Counter-point

A machine for living alfresco.

Brooklyn, NY.

Backyard project for a structure to support outdoor living spaces for a two-family house.

A guiding idea for our two current proposals (this project is in schematic design) is a “machine for living alfresco (m4-la),” where the deck is read quite literally as an accessory building that flexibly supports a range of outdoor living activities. These might include growing herbs (the legal kind), barbequing, sliding, lounging, dining, swinging, sunbathing, dognapping, etc.

Surfaces will be designed to accommodate different uses – for instance a grill underfoot might allow water to drain off the deck from a pot, be a place to wipe your feet, provide a non-combustible transition to the house, let daylight in, and/or become a light fixture at night, etc… A solid surface could be a place to go barefoot, move furniture around, place a hibachi, or take a dog-nap.