A Renlita Floataway garage door is shielded by one of the home’s many overhangs.

In the back, ferns and other shade-friendly plants thrive beneath the home’s deep overhangs.

A sweeping terrace area is home to the hotel's restaurant, run by Chef Jose Enrique.

Usha and Mike Kreaden had a virtually blank slate when it came to the garden outside the 1958 Joseph Eichler house that they bought in Silicon Valley two decades ago.

When renovating a house in McAllen, Texas, for his brother-in-law’s family, architect Luis López designed an overhang with concrete beams that protects the front entrance from the area’s frequent rain. A large front window was inserted to provide views through the house to the backyard.

Embedded in the rugged southern Australian landscape, the House at Hanging Rock comprises three volumes connected by a sweeping rhomboid roof. The Colorbond steel overhang is in a dark-gray shade called Monument.

The two floors overlap for only about 753 square feet. The wide overhangs create shaded space underneath.

The family dog enjoys the shade provided by the corrugated-copper roof overhangs.

Surrounded by a canopy of trees, the house is bordered by a deep overhang that matches the width of the concrete terrace. “What I like is that the decks and the courtyard are visually part of the house, but they’re outdoor spaces,” says Ted. Heid worked with Curtis Bosworth and John Weed of WBS Construction on the project.

Overhangs like this one are a simple way of controlling the amount of daylight that comes in to the living spaces. They shield the interior from the glare and heat of the high summer sun, but capture light and passive warmth when it is low during winter.

Rows of outdoor lockers. Photo by Michael Moran.

The penthouse level, with its cantilevered overhang, opens to a rooftop entertaining space. The ipe wood cladding, blue stone pavers, and a custom roof ladder are joined by restored brick chimneys.

Shaded by the surrounding trees, and featuring a trellised overhang, the structure limits its auxiliary energy needs. A tight building seal also helps keep the interior climate cool.

Pedersen + Lennard’s Field Office coffee shops, including one at the Woodstock Exchange in Cape Town, were conceived as hangout spots that would double as showrooms for the duo’s furniture.

In the gravel-lined entry court shaded by a Japanese maple tree, furniture from Beall and Bell—an antique shop in Greenport, New York—mixes with Pendant Globes by Primelite Manufacturing. Bobo pillows by Adler outfit the banquette, and cedar clads the interior of the seating area.

Jon Ahrens of Madrone Landscaping, who layed out the plantings around the container, implemented a green roof on a drip watering system. The cantilevered overhang at rear is planted with cacti.

The roof's overhang also employs paneled Siberian larch.

The viewing platform catilevers over Elwick Bay.

Gregory and Caryn Katz are dwarfed beneath the cantilevered concrete overhang, which houses the bedroom on the upper level. The stackable glass doors that run beneath allow the house to open completely to the yard and swimming pool, soften the severity of the concrete, and blur the boundary between indoors and out.

All kitchen appliances, cupboards, and counters have been united in a single, self-contained island, designed in collaboration with Bulthaup. The architects wanted unfussy space and they rejected easy-access overhanging cabinets. "There's an emphasis on convenience in the world that is all about numbing things," says Alan Koch.

South side of house, with 6-ft roof overhangs and large sliding glass panels

The courtyard-facing side of the garage provides an overhang for a multifunctional playroom or entertainment space.

Three brightly colored balconies and an overhanging roof define the home’s front facade.

The minimalist exterior is defined by the flat roof, overhanging eaves, a and ribbon-like band of glass windows.

Ben Warwas set a slider by Western Window Systems at a diagonal beneath the overhang created by the second floor.

The shallow plan helps with cross ventilation, while a deep overhang to the north provides shade for the living areas in the summer.

While shopping for containers, Hill was instantly drawn to this one’s existing blue color and chose to buy it and leave it as is. Poteet added floor-to-ceiling sliding doors to allow light in, as well as a cantilevered overhang to shade a window on the left side, which houses a small garden storage area.

When not in use during winter, the tub is hidden from the home’s view. The entrance has a sheltered overhang for car parking.

On the home's east side, the overhang created by the second story volume shades the front door while still allowing morning light into the bedrooms.

The clients insisted that none of the trees on the property be disturbed, so Kevin Alter and his team at Alterstudio Architecture built a deck and an overhang around two of them.

Protected by an overhang, and floating above ground level, this tertiary space is known in traditional homes as the "engawa." To sustain a unified look throughout, the floor and ceiling are clad in ipe wood.

The broad balcony on the lower level of Casa Dosmurs is sheltered by the overhang of the roof, which limits the amount of direct sunlight that enters the house on hot summer days.

The communal courtyard at the front of the complex is a favorite meeting place for the couples’ kids. Underneath a six-foot overhang, concrete planters alternate with custom entryways fabricated on-site from lenga wood.

This Southern Californian home by architect Sebastian Mariscal has a wabi-sabi spirit, and is built with shou sugi ban timber, has a koi pond, wand a protective overhang, and a tertiary space known in in traditional Japanese homes as the

“For me, architecture is pragmatic yet joyful,” Andrew says. “The entrance cut away allows for a deep cantilevering overhang that gives shelter when it's raining, and the 1400mm-wide pivot door is pure theatrics.”

The house features Bayerwald sliding windows and highly insulated fixed glass; low-VOC paint from Benjamin Moore; and big overhangs to the south to shield summer sun and allow winter light. It was important to the family to integrate sustainable materials and strategies.