If you want something different for your new home construction, one thing you could consider is glass-panelled external concertina doors. While you may not have experienced these in your own home, you're bound to have seen them somewhere: a row of doors hinged together, spanning an extended area. Typically, pushing or pulling on the centre doors bends hinges in the middle that connect those doors to adjacent ones. Each subsequent door folds back, one way then the other, to open up accordion-style. When used as an exit to your backyard, glass-panelled concertina (or bi-fold) doors provide several benefits. 

Breaks Down the Inside-Outside Divide

A major benefit of these types of doors is that they effectively function as a fluid type of wall that you can open and close, providing flexibility in how you use the room. By opening the doors, you free up the room to the outdoors, bringing your deck or garden closer and removing the solid divide between inside and outside. The experience is very different from simply opening windows or even french doors. 

Brightens Up the Area

You reap the benefits even when the doors are closed because they form a wall of windows, allowing daylight to stream through. Even frosted glass will enable a soft, non-glary, diffused light to flow into the room, while still providing privacy. The extra lightness is particularly handy in a relatively small room as it will evoke a more spacious feel. If the glass panels are clear rather than frosted, you will also have an outside view of either a garden or something else entirely. If you are concerned about the heat of the summer sun beaming down on the doors, you can investigate the possibility of using low-emissivity glass, which reduces this effect by reflecting infrared light.

Range of Customisation Options Available

Another benefit is that bi-fold doors are highly customisable. The frames are commonly constructed from materials such as solid timber, veneer, laminate or aluminium in a range of finish options and colours. The variety of different styles and effects complements many different home designs, from traditional to contemporary styles. You will have other options as well regarding locking mechanisms, which way the doors open and possibly a selection of retractable flyscreens. There may also be alternatives with regards to the track threshold, which you must pay attention to if you don't want to create obstructions that people can trip on.