How Do You Balance Private and Public Space in a Project?
Balancing private and public spaces in a project is a crucial aspect of effective design. This article delves into the art of creating harmonious environments that seamlessly blend open areas with intimate retreats. Drawing from expert insights, readers will discover practical strategies for crafting spaces that guide movement, evoke emotions, and achieve unity through thoughtful design elements.
- Balance Public and Private with Formal Gestures
- Create Seamless Transitions in Landscape Design
- Unify Spaces Through Cohesive Design Elements
- Craft Emotional Experiences in Different Zones
- Guide Movement Between Open and Intimate Areas
Balance Public and Private with Formal Gestures
Most architectural projects have public and private spaces. In residential architecture, think living rooms (public) versus bedrooms (private). Or in a library, book stacks are open to the public, whereas administrative spaces are private to staff only.
A good piece of architecture makes the distinction between public and private spaces clear and understandable for all inhabitants. Typically, this distinction is defined in a formal gesture. For example, in many home plans, we often see a private-public-private sandwich. The public space, such as the kitchen, living room, and dining room, is located in the middle. Then, there are two private wings on either side, where the bedrooms are located. Therefore, the common spaces, where people come together, are at the heart of the home.
Furthermore, as a residential architect, I understand the importance of private spaces within a home being easily accessible for the owner but not a visitor. To do so, we will often define the line between public and private spaces with a threshold, or a doorway. Walking through a threshold signals to an inhabitant that one is entering a different space than where they came from.
Public and private spaces in a home can also be defined by transparencies and opacities. We are often more generous with transparencies, or windows, in public spaces such as the living room, kitchen, or dining room, than we are in a bedroom.
Organizational methods and design techniques like this inform us, as architects, how to address challenges of working with both public and private spaces in a building or a home.
Create Seamless Transitions in Landscape Design
Designing a landscape that serves both intimate private needs and broader public functions requires three core strategies: hierarchy of spaces, transitional buffers, and a unified design language.
Hierarchy of Spaces
We start by mapping private and public zones. Private areas--such as family patios or master-suite terraces--are scaled for intimacy and sheltered with walls or dense plantings. Public areas--like pool decks, entertaining terraces, and walkways--are more open and accessible. At the Grand Estate Resort, for example, we placed intimate garden "rooms" just off the main residence, while the pool and courts sit beyond, easily reached by guests without crossing private domains.
Transitional Buffers
Rather than abrupt boundaries, we use graded transitions: layered plantings, changes in paving, screen walls, or subtle grade shifts that gently guide users from private to public realms. In the Nemati project, a semi-open cabana lounge serves as a threshold: its screens offer privacy for the homeowners, then open up to the multi-level mini-golf and bocce court areas for guests.
Unified Design Language
Even as spaces shift in function, a consistent palette of materials, colors, and plant species ties everything together. Details like repeating a custom tile from a private courtyard in the public pool's waterline, or echoing a wood accent from a hidden patio in the gathering pavilion, reinforce cohesion and ensure every space feels part of one cohesive whole.
Example in Practice
On a five-acre estate, we created a "private wing" of courtyards with tall grasses and water walls for family retreats, then designed a "public wing" of terraces, courts, and fire pits framed by mature oaks. Lighted path markers and paving size changes make it clear when guests move between intimate and communal zones.
By defining spatial hierarchy, crafting thoughtful buffers, and maintaining a unified design language, we deliver landscapes where private and public experiences coexist seamlessly--creating both intimate retreats and vibrant gathering spaces within a single project.
Unify Spaces Through Cohesive Design Elements
As a landscape architect, designing for both private and public spaces within a single project is an opportunity to create a unified experience that balances openness with intimacy. My approach focuses on blurring the edges--carefully choreographing transitions while respecting the unique needs and functions of each realm.
I begin by identifying shared design elements that can thread the public and private spaces together. This includes the use of cohesive color palettes, complementary textures, and recurring materials in site furnishings, signage, and paving. For example, a bench in a public plaza may echo the same wood tone or metal detailing as a seat wall in a private courtyard. Signage and wayfinding are designed with matching typographies and finishes, reinforcing a consistent identity across the site.
Textures also play a critical role--more tactile and layered materials may be introduced in semi-private zones to provide a sense of comfort and human scale, while more durable finishes support the functionality of active public areas. Planting design serves as a living bridge between the two, using similar species or forms to create continuity while adjusting density or enclosure to support privacy when needed.
Ultimately, it's about creating a dialogue between spaces--where public zones invite interaction and private ones offer retreat, yet the entire environment feels intentional, connected, and rooted in the same design language.
Craft Emotional Experiences in Different Zones
Designing for both private and public spaces within a single project requires a thoughtful balance between openness and intimacy. At Ariana Designs & Interiors, we approach this by first identifying the emotional intent and functionality of each area--how should a guest feel when stepping into a foyer versus how a homeowner feels in their bedroom sanctuary?
Circulation, sightlines, and spatial transitions become key tools. Public areas are often layered with visual openness, natural light, and a sense of welcome--using wide passageways, flexible furniture layouts, and finishes that invite conversation. In contrast, private spaces lean into comfort, acoustical softness, and seclusion, achieved through controlled lighting, textural warmth, and more tailored, personalized design elements.
We also think about how the two spaces "talk" to one another. There should be a consistent design language throughout--whether that's through material continuity, architectural rhythm, or color palette--yet each zone must stand on its own in function and tone.
In the end, it's about creating a holistic experience. Our role is to guide clients through that complexity, ensuring the home flows beautifully while honoring both the social and the personal.
Guide Movement Between Open and Intimate Areas
Ariana Adireh Anderson, CEO, Ariana Designs & Interiors
Designing for both private and public spaces within the same project is all about honoring how people move through and experience each environment. Public areas need to invite connection and movement—flow, visibility, and purpose drive those decisions. In contrast, private spaces require a more intimate approach, focused on comfort, retreat, and personal expression.
We begin by understanding the emotional intent behind each zone, then use tools like zoning diagrams, circulation studies, and layered material palettes to define boundaries—both visible and invisible. Whether it's a hospitality project or a residential layout, our goal is to create seamless transitions between public openness and private refuge. It's that balance that makes a space feel cohesive yet deeply personal.