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Entrance should be a highlight
Posted on August 1, 2023 @ 5:42PM

Celebrate your home or office with a well-designed entry sequence.

Like the path into a great cathedral, every entrance and the route you take before and after can potentially create a rewarding experience of moving from one place to another.  Imbuing that transition with a powerful memory is one way we add value to spaces. 

We use steps or a rising path, a special covering to protect from the elements, the scale of spaces associated with entering and exiting, ceiling heights, the visual weight of elements, varying levels of transparency between the entry to the other areas of the home, light levels, the sound of the door as it opens and shuts and right on down to the feel of the door handle.

You and I enter and exit our homes every day, what memories stand out to you? Walking up to your front door? How your family greets you when you return home each day? Your process of putting on shoes and a jacket before heading out for the day? Welcoming guests in for a night of entertainment?

So what are the fundamentals of a great entering experience?

  1. A special path from arrival to the door
  2. The richness of the door itself
  3. A distinct space to be once inside that sets the stage for what the home is like beyond while functionally meeting the needs of leaving and returning


Path: Special paths can be created by the use or shaping of light, the textures underfoot, plants, changes in elevation, the formality or informality of the approach to the door, and any structures that define the path or its termination.

Door: Doors and their handles speak volumes to the quality of the home as a whole. A quality door will open smoothly and shut tight with a strong feeling of precision. While a well selected handle is a great first impression of the home. The handle could be highly ornamental, straight forward and simple, polished, rustic or a great number of other descriptions. The important part of the handle is that its description was considered in its selection.

Inside: Upon entering the home, the first room is a place to adjust to the new environment. Small intimate spaces that are sized perfectly for you and any guests at a particular moment are wonderful to be in. In this small space it is nice to add to the homes story by hinting at rooms beyond without fully revealing them. Functionally, the level of formality in the home determines how visible things like coat closets or a shoe bench are designed.

Thanks for reading! If you would like to have a home or business with a unique, well-crafted entry, please contact us.

Author: Nate Robinson

Nate's focus on architecture as a means to improve the built environment whilst designing projects woven to their natural and cultural context aligns perfectly with the ethos of the studio. Nate participates in a variety of aspects of practice in his role as a project architect, including three dimensional modeling, energy modeling, and material research.