Front yard patio designs from our expert architect

A front yard patio refers to an uncovered area in a property or structure that typically doesn’t have a roof or fully enclosed walls. Its primary purpose is to provide ventilation and natural light to internal areas, while also serving as a space for recreational activities, relaxation, and contemplation for the occupants. One key benefit of front yard patio designs is that they offer the advantages of open space in terms of design while maintaining a sense of privacy and controlled access.

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Characteristics of front yard patio designs

The characteristics of a front yard patio will depend on the type of space and the use of the building. In the case of private dwellings, they can be located at the front and at the back, if they are attached dwellings, but in the case of detached dwellings, it will depend on the size of the plot and the withdrawal on each side, also according to local regulations. Similarly, some patios are located inside the building, such as porches, central patios, terraces, balconies, and porches.

Depending on the size, taste, and activities of its users, more comfortable furnishings can be incorporated to make its use more independent, such as an outdoor kitchen or living room, campfire area, sunbathing area, swimming pool, gardens for contemplation or meditation, exercise equipment, and decorative objects such as water mirrors, fountains, and sculptures.

In terms of zoning, there are also soft and hard zones, where the type of soil determines the activity, through lawn or soil, for green areas and gardens, or paved floor areas where to place activities and furniture, as well as total or partial covers, such as pergolas.

Modern home with outdoor patio and entertaining spaces

The section below deals with a lot of dwellings in volume and facade, focusing more on the relationship and design of its exterior and transitional spaces to the dwelling, to define strategies for different typologies of open or semi-open spaces, in front yard patio designs and retreats of the plot.

The dimensions of the plot are 103.52ft on the access street side, and 106.99ft towards the back of the plot, for a total area of 11075.80ft².

As can be seen in the overall plan at roof level, the plot is located concerning the layout of the house, leaving setbacks on each side, with the front spaces being of greater extension, to define access, parking, and a front yard, while in the back, an extensive area for backyard and swimming pool.

Lateral side

In the lateral retreats, we find accesses to the house with roofed spaces, but of transition between the green areas, parking, and connection to the back and front courtyard, which will be visible in the elevations of each facade. On the side of the left side retreat, a stepped wall from the front parking lot to the bottom, goes up, to determine the enclosure, and there find an uncovered terrace.

Right side

On the side of the right-side yard, another access is connected, roofed in front of the pool, on this volume we find an elevated terrace on the second floor, which connects visually with the front and back yard.

A total of 6 open spaces are developed for various uses of patio, entertainment, meetings, and recreation. Below is a description of their dimensions and areas.

• Parcel dimensions 103.52ft x 106.99ft. Plot area 11075.80ft².
• Maximum height of the building 2 stories with 20.23ft.
• Free height 28.53ft, of each floor.
• Construction area 6583.42ft²

Two floors housing

Our architect developed two floors of housing and semi-open spaces.

• Main floor 987.80ft²:
• Interior living block. Dimensions 61.02ft x 19.68ft. Area 1201.25ft².
• Access and distribution porch: 5.91ft x 61.02ft. Area 3878.8ft².
• Terrace with outdoor living room in front of the pool area (right side) Dimensions 24.28ft x 14.43ft. Area 350.47ft².
• Terrace with kitchen, dining, and entertainment area (Rear and left side area). Dimensions 29.86ft x 34.12ft. Area 1018.70ft².
• Rear covered layout between the two terraces and pool. Dimensions 6.56ft x 47.24ft. Area 310ft².
• Second floor 3342.6ft²:
• Internal block of the dwelling. Dimensions 64.30ft x 19.69 ft. Area 1265.84ft².
• Perimeter terrace in “L” shape. Variable dimensions, 70.87ft x 6.56ft; 6.56ft x 19.69 ft. Total area: 13625.3ft².
• Open terrace. Dimensions 46.59ft x 31.82ft. Area 1482.62ft².
• Open areas of the plot 7404.09ft².

Open areas of the plot

With a total amount of 7404.09ft². Correspond to the patio areas without covers, retreats, and green areas, which are related to the other semi-open spaces of the house, and complement the exterior.

• Front setback 37752.2ft²:
• Entrance. Dimensions 14.28ft x 34.12ft. Area 487.41ft².
• Parking or semi-covered garage with capacity for 5 vehicles. Variable dimensions, 19.69ft x 34.12ft; 9.04ft x 25.59ft. Area 902.89ft².
• Front Patio 2117.05ft²: Green area with furniture under the pergola. Dimensions 57.09ft x 28.87ft. Area 1648.17ft². “L” shaped planter. Varied dimensions, 34.78f x 5.91ft; 44.62 x 5.91ft. Area 468.88t².
• Left side yard 842.81ft²:
• Semi-open left-side patio with pergola. Dimensions 9.03ft x 32.81ft. Area 296.44ft².
• Garden wall with 4 levels each 1.64ft high (0.49ft to 5.41ft) Dimensions 92.52ft x 5.91ft. Area 546.38ft².
• Right side retreat 644.54ft².
• Green areas of variable size, 37.40ft x 8.53ft; 27.56ft x 11.81ft. Area 644.54ft².
• Background setback 2409.40ft².
• Pool with variable dimensions, 41.83ft x 19.521ft, minus 35.83ft x 35.83ft. Area 816.58ft² – 119.29ft² = 697.29ft².
• L-shaped floor perimeter. Variable dimension, 3.81ft x 19.52ft; 7.40ft x 47.24ft. Area 423.82ft².
• Sun area with furniture 12.30ft x 21.00ft. Area 78.74ft².
• Green areas with variable dimensions, 12.47ft x 24.93ft; 12.47ft x 42.98ft; 13.30ft x 13.78ft. Area 1029.96ft².

Facades

Having described the spaces, and observing the facades in perspective of the set as its location in plan, we can see that the building consists of two volumes of parallelepipeds in the shape of a letter “T” mounted one above the other and in perpendicular position between each volume.

In plan, the upper side of the “T”, is displaced with a longer side to the left side, which is located next to the pool area, and as it is located above the other, its lower part creates an open space, but roofed with this volume, generating the upper floor and the echo to this side, creating two spaces, one with the side courtyard anteroom and access from the garage, and another roofed for the kitchen dining and entertainment area.

Front of the main facade

The other volume in front of the main facade constitutes the main floor or first floor, through which the house is accessed, or the right side patio, with another roofed space in a void from this face to the right and rear facades, connecting a terrace in front of the pool area.

At the top of this volume we find an elevated terrace, which is the open space of the upper level, and from this one can be seen to the street, or front yard, to the backyard patio, or to the right side.

The design style is modern, with a predominance of the use of orthogonal lines, and the strategy of full and empty spaces in the facade to generate the spaces of porches, cantilevers, and terraces, with semi-open roofed spaces, which define the accesses and the connection between spaces in a more fluid way.

The color palette is typical of the minimalist style, with a predominance of white walls, reddish-brown wood planks on the upper floor, and mid-tone gray on the lower floor, with wall enclosure plans to highlight the mural area, ceilings, and support structure.

Perimeter

It wall enclosure on the back and right side, with light-colored reinforced concrete walls and brown wood planks, interspersed, to emphasize the most prominent area which is the pool, with a focal point in a higher wall of stone and wood.

Left side

On the left side, a wall that goes up from the parking access to the back, generates an enclosure for the terrace, with a stone wall, with planters. While in the front yard, a low planter is made between the house and the access area in the shape of an “L”.

Both sides reach an area with wooden pergolas stretched from the building to create another type of space with shadows and with the interaction of plants, in a more orderly way, keeping more free areas for green areas and to sectorize activities under these roofs with furniture, other sensations of intimacy, in a space close to other more active activities, as to retreat to these areas.

• Left lateral facade with the stepped wall of the planter
• Cut of the plot in left lateral elevation without the wall.
• The access from the parking lot to the terrace and the roofed area can be seen.

Distribution of plants

The plants that are placed in the planter of the facade, are shrubs, herbaceous, from 2.30ft to 4.30ft in size, which is necessary to maintain between these heights, so as not to hinder the reading of the facade. At the end on the right side of the front patio, some climbing plants, which go up the wall, and the pergola that is there.

On the side of the stepped garden wall, shrubs and herbaceous plants with heights from 1.60ft to 3.28ft, to finish closing in the terrace area, thus reaching more than the 6.56ft required for privacy.

The plants at the back of the enclosure, are placed in this way to take advantage of more green space for games or simple visual satisfaction, with low shrubs and trees, and green foliage, to maintain the style.

Lightning

Lighting plays a very important role, not only to make the spaces more comfortable and safe, but also to give more subtlety, comfort, and romanticism to the scene, as well as accentuate the textures of the materials.

LED lights for ambiance, and reflecting on the white walls of the building project light, highlighting the materials of the enclosures.

On the back walls of the plot, and on the right side, they were placed in yellow to highlight the tone of the wood which is earthy because of the brown.

In the light concrete spaces, bushes of 6.56ft or slightly higher were placed to decorate the landscape, and a green reflector was used, which accentuates the foliage of the bush and also reflects on the wall the textures of its shadows and light, making a more pleasant and harmonious environment with the pool.

Rear facade

In the case of the linear LED lights, they are used to highlight the “L” shaped planter in the Front yard patio designs, also on two sides of the pool, opposite where the pool steps are located, and finally on the edges of the large elevated terrace, on the three sides forming a letter “U”.

Written by Vanessa Gallanti. May 29, 2023

Enthusiast about planning, project management, construction materials and technology, and construction. A civil engineer from Los Andes University and a content writer for Kukun.