A home is a physical shelter affording protection and security for the people that live within it.  A house needs to feel safe and secure as well.

A well designed home will provide opportunities for its occupants to capture a sense of security and shelter while enjoying a view to something beyond. This view might be a distant mountain range or simply the hustle and bustle of family life but in each case the viewer will feel comfortable and protected in their space while still visually participating in something else. Examples of such experiences might be soaking in your hot tub as snow blankets the world outside or sipping a lemonade deep in the shadows of your covered porch on a hot sunny day.

Places of retreat often take on a cozy nature. A reduced light level on a porch or balcony can be very effective in enhancing the sense of detachment and might encourage a longer stay on a summer day. The opposite might be true in winter months when that sunny window nook looks particularly inviting. A reduction in ceiling height over the area will add to a sense of enclosure and privacy.