Search results for "Insulation sensitivity" in Home Design Ideas

Color: Naturals-Pazzo
Mid-sized elegant u-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen photo in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, black backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island
Mid-sized elegant u-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen photo in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, black backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Color: Naturals-Flamenco
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless u-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets and an island
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless u-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets and an island

Located in the Perrinville neighborhood of Edmonds, this waterfront project began as a vision for a large addition and attached garage and evolved into a substantial partial rebuild of the existing home. The design goals centered on expanding and modernizing the residence while responding thoughtfully to the site’s sensitive environmental conditions, including a stream, steep slope, and the Puget Sound shoreline with associated buffers. Careful planning ensured compliance with critical area restrictions while maximizing sweeping water views and strengthening the home’s connection to its remarkable setting. The reimagined main floor was designed as an open, light-filled great room organized around a large kitchen and generous entertaining spaces. Expansive glass doors and a dramatic wall of windows frame views of the Puget Sound, creating a seamless indoor–outdoor connection and allowing natural light to fill the interior. A new addition is designed with a two-car garage at the lower level and a primary suite above, designed as a private retreat with elevated views and refined finishes. Sustainability and efficiency were also central goals: the existing foundation and main floor system were salvaged and reused, while rebuilt walls support a modern double shed roofline constructed with SIP panels (Structurally Insulated Panels) over exposed wood beams. The result is a cohesive, contemporary home that balances environmental sensitivity, performance, and waterfront living.
+ Architecture: H2D Architecture + Design
+ Interior Design: H2D Architecture + Design
www.h2darchitects.com
+ Built by: Carlisle Classic Homes
+ Photography: Anastasiya Homes
Find the right local pro for your project

Color: Naturals-Elba
Example of a mid-sized classic living room design in Chicago with beige walls
Example of a mid-sized classic living room design in Chicago with beige walls

Color: Luminaries-Creme-Altea
Mid-sized trendy l-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen photo in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, black appliances and an island
Mid-sized trendy l-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen photo in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, black appliances and an island

Color: Luminaries-Flora
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized traditional l-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen idea in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, black backsplash, black appliances and an island
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized traditional l-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen idea in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, black backsplash, black appliances and an island

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.”
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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

Color: Naturals-Quadro
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless u-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and an island
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless u-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and an island

SLDarch: The shaded Main Entry, tucked deep into the shadows, is approached from a rising stepped garden path, leading up to a gentle, quiet water feature and custom stainless steel, glass and wood pivot entry door...open this and venture in to the Central Foyer space, shrouded by curved concrete & stainless steel structure and orienting the visitor to the central core of this curvaceous home.
From this central orientation point, one begins to perceive the magic and mystery yet to be revealed in the undulating spatial volumes, spiraling out in several directions.
Ahead is the kitchen and breakfast room, to the right are the Children's Bedroom Wing and the 'ocotillo stairs' to Master Bedroom upstairs. Venture left down the gentle ramp that follows along the gurgling water stream and meander past the bar and billiards, or on towards the main living room.
The entire ceiling areas are a brilliant series of overlapping smoothly curved plaster and steel framed layers, separated by translucent poly-carbonate panels.
This combats the intense summer heat and light, but carefully allows indirect natural daylight to gently sift through the deep interior of this unique desert home.
Wandering through the organic curves of this home eventually leads you to another gentle ramp leading to the very private and secluded Meditation Room,
entered through a double shoji door and sporting a supple leather floor radiating around a large circular glass Floor Window. Here is the ideal place to sit and meditate while seeming to hover over the colorful reflecting koi pool just below. The glass meditation room walls slide open, revealing a special desert garden, while at night the gurgling water reflects dancing lights up through the glass floor into this lovely Zen Zone.
"Blocking the intense summer sun was a prime objective here and was accomplished by clever site orientation, massive roof overhangs, super insulated exterior walls and roof, ultra high-efficiency water cooled A/C system and ample earth contact and below grade areas."
There is a shady garden path with foot bridge crossing over a natural desert wash, leading to the detached Desert Office, actually set below the xeriscape desert garden by 30" while hidden below, completely underground and naturally cooled sits another six car garage.
The main residence also has a 4 car below grade garage and lovely swimming pool with party patio in the backyard.
This property falls withing the City Of Scottsdale Natural Area Open Space area so special attention was required for this sensitive desert land project.

Color: Naturals-Creme-Mono
Living room - mid-sized transitional living room idea in Chicago with beige walls
Living room - mid-sized transitional living room idea in Chicago with beige walls

Color: Naturals-Murano
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless living room library remodel in Chicago with beige walls
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless living room library remodel in Chicago with beige walls

Color: Naturals-Castello
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized traditional u-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen idea in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, black backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized traditional u-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen idea in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, black backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Color: Luminaries-Granada
Example of a mid-sized classic l-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen design in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, black backsplash, black appliances and an island
Example of a mid-sized classic l-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen design in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, black backsplash, black appliances and an island

Located in the agricultural outskirts of Grand Junction, this project was designed as a forever home for our client to enjoy the views and live in the heart of her daughter’s ranch. This is the second home on the property, and being sensitive to the existing structures was key to the success of the project. Our client values privacy and maintaining the wide open nature of living within the farm lands that built the Grand Valley. We were able to be mindful of the existing home, as well as the distant neighbors, to create a mountain modern farmhouse, rooted in Grand Junction’s agricultural landscape.
Design Concept
One of the most prominent items on our client’s wish list was an abundance of natural light and a connection to the outdoor spaces. Without any natural features to provide shade to the home, we designed awning features, deep eaves and spacious porches to shield the large expanses of glass from the intense western Colorado sun. We designed well shaded clerestory windows to allow natural light to reach deep into the interior spaces and installed energy efficient, Low-E Weathershield windows to provide year round interior comfort. Our client also valued an open floor plan and durability of materials to make the home as maintenance free as possible. We installed tile flooring throughout for ease of cleaning, installed standing seam metal on the roof for longevity, and fiber cement board siding for durability. It is a harsh landscape in the Western Colorado sun, and we wanted our client’s home to withstand the tests of the desert.
Aging in Place
Because this was designed as a forever home, we used a number of unique design techniques to ensure the home was safe and suitable for aging in place. The most important technique we utilized was designing a “dropped” floor system allowing our floor to be level with the exterior patios. As in all of our homes, we utilized an energy efficient Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) stem wall foundation. This system also allowed us to easily drop our floor joists into it, eliminating any steps, big or small, going into the house. The seamless transitions not only provide safe maneuvering throughout the home, but also a contemporary flair on the farmhouse aesthetic. The positioning of the house relative to the existing home, large expanses of wood plank stamped concrete patios and 3+ foot wide doors throughout are only a few of the other approaches we took to make sure our client was safe and comfortable as they age in this home.

Color: Naturals-Creme-Pazzo
Mid-sized elegant living room photo in Chicago with beige walls
Mid-sized elegant living room photo in Chicago with beige walls

Color: Luminaries-Flora
Mid-sized elegant u-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen photo in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, black appliances and an island
Mid-sized elegant u-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen photo in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, black appliances and an island

Color: Luminaries-Dark-Mono-Massive
Mid-sized elegant living room library photo in Chicago with beige walls
Mid-sized elegant living room library photo in Chicago with beige walls

Color: Naturals-Creme-Fantasie
Example of a mid-sized classic u-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen design in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, black backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island
Example of a mid-sized classic u-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen design in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, black backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Color: Naturals-Creme-Castello
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless l-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite countertops, black backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless l-shaped cork floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Chicago with raised-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, quartzite countertops, black backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Located in the agricultural outskirts of Grand Junction, this project was designed as a forever home for our client to enjoy the views and live in the heart of her daughter’s ranch. This is the second home on the property, and being sensitive to the existing structures was key to the success of the project. Our client values privacy and maintaining the wide open nature of living within the farm lands that built the Grand Valley. We were able to be mindful of the existing home, as well as the distant neighbors, to create a mountain modern farmhouse, rooted in Grand Junction’s agricultural landscape.
Design Concept
One of the most prominent items on our client’s wish list was an abundance of natural light and a connection to the outdoor spaces. Without any natural features to provide shade to the home, we designed awning features, deep eaves and spacious porches to shield the large expanses of glass from the intense western Colorado sun. We designed well shaded clerestory windows to allow natural light to reach deep into the interior spaces and installed energy efficient, Low-E Weathershield windows to provide year round interior comfort. Our client also valued an open floor plan and durability of materials to make the home as maintenance free as possible. We installed tile flooring throughout for ease of cleaning, installed standing seam metal on the roof for longevity, and fiber cement board siding for durability. It is a harsh landscape in the Western Colorado sun, and we wanted our client’s home to withstand the tests of the desert.
Aging in Place
Because this was designed as a forever home, we used a number of unique design techniques to ensure the home was safe and suitable for aging in place. The most important technique we utilized was designing a “dropped” floor system allowing our floor to be level with the exterior patios. As in all of our homes, we utilized an energy efficient Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) stem wall foundation. This system also allowed us to easily drop our floor joists into it, eliminating any steps, big or small, going into the house. The seamless transitions not only provide safe maneuvering throughout the home, but also a contemporary flair on the farmhouse aesthetic. The positioning of the house relative to the existing home, large expanses of wood plank stamped concrete patios and 3+ foot wide doors throughout are only a few of the other approaches we took to make sure our client was safe and comfortable as they age in this home.
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