Design . Build . Learn . Repeat

Thought I’d put some railing ideas out there. We’re trying to find a way to make the railing a special part of the house without it becoming too expensive or complicated. Some of our design objectives include:

1. Use thinner or visually lighter members so you can see through the railing when you’re sitting down.
2. Provide some kind of visual screening/privacy (directly conflicts with #1, but might be achieved by some partial or movable screening or by a trellis/vine system).
3. Give the railing enough dimension for potted plants and so on.
4. Visually and materially coordinate with rest of house.

I’ve drawn up a couple ideas involving a wood handrail and vertical stainless steel cables which could extend all the way up to the roof in places. Around the stairwell, they could also extend all the way down to integrate with the stair handrail.

Thoughts?

For anyone following the progress of Patty’s house, we have some quality photos courtesy of Leslie, an architectural photographer who volunteered with Architecture for Humanity for a couple days.