California Cool: A Shady Porch Redesign

Faced with upfront limitations imposed by the existing house, neighborhood and ever-shifting ground beneath California, the Los Angeles design team at Oyler Wu — Dwayne Oyler, Jenny Wu, Chris Eskew, Brad Goldpaint — has reconfigured the rear porch of a suburban home; warmly updating its look and function with poured concrete and lattice-like woodwork. At issue: Raising a roof to make room for a outdoor dining area. The solution: Add sunblock with wooden “fins” and a canopy. The improved porch solves several shade solutions from the backyard’s intense morning, Southern and evening sun, while maintaining proper drainage of the pitched roof. [via archdaily, photos courtesy Art Gray]