The Corrigan project began with a family’s desire to transform their backyard into a layered, multi-functional outdoor retreat—one that could accommodate the rhythms of daily life just as easily as it could host a gathering of friends. From the outset, the design was organized around a clear sequence of arrival and discovery, ensuring that despite the many components at play, the yard reads as a unified whole.

A trellis gateway marks the threshold into the rear yard. Just beyond, a new rear porch stretches along the back of the main house, wide enough to serve as both a circulation spine and a social place to linger—a generous in-between from which the whole backyard can be observed and engaged. The pool house, carefully adapted from its former use as a garage, anchors the composition—re-clad in shingles to match the historic main house and opening fully to the yard through a folding door. Inside, a seating area, wet bar, powder room, and loft accessed by a rolling library ladder make the space as functional as it is inviting.

At ZTC Architecture, we take pride in designs that bring order and intention to complex programs—where every element, from the entry trellis to the loft ladder, earns its place.