to outdoor spaces for all price points. Like Hidey, indoor-outdoor living in Florida’s most intensely Playa Vista was a forgotten patch of implement the kind of innovations Hidey he is an advocate of creating side yards that are developed neighborhood. Designed by the wetlands outside Los Angeles when Howard proposed, because placing decks over living thoughtfully integrated into floorplans, potentially renowned hometown firm of Arquitectonica, the Hughes discovered it in the 1940s — this areas raised construction defect liability accommodating outdoor kitchens or lap pools. towers share nearly an acre of outdoor amenity is where the “Spruce Goose” aircraft was concerns. But with advances in building Fully coming to terms with the disappearance decks and luxurious interiors spill out onto constructed — but the community’s visionary products and practices, progressive builders of the traditional backyard in high-cost areas, expansive outdoor living areas. In a two-floor attitude reemerges as the epicenter of “Silicon like Brookfield embraced these outdoor spaces Garnett states, “If done appropriately, the side penthouse at Reach, approximately 4,000 square Beach.” With Google, Facebook and dozens of that have become popular with homebuyers. yard can replace the role of the year yard and be feet of indoor living space is complemented by startups drawing affluent young buyers, developers “Density creates a new set of challenges, which even more private.” And while Garnett appreciates 3,400 square feet of private terraces. That is are struggling to keep up with demand in what is the justification for bringing outdoor living to the value of rooftop decks in California, the Texas- enough exterior living space to support an outdoor has become one of L.A.’s hottest neighborhoods. the roof, where privacy is protected and it’s out based designer suggests that particular innovation kitchen and plunge pool on the lower level and Southern California architect Robert of the shadows,” explains Hidey. A 4,288-square- has geographic limitations, citing hot-and-humid spa upstairs, all accompanied by stunning city and Hidey, whose eponymous firm is acclaimed for foot home at Jewel is currently on the market Houston as a cautionary example. ocean views. Mediterranean-style custom homes on the Pacific for $4.058 million. In trendy Uptown Dallas, Bleu Ciel is an Maile Aguila, senior vice president of Coast, renewed his passion for modernism in On a 228-acre site on the Palos Verdes elegant high-rise residential tower, developed residential sales for Brickell City Centre, insists Playa Vista. The architect, inspired early in his Peninsula south of Los Angeles, Hidey applied a by Harwood International. What distinguishes the penthouse collection at Reach and Rise is career by César Pelli and Richard Neutra, has different approach at The Residences at Rolling the building, designed by Parisian architect unrivaled in South Florida. “There’s nothing like created sleek multiple-level single-family homes in Hills Country Club from builders Chadmar Jean-Michel Wilmotte, are sweeping terraces this on the market, where you’re right in the Playa Vista communities developed by Canadian Group and Toll Brothers. As an overall theme, that provide vast entertainment spaces for each middle of the action and can have it all right at homebuilder Brookfield Residential. the architect expanded on the design ethos of condominium. Currently, a 5,800-square-foot your fingertips,” she says. PHOTO COURTESY 181 FREMONT RESIDENCES 181 COURTESY PHOTO

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