The view problem: When the best vista isn’t the best design solution.

I learned early in residential design that the best view isn't always the best location for the main living space. Counterintuitive, but true.

A property with sprawling valley views creates an obvious design impulse: put the main living area facing the view. Wall-to-wall glass. Unobstructed sightline. It seems obvious.

But the A-Frame cabin taught me to question this obvious solution. We could have oriented the cabin to capture the maximum view. Instead, we positioned it to capture the view in a specific way, from specific positions. The view becomes something you discover, rather than something that dominates the room.

This creates a more dynamic spatial experience. When you first enter, the view isn't overwhelming. As you move through the space, the relationship to the landscape changes. There's discovery. There's variation.

There's also a practical element: unlimited glass creates thermal challenges, privacy challenges, and can make a space feel exposed rather than intimate.

I've applied this thinking to residential projects where clients immediately say "this wall must have the window." My response is always to explore first. Where do you actually sit? Where is the afternoon light? What orientation creates the most pleasant thermal environment? The view matters, but it's only one input.

Sometimes the best design means orienting a main room away from the obvious view, letting a secondary space frame the vista. This creates more sophisticated spatial sequences, better environmental performance, and honestly, a richer experience than staring at a view from a fixed position.

That's subtle design thinking, and it's harder to explain to clients than "big window, big view." But it's always the better solution.