Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

Hairy gumweed / Grindelia hirsutula Photo: Franco Folini, via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

Phacelia campanularia / Desert Bluebells Photo: Patrick Standish, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-2.0 Generic

Country kitchen photo in Minneapolis

One of the strong attributes of trellises — but sometimes overlooked — is to create outdoor enclosed rooms with curved or straight lines attached to a home or other existing outbuilding. It lets the light in, creating attractive accents but still, it is your own secluded retreat. Trellises and privacy walls on a pavilion pergola kit.

Conoclinium Coelestinum / Blue Mistflower Photo: Fritz Flohr Reynolds, via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

High efficiency vertical kitchen with stainless steel attributes for reconstructing tight or oddly shaped spaces. -Eclectic Builders
Kitchen - kitchen idea in New York

This shingle style cottage was a complete renovation, enhancing its already charming attributes with new, modern amenities. Renovations included enclosing an existing sunroom, new windows and new roof dormers to gain access to a walk-out roof deck.

The wood work, columns, and crown molding all contribute to the historical attributes of this home.
Example of a mid-sized arts and crafts dark wood floor and brown floor hallway design in Portland with white walls

Dendrobium densiflorum var. alboluteum / Pineapple Orchid Photo: Tim Sheerman-Chase, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-2.0 Generic

Photography: Georgiana Silk Restoration project of a modern house attributed to a famous New Canaan architect. The Harvard Five were based here in New Canaan, and the influences are apparent throughout homes in the area. Original details were preserved, and new features were added in the modern tradition.

The plant selections for this garden are attributed to the client. As avid and educated gardeners, the clients have selected plants that are deer resistant and adapted to challenging Colorado environment.

Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). Photo: Geoff Gallice, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution- 2.0 Generic

We included specialty design attributes such as tile from Ann Saks to ad flair to the space without interfering with it being a hardworking space for a family of 4.

Wall Color: Iron Gate MQ2-60
Example of a mountain style bedroom design in Orange County

This shingle style cottage was a complete renovation, enhancing its already charming attributes with new, modern amenities. Renovations included enclosing an existing sunroom, new windows and new roof dormers to gain access to a walk-out roof deck.

False Asters / Boltonia asteroides Photo: Joshua Mayer, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

Photo: Aaron Carlson, via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Large-Flowered Beardtongue / Penstemon grandiflorus Dunn Co., WI