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A Pair of Pavilions for Outdoor Cooking, Dining, Meditation + Exercise

08.02.22 | By
A Pair of Pavilions for Outdoor Cooking, Dining, Meditation + Exercise

Originally falling in love with a modern home built on a flat lot in Atherton, California, the homeowners spent years renovating their property to include a small garage expansion and second floor addition. The only thing left to tackle was their outdoor space. The private backyard, full of redwoods and other mature trees, marked the ideal space to transform into their dream outdoor oasis. Surrounded by the lush landscape, the Atherton Pavilions, designed by Feldman Architecture, add additional square footage – 450-square-feet each, to be exact – for an outdoor kitchen and dining area, as well as a place for meditation and exercise.

corner view of outside of pavilion with glass walls open and view into inside with dining table

side exterior view of modern pavilion with sliding doors open to reveal kitchen and dining space

The pavilions are strategically placed around the original trees helping to blend the new structures with nature. The kitchen pavilion and patio space are situated by the swimming pool making for the perfect backyard BBQ setup.

side exterior view of modern pavilion with sliding doors open to reveal kitchen and dining space

side view of two modern pavilions connected via path with outdoor seating

Both pavilions are clad on the ends with Alaskan yellow cedar slats, for privacy on the exercise/meditation one and for adding a feeling of openness on the kitchen structure. Over time, the wood with naturally weather making it further blend into its surroundings.

back view of modern pavilion looking into black kitchen

interior view of modern pavilion kitchen

interior view of modern pavilion looking out to second pavilion in distance

corner side exterior view of modern pavilion with walls up to outside

A pathway passes a new water feature on the way to the second pavilion, which houses the meditation, yoga, and exercise studio.

front exterior view of modern pavilion with walls open to reveal meditation and exercise space

Both pavilions are lifted off of concrete foundations making the structures appear as if they are floating over the landscape.

closeup corner exterior view of modern pavilion looking through glass windows to the forest on the other side

side corner exterior view of modern pavilion surrounded by nature

far side exterior view of modern wood paneled pavilion surrounded by trees

far side exterior view of modern wood paneled pavilion surrounded by trees

closeup side exterior view of modern pavilion's front side with outdoor deck

interior view of modern pavilion looking outdoors with the sliding glass walls put away

twilight exterior view of two pavilions and a pool surrounded by nature

Project team
Architecture: Feldman Architecture
Contractor: Design Line Construction
Landscape Design: Thuilot Associates
Structural Engineer: Daedalus Structural Engineering
Civil Engineer: Lea & Braze Engineering
Geotechnical Engineer: Romig Engineers Inc

Photos by Adam Rouse.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.