The best outdoor spaces aren’t afterthoughts. They’re designed around how you live.
By mid-summer in Central Pennsylvania, every home reveals whether it works outdoors or not. The difference between a patio nobody uses and an outdoor space the whole family fights over? It was designed around the people living there.
At QnC Construction, this starts with a simple philosophy from our owner, Ben Wert: “We get to know the customer, what’s important to them, and then we work that into their home.” So, before any outdoor space takes shape, we start with three key questions.
How True Custom Shows Up in Outdoor Living
When outdoor living is an afterthought, you get a builder-grade concrete pad off the back door. When it’s custom-designed, the questions change entirely to:
#1. How do you actually live?
Do you cook outside all summer? Want a quiet covered porch for morning coffee? The answers shape whether your home calls for an outdoor kitchen, an expansive patio, a screened porch, or all three.
You can see that approach in projects like our Halifax pool sunroom. We designed this space to make poolside living part of the home year-round. As the homeowners put it, Ben started by asking what they wanted from their new space and what they wanted to spend, then delivered exactly that.
#2. How does the space connect to your home?
In a true design-build process, the outdoor living area is planned alongside the interior. Defining the design at the very start is what helps make that cohesion possible.
#3. How does your home sit on the land?
This is where custom building shines, especially for homeowners building on their own land in Central PA. At QnC, a custom design-build starts with your lot — not a production plan dropped onto it. This means positioning the porch to face the sunset, shielding the patio from the road, and framing your property’s view.
None of that comes from a checklist of options. It comes from a builder who takes the time to learn what matters to you and then works it into the home.
Award-Winning Proof
This approach to outdoor living has been recognized by our peers in the industry two years running.
At the 2025 Metro Harrisburg Parade of Homes, QnC’s custom home won three awards in it’s category: Best Outdoor Living, Best Craftsmanship, and Best Interior. One home, designed as a whole and not assembled in pieces.
Then at the 2026 Pyramid Awards, QnC took home Best Outdoor Living again, as part of a five-category sweep that also included Best Custom Home.
Designed Around You
The National Association of Home Builders has seen a rising demand for outdoor living features for years. Porches, patios, and outdoor kitchens still rank among the most wanted features in new homes. Homeowners aren’t just buying square footage anymore. They’re buying a way of living.
If you’re dreaming about summer evenings in an outdoor space designed around how you live, that conversation starts with a design consultation. Schedule yours with the QnC team today, and let’s design it in from day one.
