The new addition required relocating the stair to where the existing library was located. Therefore, we integrated the stair with the library shelving. The top of the stair creates a small bridge that connects the existing second floor bedrooms to the new addition. Photo credit: Benny Chan / fotoworks

The striking form of the addition poetically responds to the practical requirements of the roof area for the photovoltaic panels. Photo credit: Benny Chan / fotoworks

This new penthouse apartment built by BGD&C and designed by Darcy Bonner & Associates was the perfect location for the owner who did not care for the standard level of finishes offered by the developer. Working all together, every inch of the space was designed and engineered with the highest of finishes in mind; rare woods were selected, fully-filled and highly polished; in the full-service Butler’s Pantry, a beautifully cerused oak was used. The real challenge? Working in hi-rises has its quirks, getting the custom 12’ range hood up into the space - the last bit required it to be walked up a fire escape. Photo Credit - Tony Soluri

ELIMINATING ECHOS IN A LUXURY POOL HOUSE Innovative & Unobtrusive Acoustic Treatments Engaged By WSDG-Brasil BELO HORIZONTE, BRASIL: How do you keep your pool house from reverberating like a gymnasium? For the owners of a luxurious villa set amidst of one of Brasil’s most breathtaking landscapes, the views and the pastoral silence were priceless. A wide expanse of windows surrounding the infinite lap pool draw attention to the spectacular mountains and gardens framing this opulent weekend residence. Intrusive echoes of laughter and music were unacceptable. The critical acoustical designs devised by WSDG Brasil for the villa’s home theater and other living spaces were inspired by the firms’ professional recording studio expertise. Inhibiting sound from invading or escaping sensitive listening areas is a WSDG specialty. The enclosed pool and spa area, however presented uniquely troubling waters. Especially challenging was the requirement that the acoustical treatments unobtrusively compliment the sumptuous custom finishes. In addition to the 46’ long, 10’ wide lap pool, the 2100 sq. ft structure includes a gym, Jacuzzi and wet bar, bounded by three walls of double height windows. A movable glass sealing system was installed to maintain interior warmth during the cool, mountain region evenings. Prognosis? Warm, but noisy. Here, professional recording studio design techniques provided solutions. Each window, including an expansive skylight grid comprised of 24 individual 7’x5’motorized Italian glass panels, was fitted with two layers of Clearsorber™ Foil special micro-perforated transparent foil with 1” of air space separating the layers. Mounting the foil layers 2” below the glass skylight insured optimal sound absorption. Developed in Germany, these innovative translucent plastic sheets absorb medium and high frequency reverberation to resolve sonic reflection issues. “We have hung panels of this material in front of glass windows in recording studios,” explains WSDG Brasil, GM Renato Cipriano. “They have proved very effective in helping us ‘tune’ rooms without obstructing views. Now they are proving equally helpful in this residential application.” The foil’s full transparency insures unimpeded views and eliminates traditional pool house reverberation. Happily, the product also serves as a UV ray filtering system. Cipriano reports that special attention was also devoted to the pool house floor which is situated over a large machine room. “A number of generators, pumps and air conditioning units live beneath the pool,” he says. “Thanks to our acoustic treatments, they hum away doing their jobs without making their presence known to the guests.” Morro do Chapeau was designed by celebrated Brasilian architect Eduarda Correa. The extensive A/V installation was designed and installed by Versao Brasileira, a leading Belo Horizonte-based high-end home theater specialist. “We have participated on a number of challenging projects with Versao Brasileira,” Cipriano concludes. “They are extremely knowledgeable and we welcome the opportunity to collaborated with them.” ### Photos: Five views of the Morro do Chapeau pool house in Belo Horizonte, Brasil. All glass windows including the expansive skylight are insulated by a special micro perforated transparent foil to eliminate audio reverberation and also serve as a UV ray filtering system. Please credit photos by Jomar Braganca

This client grew up in this 1950’s family home and has now become owner in his adult life. Designing and remodeling this childhood home that the client was very bonded and familiar with was a tall order. This modern twist of original mid-century style combined with an eclectic fusion of modern day materials and concepts fills the room with a powerful presence while maintaining its clean lined austerity and elegance. The kitchen was part of a grander complete home re-design and remodel. A modern version of a mid-century His and Hers grand master bathroom was created to include all the amenities and nothing left behind! This bathroom has so much noticeable and hidden “POW” that commands its peaceful spa feeling with a lot of attitude. Maintaining ultra-clean lines yet delivering ample design interest at every detail, This bathroom is eclectically a one of a kind luxury statement. The concept in the laundry room was to create a simple, easy to use and clean space with ample storage and a place removed from the central part of the home to house the necessity of the cats and their litter box needs. There was no need for glamour in the laundry room yet we were able to create a simple highly utilitarian space. If there is one room in the home that requires frequent visitors to thoroughly enjoy with a huge element of surprise, it’s the powder room! This is a room where you know that eventually, every guest will visit. Knowing this, we created a bold statement with layers of intrigue that would leave ample room for fun conversation with your guests upon their prolonged exit. We kept the lights dim here for that intriguing experience of crafted elegance and created ambiance. The walls of peeling metallic rust are the welcoming gesture to a powder room experience of defiance and elegant mystical complexity. It's a lucky house guest indeed who gets to stay in this newly remodeled home. This on-suite bathroom allows them their own space and privacy. Both Bedroom and Bathroom offer plenty of storage for an extended stay. Rift White Oak cabinets and sleek Silestone counters make a lovely combination in the bathroom while the bedroom showcases textured white cabinets with a dark walnut wrap. Photo credit: Fred Donham of PhotographerLink

This lakefront home is located on a small plateau in Forest Beach Estates, high above the lake and beach. The design of the home resulted from the Department of Environmental Qualities Critical Dunes Build-able area requirement. The resulting footprint created a flowing curved surface in plan and a curving perimeter that was covered by a curved roof. The views are spectacular from the three viewing levels of this home and allow the plan to provide multiple point panoramic vistas wherever you are in the spaces. We designed this home to be like a land ship with its ports of call the four seasons. Immersed in the waves and the ever changing surrounding landscape of Forest Beach, the beauty and qualities of the outdoor life can quickly transform your view of life. Photo Credit: Jim Yochum

What if your bathroom could be not just lackluster, but a place of real luxury … spacious, fresh, and beautiful? In this project, we gave new life to a bathroom that wasn’t meeting its full potential. This spacious, sunny bathroom’s layout and design were pre-existing, so the space simply needed freshening up. Our team did just that, through the use of careful planning, new materials, and skilled labor. With serenity in mind, we created an oasis, painting and tiling to bring the homeowner’s vision to life. While installing new tile required the removal and re-installation of all plumbing fixtures, the transformation was well worth it. This project is a great example of how choosing materials gives life to a space. Here, the wood-look floor tile, ceramic crackle wall tile, and glass mosaic detail strips join together to create the lush, luxurious look. Once we’d established a new look for the space, we turned our attention to the finishing touches, such as the deep soaker tub, square drain in the standing shower, and stone tops on the vanity and half-walls. These details complete the room, facilitating a sense of ease and tranquility. Sometimes, all it takes is a few changes to yield a fantastic result … in this case, a place of peace in the midst of a wild world. Want to brighten up your home? Contact us; we’re here to help. Photo Credit: Tamara Templeman

S+H Construction and Architect Will Ruhl collaborated to transform and modernize this 3,500-square-foot contemporary home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Doug Hanna of S+H Construction recognized that this building, originally an abandoned municipal garage that was later converted to residential space in the late 1950’s by renowned architect Paul Rudolph, was not a typical project. With evidence of water damage and poor insulation, the goal was to make the house energy-efficient and weather tight home with the help of Zero Energy Design. S+H installed translucent polycarbonate window panels to bring light and warmth to the back room of the house, which was formerly unlivable for several months of the year due to the lack of installation. The improved room now offers heating, cooling, and high density foam insulation, and is now home to the new owners’ extensive book collection. The S+H team also installed triple-glazed, super insulated, sliding glass doors—which required modification of the slab deck and steel trusses—to offer outdoor access for the new residents. Photo Credit: Tony Luong Architects: Ruhl Walker Architects Energy Consultants: Zero Energy Design

Terren Landscapes http://www.terrenlandscapes.com 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential $120,000 & Over Award Level: Silver Project Description: The goal of the Vaccaro project was to change the existing non-functional landscape into multiple entertainment spaces while working within the tight confines of impervious coverage requirements. The project consisted of removing, redesigning and re-installing existing hardscaping, front and rear, reconfiguring the driveway to accommodate more parking, handling storm water on-site, and increasing the aesthetic appeal of the property. The client was remodeling the home in the theme of a rustic French country estate and in our design we endeavored to adhere to this chosen theme. The existing driveway was a circular driveway located off of the main axis of the front door. Reconfiguring the driveway improved vehicular flow, provided additional parking, and reduced impervious space. By consolidating the parking to the side of the house where the garage is located, we maintained the French theme in encouraging arriving cars to pull up closer to the home's entry. We also worked with the architect in the renovation of the home to position the garage windows so that they were placed in the voids of the arbor we constructed over the parking spaces by the garage. The rustic arbor creates a vertical element and delineates the pedestrian walkway from vehicular traffic. The main walkway spans the front of the home so that it extends down to the parking area to guide visitors to the main entrance. To handle the storm water generated by the driveway, we installed a rain garden, which was placed in the front right side yard. The rain garden area was excavated, the soil in the planting areas was heavily amended with compost, sand, and diatomaceous earth, and mostly native plant material was installed to help absorb excess water. In the bottom-most area of the basin filter fabric was laid to help prevent migration of the stone into the soil and decorative stone was spread to slow the flow of water. Storm water is held until it successfully infiltrates the soil, and the plant material provides a natural habitat that supports butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. The existing front patio was removed and the size increased to make the space more functional. To increase function and circulation we worked with the architect to create a dining room that extends to the out-of-doors by adding French doors to the front of the home, which open to the new gravel front terrace. The homeowner desired a planting scheme that would create delineation between the front yard and the gravel terrace without blocking the morning sunlight. To achieve this we chose standardized Physocarpus 'Diablo' to compliment the warm cream-colored stucco of the home and provide structure to the patio space. In the rear of the property we removed the existing brick patio and installed a dry-laid quartzite patio that nicely compliments the cream-colored stucco. We redesigned the rear patio space using 45 degree angles to represent the old French design theory of bisecting spaces with diagonals. Utilizing this design theory created more interesting patio spaces and allowed us to soften the sharp angles by planting the negative spaces between the house and patio. Seat walls were also designed and installed to create more seating without sacrificing impervious space. Per the homeowner's wishes, we also designed a separate area in the rear of the yard for a natural boulder fire pit, which is located along the axis of the kitchen window. Half of the ring utilizes boulders for seating for a small gathering while the other half allowed the homeowner's addition of colorful Adirondack chairs to finish the fire circle. Incorporating the French theme throughout, we also designed and installed a small vegetable garden in the side yard so the homeowner could grow her own vegetables and herbs. Photo Credit: Terren Landscapes

Published in the NORTHSHORE HOME MAGAZINE Fall 2015 issue, this home was dubbed 'Manchester Marvel'. Before its renovation, the home consisted of a street front cottage built in the 1820’s, with a wing added onto the back at a later point. The home owners required a family friendly space to accommodate a large extended family, but they also wished to retain the original character of the home. The design solution was to turn the rectangular footprint into an L shape. The kitchen and the formal entertaining rooms run along the vertical wing of the home. Within the central hub of the home is a large family room that opens to the kitchen and the back of the patio. Located in the horizontal plane are the solarium, mudroom and garage. Client Quote "He (John Olson of OLSON LEWIS + Architects) did an amazing job. He asked us about our goals and actually walked through our former house with us to see what we did and did not like about it. He also worked really hard to give us the same level of detail we had in our last home." “Manchester Marvel” clients. Photo Credits: Eric Roth

Cogs Construction and Design, Inc. was approached by a customer who had a rotten pressure treated deck that needed to be replaced. The homeowners are very environmentally conscious and wanted to do their part to avoid any toxic runoff into the lake their property abutted. The homeowner researched various materials for their project and decided to rebuild with aluminum decking. The aluminum decking was appealing to the homeowners because it will never rot and it will collect the water runoff that can be directed into a trough system. This project had a couple of engineering hurdles; the property was on a severe slope with a failed retaining wall and the upper deck was 16 feet from the ground with very little land from the house and the water. After the structure was rebuilt, we installed the new aluminum decking and railing system. The decking interlocks into one another and creates a dry area beneath the deck when it rains. This product is a great alternative to wood or composite decking for anyone who has a 2nd story deck and needs a dry area below or would like to control water runoff from their deck. Give us a call to discuss the advantages of aluminum decking. photo credit: Cogs Construction

A gorgeous master bathroom vanity made from afromosia veneer and solids. Finished with a durable no VOC waterborne alkyd varnish. At 120" long an integrated steel support was required to support the center. Design by James Steel Architects, Tacoma, WA and Madera Furniture Company. Photo credit Madera.

Who doesn't want one of these? Your own private garden above the world. Planted here with native ground covers and grasses, once established this requires little additional water. Photo Credit: Diane Huntress Photography

This Jersey City, NJ space was the first permanent ‘home’ for the yoga studio, so it was essential for us to listen well and design a space to serve their needs for years to come. Through our design process, we helped to guide the owners through the fit-out of their new studio location that required minimal demolition and disruption to the existing space. Together, we converted a space originally used as a preschool into a welcoming, spacious yoga studio for local yogis. We created one main yoga studio by combining four small classrooms into a single larger space with new walls, while all the other program spaces (including designated areas for holistic treatments, massage, and bodywork) were accommodated into pre-existing rooms. Our team completed all demo, sheetrock, electrical, and painting aspects of the project. (The studio owners did some of the work themselves, and a different company installed the flooring and carpets.) The results speak for themselves: a peaceful, restorative space to facilitate health and healing for the studio’s community. Looking to renovate your place of business? Contact the Houseplay team; we’ll help make it happen! Photo Credit: Anne Ruthmann Photography

Description: This Multi-functional Shoe and Boots Organizer can hold 24 pairs of shoes and 3 pairs of boots. The stylish steel and plastic construction make it sturdy enough to keep all of your shoes organized. Not only is it the perfect space saving solution, but it's a great way to prevent shoe clutter in entry ways! Easy assembly, and no tools required. Dimensions: 28.74 x 12.6 x 38.58 inches Photo Credit: Lambert McOwusu

Published in the NORTHSHORE HOME MAGAZINE Fall 2015 issue, this home was dubbed 'Manchester Marvel'. Before its renovation, the home consisted of a street front cottage built in the 1820’s, with a wing added onto the back at a later point. The home owners required a family friendly space to accommodate a large extended family, but they also wished to retain the original character of the home. The design solution was to turn the rectangular footprint into an L shape. The kitchen and the formal entertaining rooms run along the vertical wing of the home. Within the central hub of the home is a large family room that opens to the kitchen and the back of the patio. Located in the horizontal plane are the solarium, mudroom and garage. Client Quote "He (John Olson of OLSON LEWIS + Architects) did an amazing job. He asked us about our goals and actually walked through our former house with us to see what we did and did not like about it. He also worked really hard to give us the same level of detail we had in our last home." “Manchester Marvel” clients. Photo Credits: Eric Roth

Another large piece that Prairie Architects required was a large community meeting table. This would serve as a meeting space to go over drawings between their team of designers and their clients in a larger group setting. Continuing with the Elm species we created a long flowing Elm top that cascades down on one end acting as one of the legs. We gave the opposing leg in a different folded steel leg detail furthering our angular lines within the designs of the steel work Details: 18′ long x 30″ wide with 1-1/2″ solid Elm top with single cascade. Opposite cascade is a folded raw steel design finished with clear powder coat finish Photo credits: 2017 © Ray Chan Photo, All Rights Reserved

Photo credit Jane Beiles Located on a beautiful property with a legacy of architectural and landscape innovation, this guest house was originally designed by the offices of Eliot Noyes and Alan Goldberg. Due to its age and expanded use as an in-law dwelling for extended stays, the 1200 sf structure required a renovation and small addition. While one objective was to make the structure function independently of the main house with its own access road, garage, and entrance, another objective was to knit the guest house into the architectural fabric of the property. New window openings deliberately frame landscape and architectural elements on the site, while exterior finishes borrow from that of the main house (cedar, zinc, field stone) bringing unity to the family compound. Inside, the use of lighter materials gives the simple, efficient spaces airiness. A challenge was to find an interior design vocabulary which is both simple and clean, but not cold or uninteresting. A combination of rough slate, white washed oak, and high gloss lacquer cabinets provide interest and texture, but with their minimal detailing create a sense of calm.

Birdhurst is a family home in South East London which required an extension for entertaining space. The house also features a large garden which was poorly connected to the interior spaces. WMOR Architects completely redesigned the ground floor to include a flexible kitchen, living area to open into the garden. Accoya was chosen as the ideal material for the extension because of it aesthetic appearance as well as its ability to provide better insulation than other materials. Plus, the owners wanted to use the most sustainable material they could. The Accoya extension which houses the show piece kitchen will be left to weather naturally and match the pale grey flooring. This was specifically designed so that in the summer, when the sliding door completely opens, the interior and exterior space will merge seamlessly. Photo Credits: WMOR Architects