Coastal Modern Farmhouse Flavin Architects designed a structure that inherits its silhouette from the New England farmhouse and orients itself to the adjacent wetlands. The elegance of its shape is an effect of an austere geometry. The cedar shingle cladding underneath the lines of the metal roof reinforces this sense of confident understatement. A screened porch looks over a gentle downslope and a stretch of verdant wetlands into Kettle Cove. The interior extends the sense of local inheritance with a cadence of heavy timber beams that cross a tongue-and-groove ceiling to meet exposed steel beams. This set up echoes the simple framing of local colonial homes. A wood-burning fireplace also evokes this history, and with its mantle of reclaimed railroad ties, and the raw edged monolithic hearth, creates a sense of organic relation to the surrounding landscape. The interior symmetry of our Kettle Cove Farmhouse is illuminated by a generous sweep of windows that face east toward the rising sun. Flavin Architects has created a sense of flow from the interior to the exterior of the house.

Coastal Modern Farmhouse Flavin Architects designed a structure that inherits its silhouette from the New England farmhouse and orients itself to the adjacent wetlands. The elegance of its shape is an effect of an austere geometry. The cedar shingle cladding underneath the lines of the metal roof reinforces this sense of confident understatement. A screened porch looks over a gentle downslope and a stretch of verdant wetlands into Kettle Cove. The interior extends the sense of local inheritance with a cadence of heavy timber beams that cross a tongue-and-groove ceiling to meet exposed steel beams. This set up echoes the simple framing of local colonial homes. A wood-burning fireplace also evokes this history, and with its mantle of reclaimed railroad ties, and the raw edged monolithic hearth, creates a sense of organic relation to the surrounding landscape. The interior symmetry of our Kettle Cove Farmhouse is illuminated by a generous sweep of windows that face east toward the rising sun. Flavin Architects has created a sense of flow from the interior to the exterior of the house.

Project Overview: This residential guest house was designed and built by Able Construction of Norwalk, CT and features our yakisugi (shou sugi ban) Suyaki siding with traditional semi-transparent oil stain finish to contrast with the white main house. Product: Suyaki 1×6 select grade shiplap Prefinish: Black Application: Residential – Exterior SF: 3550SF Designer: Able Construction Builder: Able Construction Date: April 2017 Location: Westport, CT

Project Overview: This project is a vacation home for a family to enjoy the beauty of Swauk Prairie in Hidden Valley near Cle Elum, Kittitas County, Washington. It was a highly collaborative project between the owners, Syndicate Smith (Steve Booher lead), Mandy Callaway, and Merle Inc. The Pika-Pika exterior scope was pre-treated with a fire retardant for good measure due to being located in a high-fire zone on the east side of the Cascade mountain range, about 90 minutes east of Seattle.

This larger home, constructed on Martha’s Vineyard, is a collection of informal, dormered gable components and grounding one-story, shed-roof elements that reduce its overall scale. Designed to take advantage of a gently sloping up-Island property, this 5500 sq. ft. (not including finished basement) six-bedroom home includes staggered floor levels that climb from the front of the site to the rear. Generous, open living space on the entry level -- anchored on the west end by a fireplace and on the east end by the kitchen -- borders a dining area that’s nestled under a roof which also shelters the adjacent wrap-around porch. A deck off the rear of the dining space extends around the kitchen and is easily accessible from the nearby family room, too. Bedrooms occupy the other above-grade levels, including, at the upper-most level, the master suite comprised of a study, roof deck, master bath, walk-in closets and the master bedroom. A clean-lined interior of warm neutrals sets a soothing tone in which the Island landscape is welcomed through expansive windows, porches and decks. Clad in white cedar shingles with a red cedar roof, the West Tisbury House will softly weather in-tune with its meadow site. Katie Hutchison Studio collaborated with Geoffrey Koper Architect of Yarmouth Port, Mass. on the West Tisbury House. Kitchen fit-out and interior finishes, fixtures, and furnishings by others. photo by Katie Hutchison

The Gun Lake Residence replaces a small, aging, existing house located on a narrow peninsula on Gun Lake, in west Michigan. The peninsula is neatly populated with century-old homes that quietly occupy this uncommon setting. The project site offers extraordinary views of the water in multiple directions and extends to the east with open space, bordering on an historic, 19th-century community ice house. A primary project goal was to reimagine the relationship of the house to its surroundings while remaining sensitive to the communal context of the neighboring properties. The design seed of the new project included rotating the footprint of the existing house 90 degrees to open the long side of the home toward the lake, maximizing views and gaining optimal benefit of the linear site. Drawing inspiration from the traditional lake vernacular of the neighboring houses, the two principal roof forms of the new house reciprocate the setting -- the modern, clean lines of the upper gable roof upholds the clarity and tradition of the neighborhood, while the lower roof mimics the extension of the landscape and invites improvisational use. The horizontal flat roof allows use of the deck in all weather and cantilevers the most used public spaces into the landscape in a band of captured horizontal space. A wood-clad retaining wall refines a cut into the earth and harbors a transitional, outdoor room between the water and the basement. At 2200 finished square feet, the conditioned building envelope is compact. And like the exterior, the interior form responds directly to its use. The upper floor is a monastic repetition of modest sleeping cells and bathrooms with unique directional views, combined with a grand central stair and master bedroom at each corner that captures myriad views of the water, over the trees, in all directions. The main floor utilizes a core of small, functional spaces to shield the adjacent road, and forms a backdrop to the open interior spaces. Aided by the reaching, cedar-bellied roof, the living, dining, and kitchen spaces spill to the outdoors through an unusually porous exterior wall. Three sliding glass doors–including one at 20 feet wide–and a finished, surrounding ground plane cohere the landscape to the main living level. Super-insulated wood-framed walls, triple-paned aluminum-clad wood windows, and a structurally insulated roof panels make-up the core of the building envelope, and additional exterior high-performance design features include geothermal heating/cooling and a green roof. Cementitious lap siding, concrete panels, hardwood decking, cedar soffits, and river rock comprise the exterior finish. In addition to cedar ceilings, interior finishes include porcelain ceramic tile, cork flooring, tight pile wool carpet, and neutral painted walls -- designed in quiet tones to highlight the most important interior ingredient: views outside.

At our first meeting, my clients’ insisted that whenever possible, the materials selected be renewable, Earth friendly and ideally, locally sourced. But to get to that end, they did not want to sacrifice a beautiful, cohesive design. For flooring, we selected a Teragren strand bamboo that set the tone for the entire space. The soaring ceilings and beams in the main living space were clad entirely in FSC certified VG fir. No or low VOC paint was used throughout the home and the majority of the tile is porcelain with a minimum recycled content of 80%. The custom LED lighting fixtures were created by an artisan in Oregon and truly capture the style and scale of the home. Photos courtesy of Harrison Homes www.harrhomes.com

Project Overview: This project is a vacation home for a family to enjoy the beauty of Swauk Prairie in Hidden Valley near Cle Elum, Kittitas County, Washington. It was a highly collaborative project between the owners, Syndicate Smith (Steve Booher lead), Mandy Callaway, and Merle Inc. The Pika-Pika exterior scope was pre-treated with a fire retardant for good measure due to being located in a high-fire zone on the east side of the Cascade mountain range, about 90 minutes east of Seattle.

CHATHAM MARSHVIEW HOUSE This Cape Cod green home provides a destination for visiting family, support of a snowbird lifestyle, and an expression of the homeowner’s energy conscious values. Looking over the salt marsh with Nantucket Sound in the distance, this new home offers single level living to accommodate aging in place, and a strong connection to the outdoors. The homeowners can easily enjoy the deck, walk to the nearby beach, or spend time with family, while the house works to produce nearly all the energy it consumes. The exterior, clad in the Cape’s iconic Eastern white cedar shingles, is modern in detailing, yet recognizable and familiar in form. MORE: https://zeroenergy.com/chatham-marshview-house Architecture: ZeroEnergy Design Construction: Eastward Homes Photos: Eric Roth Photography

The Gun Lake Residence replaces a small, aging, existing house located on a narrow peninsula on Gun Lake, in west Michigan. The peninsula is neatly populated with century-old homes that quietly occupy this uncommon setting. The project site offers extraordinary views of the water in multiple directions and extends to the east with open space, bordering on an historic, 19th-century community ice house. A primary project goal was to reimagine the relationship of the house to its surroundings while remaining sensitive to the communal context of the neighboring properties. The design seed of the new project included rotating the footprint of the existing house 90 degrees to open the long side of the home toward the lake, maximizing views and gaining optimal benefit of the linear site. Drawing inspiration from the traditional lake vernacular of the neighboring houses, the two principal roof forms of the new house reciprocate the setting -- the modern, clean lines of the upper gable roof upholds the clarity and tradition of the neighborhood, while the lower roof mimics the extension of the landscape and invites improvisational use. The horizontal flat roof allows use of the deck in all weather and cantilevers the most used public spaces into the landscape in a band of captured horizontal space. A wood-clad retaining wall refines a cut into the earth and harbors a transitional, outdoor room between the water and the basement. At 2200 finished square feet, the conditioned building envelope is compact. And like the exterior, the interior form responds directly to its use. The upper floor is a monastic repetition of modest sleeping cells and bathrooms with unique directional views, combined with a grand central stair and master bedroom at each corner that captures myriad views of the water, over the trees, in all directions. The main floor utilizes a core of small, functional spaces to shield the adjacent road, and forms a backdrop to the open interior spaces. Aided by the reaching, cedar-bellied roof, the living, dining, and kitchen spaces spill to the outdoors through an unusually porous exterior wall. Three sliding glass doors–including one at 20 feet wide–and a finished, surrounding ground plane cohere the landscape to the main living level. Super-insulated wood-framed walls, triple-paned aluminum-clad wood windows, and a structurally insulated roof panels make-up the core of the building envelope, and additional exterior high-performance design features include geothermal heating/cooling and a green roof. Cementitious lap siding, concrete panels, hardwood decking, cedar soffits, and river rock comprise the exterior finish. In addition to cedar ceilings, interior finishes include porcelain ceramic tile, cork flooring, tight pile wool carpet, and neutral painted walls -- designed in quiet tones to highlight the most important interior ingredient: views outside.

Royal Building Products Celect Cellular composite siding in Wrought Iron. Marvin Clad Wood Ultimate windows & doors in Ebony. Connecticut Stone blend of CT Split Fieldstone and CT Weathered Fieldstone. Atlas Pinnacle architectural shingles in Pristine Black. Combination of Unilock pavers, stamped concrete and slab stone on patio and hardscape. General contracting by Martin Bros. Contracting, Inc.; Architecture by Helman Sechrist Architecture; Interior Design by Nanci Wirt; Professional Photo by Marie Martin Kinney.

CHATHAM MARSHVIEW HOUSE This Cape Cod green home provides a destination for visiting family, support of a snowbird lifestyle, and an expression of the homeowner’s energy conscious values. Looking over the salt marsh with Nantucket Sound in the distance, this new home offers single level living to accommodate aging in place, and a strong connection to the outdoors. The homeowners can easily enjoy the deck, walk to the nearby beach, or spend time with family, while the house works to produce nearly all the energy it consumes. The exterior, clad in the Cape’s iconic Eastern white cedar shingles, is modern in detailing, yet recognizable and familiar in form. MORE: https://zeroenergy.com/chatham-marshview-house Architecture: ZeroEnergy Design Construction: Eastward Homes Photos: Eric Roth Photography

Alabama's first National Association Of Home Builders "Green Certified"home, designed by Bob Chatham and built by Jeremy Friedman. The cottage includes exposed rafter tails, Cypress board and batten siding with Cedar shake details. This home has 5 spacious bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a Gourmet Thermador Kitchen, Luxury master suite, Keeping room, Outdoor kitchen and Detached garage with a covered breeze way. Some of the Green Features include Waterfurnace Geothermal heating and Cooling with Desuperheater to heat Hot Water, Icynene Spray Foam Insulation, Integrity Wood Clad Windows, Reclaimed Heart Pine Flooring, McPhillips Reclaimed Cypress Entry, Reclaimed Pecan Mantle and Beams, Whole House Electrostatic air filter and remote timed ventilation, Vacuflo Central Vacuum, Distributed Audio, Dual Flush Toilets and low flow fixtures, Zip System wall sheathing and roof decking, Advanced Framing Techniques, Native draught tolerant landscaping, and much more.

Featured materials include cedar shake siding, natural bluestone veneer, Marvin aluminum clad windows with doug fir interiors, large bluestone block retaining walls, and irregular flagstone pavers. Several outdoor decks feature stainless steel rod railings by Accufab, and the roof lines features shake accent details on the truncated gables. The formal entry showcases a custom designed double wood entry door built by New Energy Works, and the entry roofing features standing steam copper surrounding a stepped entry tower that acts as an illuminated beacon at night via a constellation of suspended honey jar pendant lights on the interior. An outdoor kitchen completes the "entertainment package" of this home’s exterior spaces and is complete with a masonry fireplace, and an oversized stone island.

Coastal Modern Farmhouse Flavin Architects designed a structure that inherits its silhouette from the New England farmhouse and orients itself to the adjacent wetlands. The elegance of its shape is an effect of an austere geometry. The cedar shingle cladding underneath the lines of the metal roof reinforces this sense of confident understatement. A screened porch looks over a gentle downslope and a stretch of verdant wetlands into Kettle Cove. The interior extends the sense of local inheritance with a cadence of heavy timber beams that cross a tongue-and-groove ceiling to meet exposed steel beams. This set up echoes the simple framing of local colonial homes. A wood-burning fireplace also evokes this history, and with its mantle of reclaimed railroad ties, and the raw edged monolithic hearth, creates a sense of organic relation to the surrounding landscape. The interior symmetry of our Kettle Cove Farmhouse is illuminated by a generous sweep of windows that face east toward the rising sun. Flavin Architects has created a sense of flow from the interior to the exterior of the house.

New Additions to Hoover + Hill This project is a continuation of the renovation and updating work Flavin Architects had previously completed at the 1958 Wales house, designed by architect Henry Hoover and Walter Hill. Our clients, a young family, desired more space for guests, a home office, a yoga studio, and covered car parking. The challenge was to respect the architects’ original vision and not to interfere with the perfect cruciform plan of the house. To accomplish these goals, we converted the existing garage/workshop structure into a guest house and then designed a new, separate carport/storage building. The new carport building shares the low-slope gable of the original Hoover structure. The post and beam structure characteristic of Hoover’s design is updated through the use of galvanized steel posts and I beams. The galvanized beams cantilever to support a sheltered walkway leading from the parking to a guest house terrace defined in relationship to the three structures surrounding it. The terrace is paved in slate with a central rain garden. Wood lattice clads the carport, providing good ventilation and letting the building glow like a lantern at night. Our guest house renovation celebrates the unique structural timber ceiling of the original garage. We replaced opaque plywood trusses with a slender cable truss structurally engineered by Webb Structural Services. This cable truss allows for a view of the timber ceiling. A wall of glass facing the courtyard replaced the original garage door. A murphy bed in the rear room enables quick conversion from guest quarters to weight room.

For this project, our client came to us looking for a full-service company to build a custom, high-efficient new home with minimal exterior maintenance. In order to achieve this, we used a different medium of product, including split-faced concrete block to natural cedar siding, both of which require zero maintenance. The design throughout was congruent with the contemporary farmhouse aesthetic and highly-efficient goal of the client and adhering to the energy standards of Efficiency Vermont. A few of the features included a finished concrete floor, a cutting-edge wood-fired boiler system to efficiently heat the home.

Photograph © Sharon Risedorph
Inspiration for a contemporary exterior home remodel in San Francisco

When it came time for these clients to build their dream home, they chose our team to help bring it to life. They were interested in our guidance and ability to walk them through the process. They had many must haves for this home. Nine-foot ceilings in the foyer and great room were a must as was the exposed log roof system in the great room. Open concept on the main level was important for family time as was a dining table large enough to seat twelve. The first floor also includes a large kitchen, walk-in pantry, office large enough to become a master bedroom in the future, laundry room, and mudroom with plenty of storage and half bath nearby. Three season sunroom connecting to large patio allows even more space to enjoy family time. The second floor offers a master suite and two additional bedrooms, a sitting room, and a built-in nook for a grand piano. Our team was able to ask them the important questions about their living style to maximize their lake-front footprint and to incorporate all their must haves into a unique design. - Jacqueline Southby Photography