The opportunity to design a home that includes views of the Las Vegas Strip is rare. Such a view is stunning enough to drive the overall design for a house, but architects must be careful not to violate rules that ensure that one neighbor’s attempt to capture that view doesn’t infringe upon another’s. Architects and builders must also be aware that inevitably, as with any spectacular view, rooms on at least one side of the house will miss out.

When faced with this situation, Quinn Boesenecker, president, Pinnacle Architectural Studio in Las Vegas, realized that to provide a beautiful view for the rooms not facing the strip, he would create a view where one didn’t exist. The result is a gorgeous outdoor oasis that springs up from the center of the house.

The home’s footprint wraps around the outdoor space. “From overhead, it looks like a big C,” Boesenecker says. “We privatized the courtyard completely and closed it off with a private entrance. So when you’re in there, it’s completely private. Every room in the house without a strip view looks into this courtyard.”

Boesenecker brought the hallways to the back side, or the exterior side, of the house to allow the interior walls of certain rooms to face the courtyard. All rooms that face the courtyard have access to the central outdoor living space.

One of the goals for the outdoor living space was to create large hang-out areas, he says. “We created big seats where a large crowd of people could hang out. The house is set up for entertaining. People can hang out in the courtyard, but some of the main rooms have big pocket doors so the inside/outside transition is seamless,” he adds.

Impossible to miss are the large piers projecting up from the ground, then inward toward the house and over the outdoor living space, which spawned the home’s nickname, “The house with legs.” The piers serve dual purposes: aesthetics and support, with only a few of the piers playing an actual supporting role.

Other benefits of the piers include protection from errant golf balls from the neighboring golf course, and a less obstructed view of the strip, says Kenny Kuykendall, president, Intrepid Development in Las Vegas, who built the house. In addition, other outdoor structural and decorative elements are cantilevered off those piers.

Desert Contemporary

Hard lines give this house an undeniably contemporary look. A desert feel was created using travertine stone and mountain colors to create a home that blends into its surroundings. Hard lines are softened in the interior spaces where curves dominate the décor.