VERMONT CABIN Location: Jamaica, VT Completion Date: 2009 Size: 1,646 sf Typology: T Series Modules: 5 Boxes Program: o Bedrooms: 3 o Baths: 2 o Features: Media Room, Outdoor Fireplace, Outdoor Stone Terrace o Environmentally Friendly Features: Off Grid Home, 3kW Solar Photovoltaic System, Radiant Floor Heat Materials: o Exterior: Corrugated Metal Siding, Cedar Siding, Ipe Wood Decking, Cement Board Panels o Interior: Bamboo Flooring, Ceasarstone Countertops, Slate Bathroom Floors, Maple Cabinets, Aluminum Clad Wood Windows with Low E, Insulated Glass, Black Steel, Custom Baltic Birch Bench Project Description: Isolated in the Green Mountain National Forest of Vermont, this 1,650 sf prefab home is an escape for a retired Brooklyn couple. With no electric or cell phone service, this ‘Off-the-Grid’ home functions as the common gathering space for the couple, their three grown children and grandchildren to get away and spend quality time together. The client, an avid mushroom hunter and connoisseur, often transverses the 200 acre property for the delicacy, then returns to her home which rests on the top of the mini-mountain. With stunning views of nearby Stratton Mountain, the home is a ‘Head & Tail’ design, where the communal space is the ‘head’, and the private bar of bedrooms and baths forms the longer ‘tail’. Together they form an ‘L’, creating an outdoor terrace to capture the western sun and to enjoy the exterior fireplace which is clad in cement board panels, and radiates heat during the cool summer evenings. Just inside, is the expansive kitchen, living, and dining areas, perfect for preparing meals for their guests. This communal space is wrapped with a custom Baltic Birch bookshelf and window bench so one can soak up the south sun and view of the fern meadow and surrounding wilderness. With dark bamboo floors over radiant heating, and a wood-burning fireplace, the living area is as cozy as can be. The exterior is clad in a maintenance-free corrugated Corten Kynar painted metal panel system to withstand the harsh Vermont winters. Accents of cedar siding add texture and tie the strategically placed windows together. The home is powered by a 3,000 KwH solar array with a back-up generator in case the sun is hidden for an extended period of time. A hybrid insulation system, combining both a closed cell spray foam insulation and batt insulation, along with radiant floor heat ensures the home stays airtight and warm in the winter. Architects: Joseph Tanney, Robert Luntz Project Architect: Justin Barnes Manufacturer: Simplex Industries Project Coordinator: Jason Drouse Engineer: Lynne Walshaw, P.E., Greg Sloditskie Contractor: Big Pine Builders, INC. Photographer: © RES4

1950s eat-in kitchen photo in Sacramento with wood countertops, flat-panel cabinets and medium tone wood cabinets

Ryan Struck Photography
Urban l-shaped light wood floor kitchen photo in New York with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

This project was designed, and developed by Rhodes Architecture + Light while Josh Meharry was a team member. Constructed within a rare five acre plot of forested land in Bothell, this house design stemmed from an interest in both creating connections to the surrounding environment as well as carving out an area for communal gathering for this family of 6 to come together with their extended family, friends and community. In response to this desire, the main residence was broken into three separate structures arranged roughly into a “C” confirguration, which formed an inner courtyard where communal gatherings could take place that was adjacent to but felt distinct from the surrounding forest. All three structures support different uses for the residence, but all have views toward and open onto this inner court. Since the residence was located at the low point of a shallow ravine that runs through the site, the two side structures were built into the surrounding hillsides with boardformed concrete retaining walls that are exposed at both the interior and exterior of the house. The central structure that houses the main interior living spaces, bridges over a small stream that flows during the wet season, allowing the site’s natural drainage patterns to remain intact. The spanning portion of this central structure is supported off of two cast in place board-formed concrete chimneys, which also act to define the edges of the main interior spaces and include large double sided fireplaces. This central structure was designed to be very transparent to be as inviting as possible and provide views through the structure to the inner courtyard and into the forest beyond. The simple gabled forms are typical of traditional Pacific Northwest homes and cabins found in forested settings like this, and are preferred for their structural efficiency, and their ability to shed rain, snow and tree debris. The roof forms are vaulted at the interior as well, creating an increased sense of spaciousness. The exterior materials used are extremely durable and will remain maintenance free for many years, with corten standing seam metal roofs, corrugated pre-finished siding, exposed board-formed concrete and powder coated steel.

Photos by Peter Wodarz Lake Forest, Lake Bluff Backyard Garden
Elegant patio photo in Chicago with a fireplace

Sarah Greenman © 2012 Houzz,
Inspiration for a contemporary patio fountain remodel in Dallas

Photography by Cesar Rubio
Country yellow exterior home photo in San Francisco

Located on a five-acre rocky outcrop, The Mountain Retreat trades in Manhattan skyscrapers and the scuttle of yellow cabs for sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains and hawks gliding on the thermals below. The client, who loves mountain biking and rock climbing, camped out on the hilltop during the siting of the house to determine the best spot, angle and orientation for his new escape. The resulting home is a retreat carefully crafted into its unique surroundings. The Mountain Retreat provides a unique and efficient 1,800 sf indoor and outdoor living and entertaining experience. The finished house, sitting partially on concrete stilts, gives way to a striking display. Its angular lines, soaring height, and unique blend of warm cedar siding with cool gray concrete panels and glass are displayed to great advantage in the context of its rough mountaintop setting. The stilts act as supports for the great room above and, below, define the parking spaces for an uncluttered entry and carport. An enclosed staircase runs along the north side of the house. Sheathed inside and out with gray cement board panels, it leads from the ground floor entrance to the main living spaces, which exist in the treetops. Requiring the insertion of pylons, a well, and a septic tank, the rocky terrain of the immediate site had to be blasted. Rather than discarding the remnants, the rocks were scattered around the site. Used for outdoor seating and the entry pathway, the rock cover further emphasizes the relation and integration of the house into the natural backdrop. The home’s butterfly roof channels rainwater to two custom metal scuppers, from which it cascades off onto thoughtfully placed boulders. The butterfly roof gives the great room and master bedroom a tall, sloped ceiling with light from above, while a suite of ground-room floors fit cozily below. An elevated cedar deck wraps around three sides of the great room, offering a full day of sunshine for deck lounging and for the entire room to be opened to the outdoors with ease. Architects: Joseph Tanney, Robert Luntz Project Architect: John Kim Project Team: Jacob Moore Manufacturer: Apex Homes, INC. Engineer: Robert Silman Associates, P.C., Greg Sloditski Contractor: JH Construction, INC. Photographer: © Floto & Warner

Located on a five-acre rocky outcrop, The Mountain Retreat trades in Manhattan skyscrapers and the scuttle of yellow cabs for sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains and hawks gliding on the thermals below. The client, who loves mountain biking and rock climbing, camped out on the hilltop during the siting of the house to determine the best spot, angle and orientation for his new escape. The resulting home is a retreat carefully crafted into its unique surroundings. The Mountain Retreat provides a unique and efficient 1,800 sf indoor and outdoor living and entertaining experience. The finished house, sitting partially on concrete stilts, gives way to a striking display. Its angular lines, soaring height, and unique blend of warm cedar siding with cool gray concrete panels and glass are displayed to great advantage in the context of its rough mountaintop setting. The stilts act as supports for the great room above and, below, define the parking spaces for an uncluttered entry and carport. An enclosed staircase runs along the north side of the house. Sheathed inside and out with gray cement board panels, it leads from the ground floor entrance to the main living spaces, which exist in the treetops. Requiring the insertion of pylons, a well, and a septic tank, the rocky terrain of the immediate site had to be blasted. Rather than discarding the remnants, the rocks were scattered around the site. Used for outdoor seating and the entry pathway, the rock cover further emphasizes the relation and integration of the house into the natural backdrop. The home’s butterfly roof channels rainwater to two custom metal scuppers, from which it cascades off onto thoughtfully placed boulders. The butterfly roof gives the great room and master bedroom a tall, sloped ceiling with light from above, while a suite of ground-room floors fit cozily below. An elevated cedar deck wraps around three sides of the great room, offering a full day of sunshine for deck lounging and for the entire room to be opened to the outdoors with ease. Architects: Joseph Tanney, Robert Luntz Project Architect: John Kim Project Team: Jacob Moore Manufacturer: Apex Homes, INC. Engineer: Robert Silman Associates, P.C., Greg Sloditski Contractor: JH Construction, INC. Photographer: © Floto & Warner

Located on a five-acre rocky outcrop, The Mountain Retreat trades in Manhattan skyscrapers and the scuttle of yellow cabs for sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains and hawks gliding on the thermals below. The client, who loves mountain biking and rock climbing, camped out on the hilltop during the siting of the house to determine the best spot, angle and orientation for his new escape. The resulting home is a retreat carefully crafted into its unique surroundings. The Mountain Retreat provides a unique and efficient 1,800 sf indoor and outdoor living and entertaining experience. The finished house, sitting partially on concrete stilts, gives way to a striking display. Its angular lines, soaring height, and unique blend of warm cedar siding with cool gray concrete panels and glass are displayed to great advantage in the context of its rough mountaintop setting. The stilts act as supports for the great room above and, below, define the parking spaces for an uncluttered entry and carport. An enclosed staircase runs along the north side of the house. Sheathed inside and out with gray cement board panels, it leads from the ground floor entrance to the main living spaces, which exist in the treetops. Requiring the insertion of pylons, a well, and a septic tank, the rocky terrain of the immediate site had to be blasted. Rather than discarding the remnants, the rocks were scattered around the site. Used for outdoor seating and the entry pathway, the rock cover further emphasizes the relation and integration of the house into the natural backdrop. The home’s butterfly roof channels rainwater to two custom metal scuppers, from which it cascades off onto thoughtfully placed boulders. The butterfly roof gives the great room and master bedroom a tall, sloped ceiling with light from above, while a suite of ground-room floors fit cozily below. An elevated cedar deck wraps around three sides of the great room, offering a full day of sunshine for deck lounging and for the entire room to be opened to the outdoors with ease. Architects: Joseph Tanney, Robert Luntz Project Architect: John Kim Project Team: Jacob Moore Manufacturer: Apex Homes, INC. Engineer: Robert Silman Associates, P.C., Greg Sloditski Contractor: JH Construction, INC. Photographer: © Floto & Warner

Located on a five-acre rocky outcrop, The Mountain Retreat trades in Manhattan skyscrapers and the scuttle of yellow cabs for sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains and hawks gliding on the thermals below. The client, who loves mountain biking and rock climbing, camped out on the hilltop during the siting of the house to determine the best spot, angle and orientation for his new escape. The resulting home is a retreat carefully crafted into its unique surroundings. The Mountain Retreat provides a unique and efficient 1,800 sf indoor and outdoor living and entertaining experience. The finished house, sitting partially on concrete stilts, gives way to a striking display. Its angular lines, soaring height, and unique blend of warm cedar siding with cool gray concrete panels and glass are displayed to great advantage in the context of its rough mountaintop setting. The stilts act as supports for the great room above and, below, define the parking spaces for an uncluttered entry and carport. An enclosed staircase runs along the north side of the house. Sheathed inside and out with gray cement board panels, it leads from the ground floor entrance to the main living spaces, which exist in the treetops. Requiring the insertion of pylons, a well, and a septic tank, the rocky terrain of the immediate site had to be blasted. Rather than discarding the remnants, the rocks were scattered around the site. Used for outdoor seating and the entry pathway, the rock cover further emphasizes the relation and integration of the house into the natural backdrop. The home’s butterfly roof channels rainwater to two custom metal scuppers, from which it cascades off onto thoughtfully placed boulders. The butterfly roof gives the great room and master bedroom a tall, sloped ceiling with light from above, while a suite of ground-room floors fit cozily below. An elevated cedar deck wraps around three sides of the great room, offering a full day of sunshine for deck lounging and for the entire room to be opened to the outdoors with ease. Architects: Joseph Tanney, Robert Luntz Project Architect: John Kim Project Team: Jacob Moore Manufacturer: Apex Homes, INC. Engineer: Robert Silman Associates, P.C., Greg Sloditski Contractor: JH Construction, INC. Photographer: © Floto & Warner

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2015 Houzz
Contemporary exterior home idea in Dallas

Tuscan exterior home photo in Birmingham

Our cost effective design of a communal kitchen married a neutral color palette with durability for a timeless feel that caters to many tastes.
Example of a small minimalist u-shaped vinyl floor open concept kitchen design in San Francisco with a single-bowl sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, stone slab backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

The existing 1950’s ranch house was remodeled by this firm during a 4-year period commencing in 1997. Following the Phase I remodel and master bedroom loft addition, the property was sold to the present owners, a retired geologist and freelance artist. The geologist discovered the largest gas reserve in Wyoming, which he named ‘Jonah’. The new owners program included a guest bedroom suite and an office. The owners wanted the addition to express their informal lifestyle of entertaining small and large groups in a setting that would recall their worldly travels. The new 2 story, 1,475 SF guest house frames the courtyard and contains an upper level office loft and a main level guest bedroom, sitting room and bathroom suite. All rooms open to the courtyard or rear Zen garden. The centralized fire pit / water feature defines the courtyard while creating an axial alignment with the circular skylight in the guest house loft. At the time of Jonahs’ discovery, sunlight tracks through the skylight, directly into the center of the courtyard fire pit, giving the house a subliminal yet personal attachment to the present owners. Different types and textures of stone are used throughout the guest house to respond to the owner’s geological background. A rotating work-station, the courtyard ‘room’, a stainless steel Japanese soaking tub, the communal fire pit, and the juxtaposition of refined materials and textured stone reinforce the owner’s extensive travel and communal experiences.

Inspiration for a landscaping in Minneapolis.

Example of an eclectic home office design in Boston

Community gardens provide an opportunity for interaction, sustainable agriculture, and education. Photo: Rupert Whiteley
Photo of an eclectic landscaping in Providence.

This large patio cover provides a shaded outdoor seating area for picnic tables. Block column piers support ganged square steel tube columns. All of the rafters are steel rectangular tubes.