Photography by Dale Lang
Mid-sized trendy brown one-story wood flat roof photo in Seattle

Located on a corner lot perched high up in the prestigious East Hill of Cresskill, NJ, this home has spectacular views of the Northern Valley to the west. Comprising of 7,200 sq. ft. of space on the 1st and 2nd floor, plus 2,800 sq. ft. of finished walk-out basement space, this home encompasses 10,000 sq. ft. of livable area. The home consists of 6 bedrooms, 6 full bathrooms, 2 powder rooms, a 3-car garage, 4 fireplaces, huge kitchen, generous home office room, and 2 laundry rooms. Unique features of this home include a covered porte cochere, a golf simulator room, media room, octagonal music room, dance studio, wine room, heated & screened loggia, and even a dog shower!

The 1,500 sq. ft. GO Home offers two story living with a combined kitchen/living/dining space on the main level and three bedrooms with full bath on the upper level. Amenities include covered entry porch, kitchen pantry, powder room, mud room and laundry closet. LEED Platinum certification; 1st Passive House–certified home in Maine, 12th certified in U.S.; USGBC Residential Project of the Year Award 2011; EcoHome Magazine Design Merit Award, 2011; TreeHugger, Best Passive House of the Year Award 2012 photo by Trent Bell

10,000 sf driveway paved with GRANITE Historic European Cobblestone, authentic reclaimed granite cobble imported from Europe. (In these photos, snow and wet conditions affect appearance.) Client selected the 5" x 5" granite cobble, sawn at 2" for installation over a driveway heating system.

Glencoe Residence Landscape. Brick Paver Driveway with Bluestone Motorcourt Border, Radiant Snow Melt Heat System, French Inspired Formal Entrance Landscape, Low Voltage Lighting, and Irrigation. Entire property Constructed by: Arrow. Designed by: Marco Romani, RLA - Landscape Architect.

A snow melt system installed below hand set granite pavers, creates a courtyard which is functional and enjoyable throughout the year.
Elegant shed photo in Burlington

Design ideas for a transitional landscaping in Los Angeles.

Mid-sized modern multicolored one-story mixed siding exterior home idea in Salt Lake City

Traditional wood exterior home idea in Birmingham with a hip roof

HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner Permeable Paradise Grand Island, Nebraska Grindstone Hardscapes The goal was to create a maintenance-free system with extreme curb appeal for these homeowners when installing their new driveway, patio, and front entrance. The entire project is permeable and heated, including the front steps. The three piece paver used Gascony Tan for the field to match the home and Brookestone slate for accents. The field was laid at a 45 degree angle to the house, a solution to the road not being square to any entrance on the driveway or walk. The pavers never see the snow or ice on them. Both are drained through the joints as soon as touching the surface. The heat cord had to be fastened to wire mesh on top of the rock base to hold it in place, and then the bedding layer was screeded over it. Traditional paver edging/grid was used on the driveway as an edge restraint, with a decorative concrete curb being laid over top of it, to increase strength and tie it in with the landscapes on the property. Each entrance to the circle drive and to the front door is announced by custom columns built on each side. There are 9 columns total. Each includes four LED low voltage lights for nighttime accent, and one holds a built in mailbox and package delivery shelf. All mail and packages can be picked up right from the car window.

This little white cottage has been a hit! See our project " Little White Cottage for more photos. We have plans from 1379SF to 2745SF.
Example of a small classic white two-story concrete fiberboard exterior home design in Charleston with a metal roof

Susan Teare
Example of a small mountain style two-story wood exterior home design in Burlington

Garage - contemporary one-car garage idea in Los Angeles

Example of a trendy wood exterior home design in Seattle

HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner Permeable Paradise Grand Island, Nebraska Grindstone Hardscapes The goal was to create a maintenance-free system with extreme curb appeal for these homeowners when installing their new driveway, patio, and front entrance. The entire project is permeable and heated, including the front steps. The three piece paver used Gascony Tan for the field to match the home and Brookestone slate for accents. The field was laid at a 45 degree angle to the house, a solution to the road not being square to any entrance on the driveway or walk. The pavers never see the snow or ice on them. Both are drained through the joints as soon as touching the surface. The heat cord had to be fastened to wire mesh on top of the rock base to hold it in place, and then the bedding layer was screeded over it. Traditional paver edging/grid was used on the driveway as an edge restraint, with a decorative concrete curb being laid over top of it, to increase strength and tie it in with the landscapes on the property. Each entrance to the circle drive and to the front door is announced by custom columns built on each side. There are 9 columns total. Each includes four LED low voltage lights for nighttime accent, and one holds a built in mailbox and package delivery shelf. All mail and packages can be picked up right from the car window.

Glencoe Residence Landscape. Brick Paver Driveway with Bluestone Motorcourt Border, Radiant Snow Melt Heat System, French Inspired Formal Entrance Landscape, Low Voltage Lighting, and Irrigation. Entire property Constructed by: Arrow. Designed by: Marco Romani, RLA - Landscape Architect.

This LEED Platinum certified house reflects the homeowner's desire for an exceptionally healthy and comfortable living environment, within a traditional neighborhood. INFILL SITE. The family, who moved from another area of Wellesley, sought out this property to be within walking distance of the high school and downtown area. An existing structure on the tight lot was removed to make way for the new home. 84% of the construction waste, from both the previous structure and the new home, was diverted from a landfill. ZED designed to preserve the existing mature trees on the perimeter of the property to minimize site impacts, and to maintain the character of the neighborhood as well as privacy on the site. EXTERIOR EXPRESSION. The street facade of the home relates to the local New England vernacular. The rear uses contemporary language, a nod to the family’s Californian roots, to incorporate a roof deck, solar panels, outdoor living space, and the backyard swimming pool. ZED’s careful planning avoided to the need to face the garage doors towards the street, a common syndrome of a narrow lot. THOUGHTFUL SPACE. Homes with dual entries can often result in duplicate and unused spaces. In this home, the everyday and formal entry areas are one and the same; the front and garage doors share the entry program of coat closets, mudroom storage with bench for removing your shoes, and a laundry room with generous closets for the children's sporting equipment. The entry area leads directly to the living space, encompassing the kitchen, dining and sitting area areas in an L-shaped open plan arrangement. The kitchen is placed at the south-west corner of the space to allow for a strong connection to the dining, sitting and outdoor living spaces. A fire pit on the deck satisfies the family’s desire for an open flame while a sealed gas fireplace is used indoors - ZED’s preference after omitting gas burning appliances completely from an airtight home. A small study, with a window seat, is conveniently located just off of the living space. A first floor guest bedroom includes an accessible bathroom for aging visitors and can be used as a master suite to accommodate aging in place. HEALTHY LIVING. The client requested a home that was easy to clean and would provide a respite from seasonal allergies and common contaminants that are found in many indoor spaces. ZED selected easy to clean solid surface flooring throughout, provided ample space for cleaning supplies on each floor, and designed a mechanical system with ventilation that provides a constant supply of fresh outdoor air. ZED selected durable materials, finishes, cabinetry, and casework with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and no added urea formaldehyde. YEAR-ROUND COMFORT. The home is super insulated and air-tight, paired with high performance triple-paned windows, to ensure it is draft-free throughout the winter (even when in front of the large windows and doors). ZED designed a right-sized heating and cooling system to pair with the thermally improved building enclosure to ensure year-round comfort. The glazing on the home maximizes passive solar gains, and facilitates cross ventilation and daylighting. ENERGY EFFICIENT. As one of the most energy efficient houses built to date in Wellesley, the home highlights a practical solution for Massachusetts. First, the building enclosure reduces the largest energy requirement for typical houses (heating). Super-insulation, exceptional air sealing, a thermally broken wall assembly, triple pane windows, and passive solar gain combine for a sizable heating load reduction. Second, within the house only efficient systems consume energy. These include an air source heat pump for heating & cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation, and high efficiency appliances. Lastly, photovoltaics provide renewable energy help offset energy consumption. The result is an 89% reduction in energy use compared to a similar brand new home built to code requirements. RESILIENT. The home will fare well in extreme weather events. During a winter power outage, heat loss will be very slow due to the super-insulated and airtight envelope– taking multiple days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. An engineered drainage system, paired with careful the detailing of the foundation, will help to keep the finished basement dry. A generator will provide full operation of the all-electric house during a power outage. OVERALL. The home is a reflection of the family goals and an expression of their values, beautifully enabling health, comfort, safety, resilience, and utility, all while respecting the planet. ZED - Architect & Mechanical Designer Bevilacqua Builders Inc - Contractor Creative Land & Water Engineering - Civil Engineering Barbara Peterson Landscape - Landscape Design Nest & Company - Interior Furnishings Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Nestled into sloping topography, the design of this home allows privacy from the street while providing unique vistas throughout the house and to the surrounding hill country and downtown skyline. Layering rooms with each other as well as circulation galleries, insures seclusion while allowing stunning downtown views. The owners' goals of creating a home with a contemporary flow and finish while providing a warm setting for daily life was accomplished through mixing warm natural finishes such as stained wood with gray tones in concrete and local limestone. The home's program also hinged around using both passive and active green features. Sustainable elements include geothermal heating/cooling, rainwater harvesting, spray foam insulation, high efficiency glazing, recessing lower spaces into the hillside on the west side, and roof/overhang design to provide passive solar coverage of walls and windows. The resulting design is a sustainably balanced, visually pleasing home which reflects the lifestyle and needs of the clients. Photography by Adam Steiner

Mark Compton
Large transitional blue two-story stucco exterior home photo in San Francisco with a metal roof