Featured Project: Anthony Wilder Design/Build Inc.

Living on a golf course has its advantages and disadvantages. The owners of this house wanted to enjoy the view of the golf course from their deck without risking their lives or the lives of their children and houseguests from errant golf balls. Their fear was well founded. During a visit from a golf course executive (who was there to address their concerns about golf balls hitting their home) a golf ball hit their skylight and fell into their family room.

The old deck was located outside the living room and was unusable in the winter, and too hot and dangerous to use in the summer. The shades on the French doors that led to the deck were always drawn to keep the golf balls from entering the house if the glass was broken. In between the doors was a fireplace that also blocked the view to the golf course. 

The challenge was to provide an addition and veranda that captures the golf course views while providing protection from flying golf balls. Also, the client wanted a more contemporary feel to the space without making it look out of place. 

The fireplace was removed and the family room extended. New glass walls were used to heighten the relationship of the inside space to the extended landscape outside. Horizontal rooflines and floor to ceiling windows allowed for maximum views of the course and light during the day. 

Innovative remote-controlled retractable screens protect the glass from golf balls. An open veranda was added adjacent to the glass-enclosed family room. Protective screens were also installed around it so this area could function as a screened porch. 

The transition to the flat ceiling was accomplished by engineering a beam flush with existing roof rafters. The skylights are made from a non-breakable plastic material that does not yellow with exposure to sunlight.

The client still wanted a fireplace in the family room, so the company designed a new one that permitted a view of the golf course and provided an architectural focal point. 

The addition, which spans the width of the house, was large enough to accommodate a new dining area. Now the family dines there to enjoy the spectacular view. A small wet bar with mirrored backsplashes accentuates the natural light and makes it easy to entertain out on the veranda.