Screened-In Porch and a Deck Under the Oaks in Minnesota
An architect opens up views of Minnehaha Creek without disturbing the property’s mature trees
Minnehaha Creek is a beautiful waterway that flows through pastoral, wooded and urban areas between Lake Minnetonka to the Mississippi River. So it’s easy to understand why this Edina, Minnesota, couple had dreamed of living along it for decades. When a home overlooking a split in the creek became available, they jumped at the chance to make their dream come true. Their decision was all about location, so their main concern with the house was making sure they were maximizing the views. Architect Christopher Strom helped them rework their deck, screened-in porch and landscaping to open up the views in a way that protected two mature oak trees on the property.
Before: The existing deck and screened-in porch overlooked the creek. But the railings, staircase and shrubs blocked views. Plus, “the back of the house looked like a big white box,” Strom says.
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After: A new deck and screened-in porch replace the old ones in the same locations. The protuding staircase has been removed and a new spiral staircase added behind the porch near the house.
“Our first order of business was to change the landscaping to engage the water’s edge,” Strom says. The new landscaping opens up the views from the patio and lower level of the house, and provides easy access down to the creek. The work included leveling off the area beneath the porch — the lattice in the previous photo was hiding a significant slope. Strom used retaining walls made of boulders to create a terraced landscape. New stairs ease the journey down to the water’s edge.
Local Edina and Minnehaha Creek Watershed District restrictions limited the amount of impervious surfaces allowed on the property. Strom made up for some of the new impervious surfaces in the landscaping by making the deck come toward the house at an oblique angle. The porch is in approximately the same spot as the original. “The homeowners liked it off to the side because it preserved the views from inside the house,” Strom says.
To mitigate the scale of the big white box, he used contrasting materials on the new deck and porch. He also got rid of the recessed bays on one side of the house, which weren’t doing anything for the interior spaces. He replaced the main level’s bay with double slider doors. A new three-foot-deep skirt roof between the main level and the second level also helps cut down the scale of the house. And the black painted aluminum beneath the porch blends in with the shadows.
“Our first order of business was to change the landscaping to engage the water’s edge,” Strom says. The new landscaping opens up the views from the patio and lower level of the house, and provides easy access down to the creek. The work included leveling off the area beneath the porch — the lattice in the previous photo was hiding a significant slope. Strom used retaining walls made of boulders to create a terraced landscape. New stairs ease the journey down to the water’s edge.
Local Edina and Minnehaha Creek Watershed District restrictions limited the amount of impervious surfaces allowed on the property. Strom made up for some of the new impervious surfaces in the landscaping by making the deck come toward the house at an oblique angle. The porch is in approximately the same spot as the original. “The homeowners liked it off to the side because it preserved the views from inside the house,” Strom says.
To mitigate the scale of the big white box, he used contrasting materials on the new deck and porch. He also got rid of the recessed bays on one side of the house, which weren’t doing anything for the interior spaces. He replaced the main level’s bay with double slider doors. A new three-foot-deep skirt roof between the main level and the second level also helps cut down the scale of the house. And the black painted aluminum beneath the porch blends in with the shadows.
Preserving two mature oak trees was the top priority during construction. After consulting with an arborist and the pros at Crown Construction, Strom decided to use helical piers and and a steel frame to support the deck. Also known as screw piles, helical piers are corkscrewed deep into the ground, eliminating the need for excavation; here they minimized the impact on the trees. Because of the depth of these piers and the strength of the steel framing, only seven piers were required — four underneath the porch and three under the deck.
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Strom replaced the staircase with a spiral one, tucking it behind the deck. Because the deck needed just three supports, the staircase has a graceful floating appearance.
The homeowners wanted a shed space beneath the porch for kayaks, gardening tools and their grandchildren’s outdoor toys. The shed portion does not have a built floor, but Strom added a layer of mesh beneath the dirt to help keep critters out.
The homeowners wanted a shed space beneath the porch for kayaks, gardening tools and their grandchildren’s outdoor toys. The shed portion does not have a built floor, but Strom added a layer of mesh beneath the dirt to help keep critters out.
New steel cable railings with a natural wood handrail keep the views open. “Because the impervious surface requirements limited the size of the deck, we used a facia-mounted system for the railings,” Strom says. This means that the railings are mounted on the face of the deck rather than on top, saving precious inches of deck surface.
The decking is a composite material made of recycled plastic and bamboo.
Decking: BamDeck, Cali Bamboo
The decking is a composite material made of recycled plastic and bamboo.
Decking: BamDeck, Cali Bamboo
This photo provides a good view of the deck’s graceful hipped roof. The deck and porch have a pleasing mix of materials that blend with the natural surroundings. The roof material is cedar shingles, and the ceiling is pre-finished lodgepole pine. Strom used custom copper ridge pieces to avoid the clunky look of hanging cedar ridges. They give the roof “a really streamlined look,” he says.
The structural framing is a hot-dip galvanized steel that can stand up to water and weather. Around the porch, the architect filled the spaces between the steel frame’s flanges with the same composite material he used on the deck. The bottom portion of the shed is extruded aluminum painted black. “This makes it very low-maintenance,” Strom says.
Ceiling pine: Woodtone
The structural framing is a hot-dip galvanized steel that can stand up to water and weather. Around the porch, the architect filled the spaces between the steel frame’s flanges with the same composite material he used on the deck. The bottom portion of the shed is extruded aluminum painted black. “This makes it very low-maintenance,” Strom says.
Ceiling pine: Woodtone
Look up near the ceiling fan to see the neat square pattern on the lodgepole pine ceiling.
The homeowners love the comfortable shaded spot, where they can catch a breeze while they watch the world paddle by.
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Porch at a Glance
Who uses it: A couple of empty nesters
Location: Edina, Minnesota
Size: 256 square feet (24 square meters); 16 by 16 feet
Architect: Christopher Strom
Contractor: Crown Construction
This beautiful new screened-in porch is one of the homeowners’ favorite spots for enjoying the view of the waterway and watching the kayakers and canoeists that paddle by during the warmer months of the year. The 16-by-16-foot porch accommodates a small cafe table and chairs, an upholstered settee and an upholstered armchair. The furniture can be stored during the snowy months, but otherwise the porch doesn’t need to be winterized.
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