Sunroom and baffle fight off wind in Redondo Beach

Sunset, April, 1988

Sunroom and baffle fight off wind in Redondo Beach

The wind whipped through Gennie and Robert Forsgren's Redondo Beach, California, back garden--even though the compact space was ringed with a solid fence. They decided to bring some of the space indoors, and wrap another part with a permanent wind baffle.

Over the 6- by 10-foot interior sunroom, a sloping glass roof rises to 12 feet where it meets the house wall. A 6-by-16 glue-laminated beam supports the wall above the addition-wide opening; it replaces the original bearing wall, which had contained a window and a door.

Five glass door blanks and one openable door are framed into the walls of the addition. Outside, two more blanks, a pane of fixed glass, and another door make up the windscreen. Open beams overhead tie this wing wall back to the addition, and help define the protected patio area.

Photo: On deck, windscreen-wrapped corner encloses compact seating area

Photo: Exterior roof beams and frames for glass panels tie back to sunroom

Photo: From sunroom, wall extends out to enclose part of the old outside deck, enlarging feel of new inner room and nearly erasing distinction between indoors and out. A new wood floor, level with the existing interior, covers the deck