Nestled into a sloping site, Aman 10 uses the hill’s natural grade to its advantage to capture views, create a daylight basement and control water runoff. A series of sod roofs cascade down the hill, blending the residence into the hillside. Slatted doors and walls create transparency, contrasted by a solid material palette of sandstone, redwood and bronze. Shed roofs define primary interior space joined by flat sod roofs capping transitional spaces. Photo Credit: Roger Wade

Michael Wilkinson Two wine closets flank the door that separates the formal dining room from the new informal family entertaining room. The owner has a large wine collection in off-site storage. He wanted to have access to more bottles at his home. The wine closets act as art and a passageway or transition from the formal are of the home to the informal areas. We built temperature-control wine closets. We used spray foam insulation in the walls, placed tile on the floor, and installed cooling systems with the cooling unit in the basement. Mahogany doors with sidelights and interior lighting for display. The bottles/shelving resemble an art display. We reused the set of arched solid wood doors that had been in the living room. We sent them to our building supplier's wood shop to be hung on a new jamb.

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

RUDLOFF Custom Builders, is a residential construction company that connects with clients early in the design phase to ensure every detail of your project is captured just as you imagined. RUDLOFF Custom Builders will create the project of your dreams that is executed by on-site project managers and skilled craftsman, while creating lifetime client relationships that are build on trust and integrity. We are a full service, certified remodeling company that covers all of the Philadelphia suburban area including West Chester, Gladwynne, Malvern, Wayne, Haverford and more. As a 6 time Best of Houzz winner, we look forward to working with you n your next project.

Christine Dandeneau, AIA Bulter Constructs
Mid-sized country white two-story concrete fiberboard gable roof photo in Raleigh

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

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.

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media

Our inspiration for this home was an updated and refined approach to Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style”; one that responds well to the harsh Central Texas heat. By DESIGN we achieved soft balanced and glare-free daylighting, comfortable temperatures via passive solar control measures, energy efficiency without reliance on maintenance-intensive Green “gizmos” and lower exterior maintenance. The client’s desire for a healthy, comfortable and fun home to raise a young family and to accommodate extended visitor stays, while being environmentally responsible through “high performance” building attributes, was met. Harmonious response to the site’s micro-climate, excellent Indoor Air Quality, enhanced natural ventilation strategies, and an elegant bug-free semi-outdoor “living room” that connects one to the outdoors are a few examples of the architect’s approach to Green by Design that results in a home that exceeds the expectations of its owners. Photo by Mark Adams Media