ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography

Renovation of row house in historic district of Richmond. New kitchen and floor plan modification, new master bath and closet area, and all new interior furniture and fabric selections. Wood floors and painting was also completed. Exterior involved new fencing and screening. Photos by Suttenfield photography

Ten Shillings Way- exterior, back patio and porch of new residence.
Example of a transitional exterior home design in Charleston

Example of a trendy pool design in Miami

Saturday August 22, 10:00 to 11:30am | Boulder A Virtuous Garden, Far Beyond Form and Emptiness by Martin Mosko and Luke Sanzone of Marpa Design Studio, with David Barrett, Barrett Studio Architects The owner of this fascinating new home and garden worked closely with the landscape architect and architect to create a house, barn, and riding arena that were at once modern, comfortable, warm, and carefully attuned to the natural surroundings. The house was designed with the Japanese principle of “wabi sabi,” the appreciation of beauty in imperfection and the natural cycle of growth and decay. The wood used in the siding was reclaimed from old buildings and combined with native stone. This principle extends into the landscape with the use of old, well-tended trees carefully chosen and trimmed so that the scale of the garden is maintained with the distant views. The clean, simple lines of the patios and the pool, the use of glass and steel, the radial drifts of ground covers, and the small lawn are all part of this aesthetic. All planting is xeric and foliage color was considered as important as the color of the blooms in creating an integrated palette. CoreTen steel edging shapes the landscape close to the pool and patio, while the outer circle of the garden is shaped by land forms. The house and the landscape use similar materials, forms, and colors, making an integrated whole. The result is simple, elegant, and uplifting. Photo courtesy of Marpa Design Studio

Product Needed to Get This Look: Foundation Armor SX5000 Penetrating Water Repellent Sealer
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Inspiration for a large transitional gray two-story mixed siding gable roof remodel in Oklahoma City with a shingle roof

Huge transitional green two-story mixed siding gable roof photo in DC Metro with a shingle roof

Huge farmhouse front porch photo in San Francisco with decking and a roof extension

Example of a large transitional front yard patio design with decking and a roof extension

Mid-sized traditional green one-story concrete fiberboard gable roof idea in Raleigh

The foundation before the natural stone veneer. The new granite steps and landscping - complete with lighting.
Design ideas for a traditional partial sun hillside mulch landscaping in Portland Maine.

Example of a mid-sized classic backyard patio design in Raleigh with decking and a roof extension

Sleeping al Fresco On the second floor, overlooking the forest and lake, each bedroom features a screened-in sleeping porch. It doesn’t take long to get accustomed to listening to the calls of loons or the pitter-patter of rain before a mid-day nap or nighttime sleep.

Landscape Design for new foundation plantings for a 2011-2012 renovation of a mid-20th Century ranch. Photo Credit, MRC Landscape Architecture, 2012.

This is an example of a traditional brick landscaping in Boston.

Ellen Richardson
Mid-sized arts and crafts beige two-story wood gable roof photo in Richmond

This is an example of a large traditional stone front porch design with a roof extension.

Mid-sized transitional yellow two-story wood house exterior photo in Toronto with a clipped gable roof and a shingle roof