On a site that slopes gently down to Penobscot Bay, a Washington couple with four grown children sought to develop a house that would serve as a summer home and vacation destination for the family. Drawing from the New England vernacular of simple forms and traditional materials, the house provides modern spaces for living with two parallel but offset two-story gabled wings linked by a bridge spanning an open Great Room. This soaring space, anchored at one end by a large granite-clad fireplace, serves to link the house together, and to provide premier views of the ocean to the east. A wall of windows and doors opens to a combination covered and screened porch, providing access to a lawn sloping to the rocky coast. An open Kitchen serves the Dining Area and porch, as well as a link to the south yard and a view to an intimate cove. A private Library on the west wall provides a quiet away space. At the north wing, the Master Suite, including a Study, gains access to a private patio with commanding views of the ocean below. The upper levels of the north and south wings, provide bedrooms for the children and their families. An open bridge links the wings and provides views to the Great Room below, the sea beyond, and the front entry court to the north. A detached garage keeps cars out of view and provides a second-story get-away room. This house was completed in the summer of 2015.

On a site that slopes gently down to Penobscot Bay, a Washington couple with four grown children sought to develop a house that would serve as a summer home and vacation destination for the family. Drawing from the New England vernacular of simple forms and traditional materials, the house provides modern spaces for living with two parallel but offset two-story gabled wings linked by a bridge spanning an open Great Room. This soaring space, anchored at one end by a large granite-clad fireplace, serves to link the house together, and to provide premier views of the ocean to the east. A wall of windows and doors opens to a combination covered and screened porch, providing access to a lawn sloping to the rocky coast. An open Kitchen serves the Dining Area and porch, as well as a link to the south yard and a view to an intimate cove. A private Library on the west wall provides a quiet away space. At the north wing, the Master Suite, including a Study, gains access to a private patio with commanding views of the ocean below. The upper levels of the north and south wings, provide bedrooms for the children and their families. An open bridge links the wings and provides views to the Great Room below, the sea beyond, and the front entry court to the north. A detached garage keeps cars out of view and provides a second-story get-away room. This house was completed in the summer of 2015.

This project was designed, and developed by Rhodes Architecture + Light while Josh Meharry was a team member. Nestled into a sloping site, the bridge residence is entered by a series of bridges which span over an entrance light well before meandering into and over an interior double height entry space. This entry space is flooded with natural light from the skylight above, and serves to create a buffer between the common living areas and the bedrooms/ office on the upper level, and between the master suite and the kids bedrooms below; a separation that was desirable to this three generation household. The main living spaces are screened from the entry with a vertical wood screen, and the space can be completely opened up to the large western deck with views of a grove of trees below. An exterior chimney ties the two levels together visually and provides fireplaces for warmth at both the upper and lower covered outdoor spaces. Nearly all of the spaces along the west spill out onto either the upper decks or lower continuous terrace, to facilitate a connection with the site and natural environment throughout the seasons. The exterior roof forms are a modern take on traditional shed roofs with large overhangs, often used in the Pacific Northwest for their ability to shed rain and provide covered areas outdoors. Exterior materials were selected for their durability, with muted dark panels accented by brighter colors and natural wood.

The site for this project presented views of Lake Conroe's main body to the left, a pedestrian bridge spanning a calm cove to the eighth hole directly in front, and beautiful sunsets to the right. To capture the broad span of views, three walls of glass were erected to display all of the sites in dramatic fashion, while flooding the public spaces with natural light. The two-story entry is capped with a skylight spanning the entire ceiling, creating a light silo that pours natural light into the remaining areas of the home. (Built 2010)

A new cedar bridge spanning a sunken courtyard had been installed and we were asked to re-work the planting. We removed some overgrown plant material, pruned the trees and relocated some pants. New plants were added for color and year round interest many to blend in with the color of the stone on the house as well as the woodwork.

When our clients moved across the country to retire in the Rose City, they chose a bright corner unit in the Metropolitan, enamored with the sweeping view of the Pearl District and Portland’s bridges spanning the Willamette River beyond. Everything else about the condo felt dated and dark, so we collaborated with Cooper Design Builders on a complete refresh of the kitchen and main living space. The kitchen was redesigned to accommodate aging in place, with ample low, accessible storage. Cabinets and surfaces are the perfect white, and a full-height slab backsplash stands tall behind the kitchen sink. Lighting, appliances and plumbing fixtures were updated, and a telescoping range hood ensures that the spectacular view won’t be obstructed from the kitchen. New white oak flooring softly grounds the space, and the fireplace – with new, asymmetrical custom mantel – adds quiet movement clad in large format porcelain tile. The bright new space is the ideal backdrop for colorful custom furnishings in a playful palette inspired by the homeowner’s existing area rug. Let the sun shine in! Photography by Mindy Rose Photo

The site for this project presented views of Lake Conroe's main body to the left, a pedestrian bridge spanning a calm cove to the eighth hole directly in front, and beautiful sunsets to the right. To capture the broad span of views, three walls of glass were erected to display all of the sites in dramatic fashion, while flooding the public spaces with natural light. The two-story entry is capped with a skylight spanning the entire ceiling, creating a light silo that pours natural light into the remaining areas of the home. (Built 2010)

A new cedar bridge spanning a sunken courtyard had been installed and we were asked to re-work the planting. We removed some overgrown plant material, pruned the trees and relocated some pants. New plants were added for color and year round interest many to blend in with the color of the stone on the house as well as the woodwork. A simple color palette for the plant materials include white, greens' purple and touches of orange for drama.

This project was designed, and developed by Rhodes Architecture + Light while Josh Meharry was a team member. Nestled into a sloping site, the bridge residence is entered by a series of bridges which span over an entrance light well before meandering into and over an interior double height entry space. This entry space is flooded with natural light from the skylight above, and serves to create a buffer between the common living areas and the bedrooms/ office on the upper level, and between the master suite and the kids bedrooms below; a separation that was desirable to this three generation household. The main living spaces are screened from the entry with a vertical wood screen, and the space can be completely opened up to the large western deck with views of a grove of trees below. An exterior chimney ties the two levels together visually and provides fireplaces for warmth at both the upper and lower covered outdoor spaces. Nearly all of the spaces along the west spill out onto either the upper decks or lower continuous terrace, to facilitate a connection with the site and natural environment throughout the seasons. The exterior roof forms are a modern take on traditional shed roofs with large overhangs, often used in the Pacific Northwest for their ability to shed rain and provide covered areas outdoors. Exterior materials were selected for their durability, with muted dark panels accented by brighter colors and natural wood.

Beautiful bridge that spans over a lower courtyard to the front door. Very creative way to keep the basement feel like open space!
Entryway - contemporary entryway idea in Las Vegas

On a site that slopes gently down to Penobscot Bay, a Washington couple with four grown children sought to develop a house that would serve as a summer home and vacation destination for the family. Drawing from the New England vernacular of simple forms and traditional materials, the house provides modern spaces for living with two parallel but offset two-story gabled wings linked by a bridge spanning an open Great Room. This soaring space, anchored at one end by a large granite-clad fireplace, serves to link the house together, and to provide premier views of the ocean to the east. A wall of windows and doors opens to a combination covered and screened porch, providing access to a lawn sloping to the rocky coast. An open Kitchen serves the Dining Area and porch, as well as a link to the south yard and a view to an intimate cove. A private Library on the west wall provides a quiet away space. At the north wing, the Master Suite, including a Study, gains access to a private patio with commanding views of the ocean below. The upper levels of the north and south wings, provide bedrooms for the children and their families. An open bridge links the wings and provides views to the Great Room below, the sea beyond, and the front entry court to the north. A detached garage keeps cars out of view and provides a second-story get-away room. This house was completed in the summer of 2015.

When my client purchased his circa 1980s home several years ago, it came with a bland, dated guest bathroom. He was eager to swap his brass accented shower doors, counter "bridge" spanning the toilet, wall-to-wall mirror, and terra cotta tiled floor for a sleeker, more contemporary looking space. We gutted the entire space except for the tub which was in perfect condition and replaced the boring, square beige tiles with large format tiles of a subtle, threaded pattern. A decorative, highly textured band of stainless steel, stone, and glass runs through the shower and defines the counter of the new dark vanity which is now in scale with the room. New sconces in matte opal glass are twined with ribbons of forged iron. Walls are in a chic hue called Thunder Grey. The modern sink hardware features a chrome trough spout and stylized square handles. The counter top, with its soft grey and blue-green clouds, is fabricated from a single piece of Sea Pearl quartzite. The shower edges and niche are lined in a polished chrome detail for a clean, minimalist look. And finally, the shower hardware with a bar and hand held shower head echoes the modernist approach to the space. Photo by Bernardo Grijalva

This meditation bench brings the outside in by featuring a stone as one of the legs to hold up the top, creating a great place to be alone with your thoughts and meditate. This bench is balanced with a hollowed granite leg, ground out by hand with the aid of a diamond drill bit and an angle grinder to provide a more manageable weight. I hand-carved a peek-a-boo opening in the mahogany seat to expose the granite for aesthetic interest while supporting the seat with a custom-fabricated metal bracket underneath for stability. The wooden leg is mortised securely through the top and wedged in place with walnut wedges. The supporting walnut arch spanning from one leg to the underside of the seat is one piece. The arch passes through a mortise in each of the cross braces, which are precisely spaced to provide artistic interest and balance. Each mortise was cut by hand with a mallet and chisel. This silky-smooth bench was built without nails or screws and made from high-quality hardwood, richly-grained African mahogany that begs to be touched. The seat and one leg are African mahogany, and the wedges, arch, and cross braces are walnut. The beautifully placed granite leg is local Colorado granite with natural lichen. The rich reddish-brown mahogany against the subtle soft green color of the lichen provides a sense of stability and harmony. The design inspiration for having the rock poke through the bench top came from an architect friend, who had a granite boulder craned in through the roof of a house and carved into a gas fireplace. The architect’s stories about how challenging the project was to integrate such an organic piece in an otherwise modern home got me thinking about how I could incorporate organic shapes into my furniture. The arch design came from one of my favorite hiking places in the Cascades, a bridge that spans across Multnomah Falls. Since publishing this work, I have been told that the design is stupid as only one person can sit on the bench at a time. Those opinions are the beauty of art, as everyone interprets it differently, and not everyone will get its purpose. However, subconsciously, I think the design spoke well for itself, as its purpose is for one person to be alone and meditate. Its deeper meaning may not be obvious or understood by everyone. However, its design has at least set the stage as only one person can comfortably sit on it at a time. This level of detail is indicative of my work. I try to create a single focal point to catch the viewer’s eye and draw them in. Then, once they get up close to a piece and start interacting with it, they will start to see all the additional details. I like how the bench top is carefully carved so it sits around the stone and how the weight of the stone helps balance the piece. They start to understand how it was built as they see the joinery detail, of how the tenon comes through the top and is wedged in place.

studio 2G Principal Architect Heidi Gibson created a separation from public spaces and private spaces with a bridge spanning over the entry below.
Example of a mid-sized minimalist concrete floor, gray floor and vaulted ceiling entryway design in San Luis Obispo with white walls and a metal front door

This vacation home, situated on a three acre wooded site, is an addition to the original modest house and garage. The program called for the addition of approximately 3,000 square feet to include living, dining, kitchen, and master bedroom space. A pavilion was created to the west of the existing house, with an internal bridge that spans a water element and connects both structures. This strategy of separation allowed exploration of a new architecture that combined the timber tradition of the mountains with contemporary elements like expansive glass and an open plan. This is expressed by the great weight of the timber frame structure, which takes the form of two girder trusses that rest upon stone masses. On the west the truss is positioned outside the glass wall of the house. This creates a sense of depth that allows the building to dissolve into the landscape, and on a practical note, provides sun screening. A.I.A. Wyoming Chapter Design Award of Merit 2001 Project Year: Pre-2005

A two-story private residence with front and rear terraces sits above a pair of rental units, garage and storage space. Large open spaces flow easily onto the terraces. Imported millwork, a Churrascaria (Brazilian outdoor grill) antique doors and a vibrant color palette bring home the Client's tenure in Sao Paulo. The front staircase consists of 4 inch wood planks suspended from square metal bars. A third level bridge spans over the soaring living room joining the front office and bedroom wing. Natural light floods into the home from the clerestory above the bridge and glass walls on the front and rear facades.

The waterfalls feature beautiful Mollala stone. The custom built bridge spans the pool at the bottom and the path extends with ledgestone steps to the sideyard access gate.

The site for this project presented views of Lake Conroe's main body to the left, a pedestrian bridge spanning a calm cove to the eighth hole directly in front, and beautiful sunsets to the right. To capture the broad span of views, three walls of glass were erected to display all of the sites in dramatic fashion, while flooding the public spaces with natural light. The two-story entry is capped with a skylight spanning the entire ceiling, creating a light silo that pours natural light into the remaining areas of the home. (Built 2010)

When our clients moved across the country to retire in the Rose City, they chose a bright corner unit in the Metropolitan, enamored with the sweeping view of the Pearl District and Portland’s bridges spanning the Willamette River beyond. Everything else about the condo felt dated and dark, so we collaborated with Cooper Design Builders on a complete refresh of the kitchen and main living space. The kitchen was redesigned to accommodate aging in place, with ample low, accessible storage. Cabinets and surfaces are the perfect white, and a full-height slab backsplash stands tall behind the kitchen sink. Lighting, appliances and plumbing fixtures were updated, and a telescoping range hood ensures that the spectacular view won’t be obstructed from the kitchen. New white oak flooring softly grounds the space, and the fireplace – with new, asymmetrical custom mantel – adds quiet movement clad in large format porcelain tile. The bright new space is the ideal backdrop for colorful custom furnishings in a playful palette inspired by the homeowner’s existing area rug. Let the sun shine in! Photography by Mindy Rose Photo