The fir pavilions

Alaskan yellow cedar (fir) slat cladding and decking lets these airy pavilions weather and become part of their green, natural surroundings

The two pavilions' distinctive open forms let you

A substantial stainless steel oven is a hard-working

The meditation/workout room is set further down the

The two pavilions both have plaster ceilings and

Not sure how large the owners' outdoor soirees

Despite their similarities of floor plate and material

Architect and landscape designer worked closely together to

Together and slightly apart – the pavilions make

The kitchen pavilion is open on the pool

Dining, relaxing – or maybe cooking – the

The meditation pavilion looks peacefully at home in

Designed by Feldman Architecture

From the architects:

These pavilions constitute two accessory structures rich in detail and imagined by the owners to be part of the landscape.

While the pavilions have an identical footprint, height, and material makeup, these spaces have two distinct functions. One is to be used as an outdoor kitchen/dining space and the other as a meditation or workout room.

After searching extensively for their perfect home, the homeowners fell in love with a contemporary house on a long, slender lot, continuously adding to the property over the years.

A small garage expansion and a top floor addition provided additional space for their growing family, but the owners had yet to realise the full potential of their lush and private backyard.

The pavilions are delicately placed amidst the existing landscape of redwoods and other mature trees – the owners wanted the boxes to be transparent and discrete, to blend in with the surrounding softscape.

Our team collaborated closely with the landscape consultant to make the transition between garden and pavilion as seamless as possible.

Landscaping interventions unify the two pavilions, with a new water feature and decks that float off the ancillary structures.

Located next to the organically shaped pool, the kitchen pavilion acts as an extension of the pool and outdoor lounge area.

An outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven, grill, and extensive storage complement the new dining space.

The second pavilion sits further back on the lot, and is meant to be a retreat space for yoga, exercise, and meditation.

Lifting the concrete foundations at the front and rear of each pavilion creates an edge – giving the illusion that the structures are floating over the lush landscaping below.

At both ends of each pavilion, concrete returns back down to the site, tying the structures back to the earth.

The pavilions’ facades are wrapped in naturally weathering Alaskan Yellow Cedar slats that shroud each end of both structures, while screens help form trellises on the front and back.

The wood screens serve each pavilion in contrasting ways – introducing privacy into the exercise and meditation pavilion, and a feeling of openness in the kitchen pavilion.

The owners encouraged a soft wood palette, with the intent that the materials would weather and age, further easing the relatively new objects into their verdant surroundings.