Set in a quiet neighborhood and framed by mature trees, this residence presented a unique opportunity: to thoughtfully evolve a custom mid-century modern home into a space that supports the everyday rhythms of a growing family. With a deep respect for the home’s original architecture, Klopf Architecture reimagined the house to better meet the needs of its owners—introducing functional improvements while preserving the spirit and character of its mid-century roots. The clients approached Klopf Architecture with a clear vision: refresh their home while seamlessly integrating new programmatic elements. Key goals included clarifying and enhancing the entry sequence; connecting the detached garage to the main house with a practical yet architecturally intentional intervention; adding functional spaces such as a mudroom and laundry room; expanding and remodeling the primary suite’s bathroom and closet; and creating a more engaging outdoor space that capitalized on the site’s impressive views, featuring a fire pit and outdoor kitchen. As a couple with distinct yet complementary perspectives—one focused on modern functionality and technology, and the other dedicated to preserving the home’s architectural integrity—their collaboration with Klopf Architecture resulted in a solution that harmonized both ideals. Their shared commitment to improving the livability of their home led to a design dialogue rooted in balance. This dynamic partnership shaped the direction of the renovation, ensuring that every decision honored the spirit of the original home while aligning with the practical needs of their growing family. Designing within the constraints of the sloped site posed one of the project’s central challenges. The detached garage sat at a higher elevation than the main house, requiring a solution that ensured architectural and geometric compatibility between the two structures. Rather than create a purely utilitarian link, Klopf Architecture introduced an intentional connection that contributes to the overall architectural language. A notable pinch point in the plan—where differing geometries converged—was treated as a hinge point, turning a potentially awkward juncture into an architectural feature. This area now functions as both a transition and a moment of design interest that unifies the overall plan. The design also addressed the underutilized outdoor area, which was located in a shadowed portion of the site with geometrical limitations. A new connection to the rear deck was created in this same area, making the outdoor space more useful and inviting. Klopf Architecture introduced carefully positioned openings and spatial improvements that forged a strong visual and functional connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. The outdoor area now reads as a deliberate extension of the home, embracing natural light and emphasizing the dramatic views. Working through multiple design iterations, Klopf Architecture crafted a solution that preserved the architectural language of the original home while supporting the functional needs of modern life. The garage-to-house connection became more than a passage—it evolved into an architectural moment of transition. A new mudroom and laundry space enhanced convenience without compromising the clean lines of the design. The primary suite was expanded to create a private, serene retreat. The reimagined backyard, complete with fire pit and kitchen, now plays a vital role in the family’s daily routine and social life. Outcomes and Lasting Impact The result is a home that balances heritage with contemporary design, technical precision with design sensibility. The redesign not only met the clients’ initial goals but also exceeded expectations in its ability to seamlessly blend past and present, function and beauty, making the outdoor kitchen a favorite gathering place. Beyond aesthetics, the renovation has significantly improved daily life for the family. The newly integrated garage connection has streamlined routines, providing a seamless transition between arriving home, storing belongings, and entering the main living spaces. The expanded primary suite offers a retreat-like atmosphere, creating a private space to unwind at the end of the day. The redesigned outdoor areas have also become an extension of their lifestyle—whether it's casual family dinners around the fire pit, entertaining friends in the outdoor kitchen, or simply enjoying the view from the reimagined backyard. Through a thoughtful and strategic approach, the house has been successfully evolved into a home that remains true to its mid-century modern roots while enhancing livability, functionality, and the overall quality of life for the modern-day owners. Klopf Architecture Team: Geoffrey Campen, Fernanda Bernardes Architectural Interior Design: Klopf Architecture Structural Engineer: Base Design Inc. Contractor: Golden Snail Builders Photography: Mariko Reed Year Completed:2022

Italain description: Riqualificazione ambientale-paesaggistica del lago Fontana Primo premio Ex Aequo | Paysage City’Scape Award Menzione speciale | Premio Triennale Fare Paesaggio L’intervento prevede la creazione di un itinerario in dialogo costante con la topografia del territorio che si adatta alla sua naturale configurazione, in modo tale da minimizzare l’impatto ambientale e percettivo. Il frequente alternarsi delle quote di calpestio del terreno ha offerto l’occasione di ottenere una pavimentazione piana continua e di una piccola terrazza panoramica che si colloca circa a metà del percorso. . . . English description: Environmental and landscape renovation of lake Fontana First prize Ex Aequo | Paysage City’Scape Award Special mention | Premio Triennale Fare Paesaggio The intervention involves the creation of an itinerary in constant dialogue with the topography of the area, that adapts to its natural configuration in such a way as to minimize the environmental and perceptive impact. The frequent alternation of the levels of the ground offered the opportunity to obtain a continuous flat pavement and a small panoramic terrace which is located approximately halfway along the route.

YOUNG ARCHITECTS STUDIO COMPETITION PROJECT: Clean Water Workshop PARTICIPANT: Robert Tuñón and Keith Labutta DESCRIPTION: Pittsburgh’s waterways are not polluted because of our industrial past, but because our antiquated infrastructure causes 16 billion gallons of wastewater to overflow into the city’s rivers every year. The built-up shoreline forces rainwater runoff directly into the waterways, and the lack of green space at the rivers’ edge allows for limited natural filtration. There is increased public access and interaction with the riverfront, but recreationalists lack awareness of the unhealthy state of the rivers. As an intervention, the Clean Water Workshop provides a place where every day recreational activities aid in the filtration of rainwater runoff. Collective individuals and teams power a variety of resistance machines to generate the energy used in the water filtration process. To carry out this mission, the highly visible urban void beneath the Tenth Street Bypass will be utilized, as it is a place where a dense roadway system meets a high volume of pedestrian traffic. JURY COMMENTS: The jury selected this project because it addresses a real void with a real solution, addressing a need that exists both recreationally and environmentally. We need attention drawn to clean water and the solution engages the community. It achieves everything we want to do on our riverfronts and makes it fun to participate. This space is very bleak from the other side of the river, yet the solution makes all the space useable and beautifully conveys the aesthetic of Pittsburgh’s riverfronts at night. The project has a totally modern sensibility, done simply and practically, as a celebration of health. It is clearly presented and highly inventive. The graphics are superb.

Built in the mid-1700s, this historic home reflects centuries of evolution, with additions made over time to meet changing needs. While each expansion added to the story of the house, the overall layout had become somewhat haphazard. Our challenge was to bring harmony and cohesion to the home while preserving the character and charm that only a centuries-old property can offer. With deep respect for the home’s architectural roots, we approached the renovation with a focus on thoughtful reconfiguration rather than dramatic intervention—creating spaces that feel intentional, balanced, and true to the original spirit of the house.

Originally built in 1809 and situated on 20+ acres, this country farm house was extensively renovated to serve as a getaway for the owners. With a strong desire to entertain, play, swim and relax, the owners requirement for spatial flexibility provided context for the various design interventions. To make use of the relatively small upper floors of the main house, a new stair tower was created external to the main footprint. Separated by glass and clad in copper the tower modernizes the property while referencing its history. The ground floor restores the historic fireplace and rock walls and is opened to the sprawling hillside, creek and pool through a retractable glazing system. Throughout the project’s interior, are unique moments of mixed materials, pattern and texture. The chef’s kitchen is warmly detailed with glazed tiles, steel and wood and is accented with found relics making up the island. Many of the wood floors, ceilings, and furniture were milled from fallen walnut, oak and elm trees harvested from the property. The guest house is executed in a minimalist Japanese palate and highlighted by exquisite detailing. The garage was rebuilt and expanded with an art studio and work/play space.

This 6-bedroom Baltimore row home's grand exterior overlooks a tree lined street in the historic Bolton Hill neighborhood. The original large pocket doors in the first floor allows for uninterrupted views from the front parlor through the sitting room and into the rear dining room bay window. Penza Bailey Architects provided a complete transformation of the walk out garden level. The entire level was renovated to include a new kitchen, family room, mudroom, playroom, full bathroom and a gracious new stair leading to the upper level. The painted brick and exposed structure expresses the original "bones" of the home, while clearly modern interventions stand in contrast to suit the homeowner’s lifestyle. An alcove on the 1st floor was also renovated to provide a serving pantry and bar. The exterior received restored front and vestibule doors, select window replacements, and new rear french doors, all receiving historical approval.

Photography Robin Hill & Chance Stillman The renovation of this contemporary residence and garden is deeply inspired by its subtropical context, utilizing horizontal lines to ground the home and connect its occupants to nature. When considering how to make the most impactful intervention, the design team focused mainly on horizontal roof planes, subtropical landscaping and an abundance of clerestory windows that would all contribute to the home’s integration with its site. In contrast to the tropes of a Palm Beach traditional vernacular, this home seeks to re-establish itself within nature as a place for a young family. Architectural strategies included dematerializing the surrounding walls and expanding the roof eaves to connect the interior spaces with the surrounding gardens of the home. The site plan is organized around four main pavilions: A bedroom pavilion to the south, a cabana pavilion to the west, a garage pavilion to the north, and a central living pavilion. Each of the three pavilions engage with the central living space while still allowing nature to flow between them. The pavilions are organized around the pool deck, equipped with zero-edge detailing and layered subtropical landscaping. In this way the swimming pool doubles as a recreational component to the program but also as a mirror to expand views and reflect the surrounding landscape. A glass bridge serves as the garden threshold between the garage and the home. The renovated home and garden departs from its former Bahamian style and stands out within the community as a symbol for the future of architecture and landscape architecture within this quiet, ocean-front community. A residence derived from, and in response to, its user and environmental context; thus, re-establishing it with place. Scale 1 ACRE Scope HARDSCAPE, SWIMMING POOL + PLANTING DESIGN Year 2022 Architecture KODA Landscape Architecture LandFluent General Contractor PB Built Landscape Contractor Rood Landscape

landscape architect: David John Bigham photo:Marion Brenner
This is an example of a mediterranean landscaping in San Francisco.

Home design - mid-sized mediterranean home design idea in Miami

The finishes, fixtures and furnishings were selected to brighten, declaratively modernize and enlarge the apartment beyond it’s square footage. Interventions included the installation of an oversized awning window to enclose a previously open terrace. Wall wash lighting to evenly illuminate sharp white walls. Flat front flush doors with invisible hinges to keep walls uninterrupted. Reveal baseboards. Flush outlets. Raw prime 2.5” oak flooring and waterfall tread stair. The saturated colors of the curvilinear, high modernist furnishing and cove lighting, their revolutionary use of resin and performance fabrics, juxtaposed with rustic wood and rush pop, and complete the new ‘gallery’ aesthetic.

Inspired by the multi-functional performance of a shell structure in nature, the design of this two-bedroom, two-bath ADU explored a performance-based roof geometry that becomes the building façade and privacy screen. Coupled with deep roof overhangs, this second skin allows dappled light to penetrate the interior during the day while reflecting the detrimental UV radiation on the southern exposure. The perforations in the second skin are based on the effects of the sun path on the southern exposure and the location of the windows behind the screen. At night, the interior light glows through the perforations, contributing to the name of the project, “LuminOCity”. Orange Coast College and UC Irvine formed a partnership called "Team MADE" to enter the 2023 Orange County Sustainability Decathlon. "MADE" is an acronym for Modular, Affordable Dwellings for the Environment. LuminOCity won second place in the competition and 9 awards in various categories. Following the competition, the home was donated to Homeless Intervention Services, Orange County, where it serves as an ADU on an existing property to provide transitional housing for youth experiencing housing insecurities. This 750sf prefabricated, modular home is built on four, eight foot wide modules that nest together. The building system is predicated on a software-to-manufacturing pipeline called the FrameCAD Machine. This roll-former for light-gauge steel allowed Team MADE to prototype as well as site-manufacture every stud and track in the steel-framed home they would design. Over 100 student volunteers aided in the construction of the steel framing, MEP installation, building envelope, and site work. The use of prefabricated Light Gauge Steel allowed for higher construction tolerances with simplified assembly diagrams that could be followed by student volunteers. Joseph Sarafian, AIA was the lead architect as well as one of four faculty advisors on the project, leading the design of the project from conception to completion.

In the Llubí garden, our landscape design focuses on creating an aesthetic, functional, and sustainable space. We have prioritized water conservation by avoiding lawns and meadows in favor of a large gravel area. Next to the house wall, we have installed gravel stabilizers to create an ideal space for placing tables for breakfast or snacks. This area features an umbrella situated at the highest point of the garden, offering a panoramic view and allowing for full enjoyment of the surroundings. To break the monotony of the gravel, we have introduced islands of rosemary and lavender, alternating these plants in five long and narrow islands, approximately 7 meters by 2 meters each. These plants will grow, partially covering the gravel and providing a contrasting color with the sea gravel. Additionally, we have created five islands of various wildflowers that will grow and cover the ground, serving as points of flowering. In the center of the garden, we have incorporated a fireplace, creating a perfect space for extraordinary moments with family and friends. Around this central area, we have planted three jacarandas, providing points of shade in the garden. The garden’s design aims to be low maintenance, highlighting wildflowers and creating areas with a high density of these plants, which gives the space a wild and natural character. This approach allows for the enjoyment of a garden that reflects natural beauty with minimal intervention.

Peter Vanderwarker
Example of a minimalist gray two-story exterior home design in Boston

A breathtaking, luxury residence in South Florida’s exclusive Cocoplum neighborhood blends clean, contemporary craftsmanship with warmth and comfort. Sanandres completed extensive structural intervention to improve the flow and function of the award-winning residence’s interior spaces.

Refined Continuity: Bridging Classical Architecture and Modern Living This comprehensive remodel of a grand Cow Hollow residence reimagines a historically expressive envelope through a lens of contemporary livability, precision detailing, and material restraint. The design approach carefully balances the home’s classical proportions and ornamental heritage with a refined, modern sensibility—evident in the disciplined palette of warm neutrals, soft plasters, pale oak flooring, and tailored millwork. Circulation has been clarified and subtly expanded to enhance spatial flow, while openings are leveraged to capture light, garden outlooks, and distant water views. Throughout, architectural interventions are executed with a high level of craft, ensuring that new insertions—whether cabinetry, railings, or apertures—read as seamless continuations of the original structure rather than applied elements. The kitchen serves as the operational and visual anchor of the home, conceived as a sculptural yet highly functional environment. Custom rift-cut cabinetry, softened through a desaturated finish, is paired with honed stone surfaces and integrated brass hardware to create a quiet, tactile richness. A monolithic island establishes a central gathering point, while perimeter work zones are carefully layered with concealed storage, integrated appliances, and open, backlit shelving that elevates everyday objects into curated displays. The adjacent bar and entertaining areas extend this language, reinforcing a cohesive hospitality-driven program. In parallel, the primary bathroom is designed as a serene, spa-like retreat, where bookmatched stone, frameless glass enclosures, and finely detailed metalwork converge. The composition prioritizes symmetry, clarity, and light—balancing generous volumes with intimate moments through integrated lighting, custom vanities, and a restrained material hierarchy. The library and ancillary living spaces introduce a more intimate scale, anchored by bespoke built-ins that combine closed storage with illuminated display niches, creating depth and rhythm along the walls. Here, material transitions and furniture integration are handled with particular nuance, allowing the architecture to support both quiet retreat and social gathering. A continuous language of custom railings—executed in refined metal profiles—threads through the interior and extends outward, where the exterior gate and garden elements have been reinterpreted to align with the home’s renewed identity. The entry sequence is now defined by a calibrated interplay of solidity and transparency, with sculptural metalwork and landscape integration establishing a sense of arrival that is both secure and elegant. Collectively, the project reflects a holistic transformation—one that elevates performance, livability, and aesthetic clarity while preserving the inherent dignity of the original architecture.

Inspiration for a contemporary home design remodel in Berlin

We are delighted to have completed the radical transformation of a tired detached property in South Croydon. When they appointed Granit, our clients were living in the property which had previously been divided into a number of flats. The historic sub-division had resulted in an extremely poor use of space with redundant staircases, kitchens and bathrooms throughout. Our clients sought to reconfigure the property back into a single dwelling for his growing family. Our client had an eye for design and was keen to balance contemporary design whilst maintaining as much of the character of the original house. Maximising natural light, space and establishing a visual and physical connection were also key drivers for the design. Owing to the size of the property, it became apparent that reconfiguration rather than extension provided the solution to meet the brief. A metal clad ‘intervention’ was introduced to the rear facade. This created a strong horizontal element creating a visual balance with the vertical nature of the three storey gable. The metal cladding specified echoed the colour of the red brick string courses tying old with new. Slender frame sliding doors provide access and views of the large garden. The central circulation space was transformed by the introduction of a double height glazed slot wrapping up the rear facade and onto the roof. This allows daylight to permeate into the heart of the otherwise dark deep floor plan. The staircase was reconfigured into a series of landings looking down over the main void space below and out towards the tree canopies at the rear of the garden. The introduction of double pocket doors throughout the ground floor creates a series of interconnected spaces and the whitewashed Larch flooring flows seamlessly from room to room. A bold palette of colours and materials lends character and texture throughout the property. The end result is a spacious yet cosy environment for the family to inhabit for years to come.

Located in Monmouthshire, this project consisted of careful conservation and conversion of traditional long barn to provide a family home. Harmoniously using contemporary materials and interventions alongside traditional conservation repair; the end result is a project of national success. Wales continues to promote this project through CADW, as a fine example of good conservation design, as an exemplar welsh project of note.

An elegant, naturalistic composition of faux trees and various plants was designed to adorn the facade of the Madison Avenue storefront of Longchamp, the French luxury fashion company. Undulating woody vines weave in and out of the green wall, forming the underlying armature for a lush tapestry of emergent shrubs, vines, and ferns. Dynamically juxtaposed to the sleek modern architecture of the store, this intervention provides a verdant visual oasis in the urban surroundings year-round, attracting the views of passerbys while also underlining the exclusivity of the Longchamp brand. The second part of this project is a terrace visible from the interior business offices located above the store. Photo credit: Eve K. Tremblay