For this house “contextual” means focusing the good view and taking the bad view out of focus. In order to accomplish this, the form of the house was inspired by horse blinders. Conceived as two tubes with directed views, one tube is for entertaining and the other one for sleeping. Directly across the street from the house is a lake, “the good view.” On all other sides of the house are neighbors of very close proximity which cause privacy issues and unpleasant views – “the bad view.” Thus the sides and rear are mostly solid in order to block out the less desirable views and the front is completely transparent in order to frame and capture the lake – “horse blinders.” There are several sustainable features in the house’s detailing. The entire structure is made of pre-fabricated recycled steel and concrete. Through the extensive use of high tech and super efficient glass, both as windows and clerestories, there is no need for artificial light during the day. The heating for the building is provided by a radiant system composed of several hundred feet of tubes filled with hot water embedded into the concrete floors. The façade is made up of composite board that is held away from the skin in order to create ventilated façade. This ventilation helps to control the temperature of the building envelope and a more stable temperature indoors. Photo Credit: Alistair Tutton

This image captures the main entry to the home. All of the wood used for the bench on the left came from one large tree that was on-site. It was milled on-site and kiln-dried locally. A lot of this wood was also used on the inside as finish trim... so the tree never really left the site! Also in this image are LED lights and an off-the-shelf ground-face masonry block that is used in a manner that makes the pedestrian material seem rather elegant. The pavers to the left of the walkway leading up to the front door are reclaimed. photo credit: Lara Swimmer

Remodel of a two-story residence in the heart of South Austin. The entire first floor was opened up and the kitchen enlarged and upgraded to meet the demands of the homeowners who love to cook and entertain. The upstairs master bathroom was also completely renovated and features a large, luxurious walk-in shower. Jennifer Ott Design • http://jenottdesign.com/ Photography by Atelier Wong

Reverse Shed Eichler This project is part tear-down, part remodel. The original L-shaped plan allowed the living/ dining/ kitchen wing to be completely re-built while retaining the shell of the bedroom wing virtually intact. The rebuilt entertainment wing was enlarged 50% and covered with a low-slope reverse-shed roof sloping from eleven to thirteen feet. The shed roof floats on a continuous glass clerestory with eight foot transom. Cantilevered steel frames support wood roof beams with eaves of up to ten feet. An interior glass clerestory separates the kitchen and livingroom for sound control. A wall-to-wall skylight illuminates the north wall of the kitchen/family room. New additions at the back of the house add several “sliding” wall planes, where interior walls continue past full-height windows to the exterior, complimenting the typical Eichler indoor-outdoor ceiling and floor planes. The existing bedroom wing has been re-configured on the interior, changing three small bedrooms into two larger ones, and adding a guest suite in part of the original garage. A previous den addition provided the perfect spot for a large master ensuite bath and walk-in closet. Natural materials predominate, with fir ceilings, limestone veneer fireplace walls, anigre veneer cabinets, fir sliding windows and interior doors, bamboo floors, and concrete patios and walks. Landscape design by Bernard Trainor: www.bernardtrainor.com (see “Concrete Jungle” in April 2014 edition of Dwell magazine). Microsoft Media Center installation of the Year, 2008: www.cybermanor.com/ultimate_install.html (automated shades, radiant heating system, and lights, as well as security & sound).

Tricia Shay Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary gray two-story mixed siding house exterior remodel in Milwaukee with a shed roof

Modern glass house set in the landscape evokes a midcentury vibe. A modern gas fireplace divides the living area with a polished concrete floor from the greenhouse with a gravel floor. The frame is painted steel with aluminum sliding glass door. The front features a green roof with native grasses and the rear is covered with a glass roof. Photo by: Gregg Shupe Photography

The entire house was gutted while retaining the perimeter concrete block walls and the basic footprint. The existing entry courtyard was enclosed to create an expanded family room/kitchen. A smaller entry courtyard was created beneath the canopy of the new cantilevered roof and a dramatic view of the pines and sky can be seen through the oculus. / photo: Dave Koga and Andrew Goeser

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.

The entire composition is tied together by a rich and elegant material palette that includes steel-troweled stucco, exposed concrete block, stainless steel railings, walnut millwork, cast glass partitions and Rheinzink. (Photo: Matthew Millman)

The original house was a nondescript green stucco box with a low hip roof. To create architectural interest and dimension, we added the shed dormer and the pilasters, extended the front eaves to capture the pilasters, and we built the block wall with horizontal rails. The shed dormer adds height and depth to the hip roof, which would otherwise be too plain. It was difficult to find any inspiration photos for a modern house with a hip roof and shed dormer. After a couple mock-ups, we refined the dormer slope and proportions to work well with the rest of the design. Most of the house's cladding is the wide gray lap siding. White stucco with a smooth Santa Barbara finish and the white flush panel garage door provide a strong contrast. Thanks to Architect Marc Fredrickson for the inspiration sketches that evolved into the final exterior design.

This concrete block wall adds privacy and depth to the house. The straight stack pattern is more modern than a traditional brick offset pattern. The horizontal rails break up what would otherwise be a solid wall. The wall was designed to jog at the corner of the driveway to comply with San Diego visibility triangle requirements (maximum 3 ft height within the triangle).

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary beige two-story mixed siding exterior home remodel in Dallas

Buried eight feet into the solid rock, the master bedroom is the coolest room in the house, maintaining stable temperatures all day and all year long. The retaining wall itself is make with a PISE technique - crushed rock shot against the bank using the tools and techniques of the swimming pool trade. Architect : Juliet Hsu Photo : Mark Luthringer

Jeri Koegel
Trendy open staircase photo in Orange County

Designed as gallery, studio, and residence for an artist, this house takes inspiration from the owner’s love of cubist art. The program includes an upper level studio with ample north light, access to outdoor decks to the north and south, which offer panoramic views of East Austin. A gallery is housed on the main floor. A cool, monochromatic palette and spare aesthetic defines interior and exterior, schewing, at the owner’s request, any warming elements to provide a neutral backdrop for her art collection. Thus, finishes were selected to recede as well as for their longevity and low life scycle costs. Stair rails are steel, floors are sealed concrete and the base trim clear aluminum. Where walls are not exposed CMU, they are painted white. By design, the fireplace provides a singular source of warmth, the gas flame emanating from a bed of crushed glass, surrounded on three sides by a polished concrete hearth.

Modern glass house set in the landscape evokes a midcentury vibe. A modern gas fireplace divides the living area with a polished concrete floor from the greenhouse with a gravel floor. The frame is painted steel with aluminum sliding glass door. The front features a green roof with native grasses and the rear is covered with a glass roof. Photo by: Gregg Shupe Photography

Modern glass house set in the landscape evokes a midcentury vibe. A modern gas fireplace divides the living area with a polished concrete floor from the greenhouse with a gravel floor. The frame is painted steel with aluminum sliding glass door. The front features a green roof with native grasses and the rear is covered with a glass roof. Photo by: Gregg Shupe Photography

This vacation residence located in a beautiful ocean community on the New England coast features high performance and creative use of space in a small package. ZED designed the simple, gable-roofed structure and proposed the Passive House standard. The resulting home consumes only one-tenth of the energy for heating compared to a similar new home built only to code requirements. Architecture | ZeroEnergy Design Construction | Aedi Construction Photos | Greg Premru Photography

Positioned on a bluff this house looks out to the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area and to Mount Hood beyond. It provides a year-round gathering place for a mid-west couple, their dispersed families and friends. Attention was given to views and balancing openness and privacy. Common spaces are generous and allow for the interactions of multiple groups. These areas take in the long, dramatic views and open to exterior porches and terraces. Bedrooms are intimate but are open to natural light and ventilation. The materials are basic: salvaged barn timber from the early 1900’s, stucco on Rastra Block, stone fireplace & garden walls and concrete counter tops & radiant concrete floors. Generous porches are open to the breeze and provide protection from rain and summer heat. Bruce Forster Photography