Home » Home Improvement

Home Improvement

Decorate Your Home with a Beautiful Gazebo
By Livia Shi

Nestled in the backyard of a typical suburban home, this contemporary glass gazebo is truly a hidden innovative treasure in the San Fernando Valley. The primary challenge for me, as the architectural designer, was to create a design for the gazebo which would marry the “old with the new” so to speak. The design of the gazebo had to be exciting but also complement the existing two story gabled, English Tudor style home.

Since the client insisted that I make use of the existing concrete slab, the gazebo floor plan was essentially confined to a rectangular shape. The solution was to create an exciting roof which acknowledged the existing home, yet defined the gazebo as a unique entity. Like the spread wings of a California bald eagle, half of the gazebo roof playfully ‘glides’ into the existing home as if to ‘embrace’ the old, while the other half undulates gracefully ‘away’ in a spectacular, yet fluid-like fashion, subtly asserting itself as an independent identity. In essence, the composition of the gaze- bo – steel, wood, and glass – also asserts a complementary feel; acknowledging the ‘old’ existing home with the useof wood and giving a nod to the ‘new’ future with the steel and glass.

Truly, though, the magnificence of the gazebo lies in the use of gray tem- pered glass all around for the walls and clear laminated glass for the roof. The dynamic elevation changes in wall heights, from low to high and vice versa, attribute to the general splendor of the glass. Given the small floor area of the gazebo, these elevation changes are very dramatic. With the enhancement of minimalistic lighting, one is particularly struck by the illumination and radiance of the gazebo glass while using the Jacuzzi at night. During the day time, the gazebo is a perfect yoga room. One feels particularly close to heaven while raising ones arms in sun salutation and looking up to the sky through the transparent glass roof.

Whether you’re an architecture enthusiast or just a curious spectator, this contemporary gazebo is definitely a must-see building in the heart of the San Fernando Valley.

back to top