Our client was drawn to the property in Wesley Heights as it was in an established neighborhood of stately homes, on a quiet street with views of park. They wanted a traditional home for their young family with great entertaining spaces that took full advantage of the site. The site was the challenge. The natural grade of the site was far from traditional. The natural grade at the rear of the property was about thirty feet above the street level. Large mature trees provided shade and needed to be preserved. The solution was sectional. The first floor level was elevated from the street by 12 feet, with French doors facing the park. We created a courtyard at the first floor level that provide an outdoor entertaining space, with French doors that open the home to the courtyard.. By elevating the first floor level, we were able to allow on-grade parking and a private direct entrance to the lower level pub "Mulligans". An arched passage affords access to the courtyard from a shared driveway with the neighboring homes, while the stone fountain provides a focus. A sweeping stone stair anchors one of the existing mature trees that was preserved and leads to the elevated rear garden. The second floor master suite opens to a sitting porch at the level of the upper garden, providing the third level of outdoor space that can be used for the children to play. The home's traditional language is in context with its neighbors, while the design allows each of the three primary levels of the home to relate directly to the outside. Builder: Peterson & Collins, Inc Photos © Anice Hoachlander

Our client was drawn to the property in Wesley Heights as it was in an established neighborhood of stately homes, on a quiet street with views of park. They wanted a traditional home for their young family with great entertaining spaces that took full advantage of the site. The site was the challenge. The natural grade of the site was far from traditional. The natural grade at the rear of the property was about thirty feet above the street level. Large mature trees provided shade and needed to be preserved. The solution was sectional. The first floor level was elevated from the street by 12 feet, with French doors facing the park. We created a courtyard at the first floor level that provide an outdoor entertaining space, with French doors that open the home to the courtyard.. By elevating the first floor level, we were able to allow on-grade parking and a private direct entrance to the lower level pub "Mulligans". An arched passage affords access to the courtyard from a shared driveway with the neighboring homes, while the stone fountain provides a focus. A sweeping stone stair anchors one of the existing mature trees that was preserved and leads to the elevated rear garden. The second floor master suite opens to a sitting porch at the level of the upper garden, providing the third level of outdoor space that can be used for the children to play. The home's traditional language is in context with its neighbors, while the design allows each of the three primary levels of the home to relate directly to the outside. Builder: Peterson & Collins, Inc Photos © Anice Hoachlander

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 in a wooded area in the Pacific Northwest, the 1800 sf Passive Cedar Haus was built as a retirement home. The Artisans Group designed the layout of the home, mindful of aging in place, and working to ensure that the home blended in with the surrounding natural beauty. The project meets a complex program, with an unheated sleeping porch for a master bedroom, a screened porch, a 600 sf caretakers apartment/mother in law unit, large wood shop, plus a two car carport. The home seamlessly integrates a floating cedar tongue and groove roof with large sheltering overhangs, clerestory windows, and language of cedar slats for privacy screens and doors inside and out. The warm, natural materials of wood and cork for the interior palette are punctuated by lively accents and stunning fixtures. This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the main living area, gives an expansive view of the surrounding Northwest forest. The tops of these windows reveal the interior cedar clad and the up-swept soffits on the home’s exterior, creating a floating ceiling effect. Slatted spruce wood fly-overs break up the vertical areas of the great room and define separate areas that would otherwise feel like an overwhelmingly expansive space. Photography by: Cheryl Ramsay of Ramsay Photography

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 in a wooded area in the Pacific Northwest, the 1800 sf Passive Cedar Haus was built as a retirement home. The Artisans Group designed the layout of the home, mindful of aging in place, and working to ensure that the home blended in with the surrounding natural beauty. The project meets a complex program, with an unheated sleeping porch for a master bedroom, a screened porch, a 600 sf caretakers apartment/mother in law unit, large wood shop, plus a two car carport. The home seamlessly integrates a floating cedar tongue and groove roof with large sheltering overhangs, clerestory windows, and language of cedar slats for privacy screens and doors inside and out. The warm, natural materials of wood and cork for the interior palette are punctuated by lively accents and stunning fixtures. This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the main living area, gives an expansive view of the surrounding Northwest forest. The tops of these windows reveal the interior cedar clad and the up-swept soffits on the home’s exterior, creating a floating ceiling effect. Slatted spruce wood fly-overs break up the vertical areas of the great room and define separate areas that would otherwise feel like an overwhelmingly expansive space. Photography by: Cheryl Ramsay of Ramsay Photography

Our client was drawn to the property in Wesley Heights as it was in an established neighborhood of stately homes, on a quiet street with views of park. They wanted a traditional home for their young family with great entertaining spaces that took full advantage of the site. The site was the challenge. The natural grade of the site was far from traditional. The natural grade at the rear of the property was about thirty feet above the street level. Large mature trees provided shade and needed to be preserved. The solution was sectional. The first floor level was elevated from the street by 12 feet, with French doors facing the park. We created a courtyard at the first floor level that provide an outdoor entertaining space, with French doors that open the home to the courtyard.. By elevating the first floor level, we were able to allow on-grade parking and a private direct entrance to the lower level pub "Mulligans". An arched passage affords access to the courtyard from a shared driveway with the neighboring homes, while the stone fountain provides a focus. A sweeping stone stair anchors one of the existing mature trees that was preserved and leads to the elevated rear garden. The second floor master suite opens to a sitting porch at the level of the upper garden, providing the third level of outdoor space that can be used for the children to play. The home's traditional language is in context with its neighbors, while the design allows each of the three primary levels of the home to relate directly to the outside. Builder: Peterson & Collins, Inc Photos © Anice Hoachlander

Mimi, a Gessi collection with soft and sensual feminine curves, and sophisticated architectural lines, speaks a familiar language without being retro. Sketched in sweeping lines that echo classical harmony, and reinterpreted in the signature minimalism of Gessi, Mimi is comfortably at home in today’s transitional, modern and traditional bathrooms. The minimalist Mimi collection comes in chrome and brushed nickel as well as a special 24-karat gold finish tough enough to stand up to use in top hotels around the world. For highest quality and durability, Gessi uses only solid brass for its faucets. Like all the Gessi Collections, Mimi is available with a wide array of matching bathroom fittings including showers, body sprays, tub fillers; and pedestal, vessel and drop-in lavatory sinks. To complete the sophisticated look of the modern bathroom, Gessi offers Mimi accessories such as mirrors, soap and lotion dispensers, benches, towel racks and more. All Gessi products are manufactured in Italy in the company’s environmentally respectful facility, Gessi Park.

Settled into the open prairie space of the residential Watauga, TX neighborhood, the Watauga Community Center looms smaller than it really is. Its design language of stepped clerestory linear windows bring the mass of the gymnasium scale down to a friendly, inviting scale. Architect Eric N. Rohlfing, in collaboration with LBL Architects, designed the 20ksf Watauga Community Center and park master plan. Amenities include: lobby, gymnasium, weight room, multi-purpose room, game room, art-craft-kiln room, classrooms, locker rooms, offices, lobby, exterior walkways, terrace and parking among existing native oaks. The 15 acre park site also features an existing senior center facility and proposed future natatorium, soccer fields and additional parking. The linear organization of the recreation center lobby will link to the future expansion and is abundantly lit with a ribbon of clerestory windows and skylights. The transparency between spaces via glass partitioning, facilitates natural lighting, exterior views, spaciousness, security, and the interconnection of activity between rooms. Likewise, the gymnasium, weight room and control center are also visually connected to each other and to the exterior with north glazing, glass partitions and clerestory windows. Surfaced-ground, exposed aggregate concrete block, brick, aluminum storefront glazing, standing seam galvanized roofing, exposed structural steel, stainless steel hardware, and clear varnished wood millwork comprise the Texas contemporary palette of materials.

Our client was drawn to the property in Wesley Heights as it was in an established neighborhood of stately homes, on a quiet street with views of park. They wanted a traditional home for their young family with great entertaining spaces that took full advantage of the site. The site was the challenge. The natural grade of the site was far from traditional. The natural grade at the rear of the property was about thirty feet above the street level. Large mature trees provided shade and needed to be preserved. The solution was sectional. The first floor level was elevated from the street by 12 feet, with French doors facing the park. We created a courtyard at the first floor level that provide an outdoor entertaining space, with French doors that open the home to the courtyard.. By elevating the first floor level, we were able to allow on-grade parking and a private direct entrance to the lower level pub "Mulligans". An arched passage affords access to the courtyard from a shared driveway with the neighboring homes, while the stone fountain provides a focus. A sweeping stone stair anchors one of the existing mature trees that was preserved and leads to the elevated rear garden. The second floor master suite opens to a sitting porch at the level of the upper garden, providing the third level of outdoor space that can be used for the children to play. The home's traditional language is in context with its neighbors, while the design allows each of the three primary levels of the home to relate directly to the outside. Builder: Peterson & Collins, Inc Photos © Anice Hoachlander

Settled into the open prairie space of the residential Watauga, TX neighborhood, the Watauga Community Center looms smaller than it really is. Its design language of stepped clerestory linear windows bring the mass of the gymnasium scale down to a friendly, inviting scale. Architect Eric N. Rohlfing, in collaboration with LBL Architects, designed the 20ksf Watauga Community Center and park master plan. Amenities include: lobby, gymnasium, weight room, multi-purpose room, game room, art-craft-kiln room, classrooms, locker rooms, offices, lobby, exterior walkways, terrace and parking among existing native oaks. The 15 acre park site also features an existing senior center facility and proposed future natatorium, soccer fields and additional parking. The linear organization of the recreation center lobby will link to the future expansion and is abundantly lit with a ribbon of clerestory windows and skylights. The transparency between spaces via glass partitioning, facilitates natural lighting, exterior views, spaciousness, security, and the interconnection of activity between rooms. Likewise, the gymnasium, weight room and control center are also visually connected to each other and to the exterior with north glazing, glass partitions and clerestory windows. Surfaced-ground, exposed aggregate concrete block, brick, aluminum storefront glazing, standing seam galvanized roofing, exposed structural steel, stainless steel hardware, and clear varnished wood millwork comprise the Texas contemporary palette of materials.

arched passage, carrera marble, dignified, elegantly decorated, family home, majestic, dark wood bar stools, hanging pot rack, transom window, recessed lighting Our client was drawn to the property in Wesley Heights as it was in an established neighborhood of stately homes, on a quiet street with views of park. They wanted a traditional home for their young family with great entertaining spaces that took full advantage of the site. The site was the challenge. The natural grade of the site was far from traditional. The natural grade at the rear of the property was about thirty feet above the street level. Large mature trees provided shade and needed to be preserved. The solution was sectional. The first floor level was elevated from the street by 12 feet, with French doors facing the park. We created a courtyard at the first floor level that provide an outdoor entertaining space, with French doors that open the home to the courtyard.. By elevating the first floor level, we were able to allow on-grade parking and a private direct entrance to the lower level pub "Mulligans". An arched passage affords access to the courtyard from a shared driveway with the neighboring homes, while the stone fountain provides a focus. A sweeping stone stair anchors one of the existing mature trees that was preserved and leads to the elevated rear garden. The second floor master suite opens to a sitting porch at the level of the upper garden, providing the third level of outdoor space that can be used for the children to play. The home's traditional language is in context with its neighbors, while the design allows each of the three primary levels of the home to relate directly to the outside. Builder: Peterson & Collins, Inc Photos © Anice Hoachlander

Sunny Sky Residence, located in Spring, TX, is a refined example of transitional architecture, seamlessly blending timeless materials with clean, modern lines. The façade showcases a balanced composition of brick and stucco, accented by natural wood lintels, contemporary wood box elements, and brick corbel detailing on the gables. Throughout the home, curved design elements, including elegant arches and softened transitions, create a cohesive and sophisticated architectural language that connects every space with intention. The interior layout is designed for both comfort and functionality, featuring a 16-foot-tall living room anchored by a sculptural fireplace and a gracefully curved staircase wrapping around it. The kitchen is defined by a vaulted ceiling and a dramatic arched accent wall that conceals the vent hood, set against a brick feature wall with a large arched window that draws in natural light and extends the material palette from outside to in. Thoughtfully designed amenities, including a wine room, gym, game room, and expansive outdoor living area with pool and summer kitchen, enhance the life style and entertainment appeal. The master suite offers a spa-like retreat with arched framing around the tub, dual closets, and a built-in laundry station. Additional features include a private in-law suite, three-car garage, and a second-floor kids’ wing complete with a reading nook and laundry chute, each detail crafted to elevate everyday living with elegance, comfort, and timeless style.

Sunny Sky Residence, located in Spring, TX, is a refined example of transitional architecture, seamlessly blending timeless materials with clean, modern lines. The façade showcases a balanced composition of brick and stucco, accented by natural wood lintels, contemporary wood box elements, and brick corbel detailing on the gables. Throughout the home, curved design elements, including elegant arches and softened transitions, create a cohesive and sophisticated architectural language that connects every space with intention. The interior layout is designed for both comfort and functionality, featuring a 16-foot-tall living room anchored by a sculptural fireplace and a gracefully curved staircase wrapping around it. The kitchen is defined by a vaulted ceiling and a dramatic arched accent wall that conceals the vent hood, set against a brick feature wall with a large arched window that draws in natural light and extends the material palette from outside to in. Thoughtfully designed amenities, including a wine room, gym, game room, and expansive outdoor living area with pool and summer kitchen, enhance the life style and entertainment appeal. The master suite offers a spa-like retreat with arched framing around the tub, dual closets, and a built-in laundry station. Additional features include a private in-law suite, three-car garage, and a second-floor kids’ wing complete with a reading nook and laundry chute, each detail crafted to elevate everyday living with elegance, comfort, and timeless style.

Custom Architectural Niche: Artistry in the Details A luxury estate is defined by its unique focal points. This custom-built architectural wall niche was designed to transform a hallway or transition space into a private gallery. Featuring a deep, arced wood frame that mirrors the home's timber accents, the niche provides a sophisticated stage for high-value art and collectibles. Craftsmanship Details: Integrated Precision Lighting: A sleek, recessed LED light bar is built directly into the upper arch, providing clean, museum-quality illumination that brings the artwork to life without visible fixtures. Luxury Material Contrast: The dark, textured stone backdrop provides a dramatic contrast to the warm wood grain of the casing, adding depth and a sense of permanence to the display. Seamless Architectural Integration: The niche is built with the same level of precision as the primary cabinetry, ensuring a cohesive design language throughout the entire residence.

Nestled in a wooded area in the Pacific Northwest, the 1800 sf Passive Cedar Haus was built as a retirement home. The Artisans Group designed the layout of the home, mindful of aging in place, and working to ensure that the home blended in with the surrounding natural beauty. The project meets a complex program, with an unheated sleeping porch for a master bedroom, a screened porch, a 600 sf caretakers apartment/mother in law unit, large wood shop, plus a two car carport. The home seamlessly integrates a floating cedar tongue and groove roof with large sheltering overhangs, clerestory windows, and language of cedar slats for privacy screens and doors inside and out. The warm, natural materials of wood and cork for the interior palette are punctuated by lively accents and stunning fixtures. This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the main living area, gives an expansive view of the surrounding Northwest forest. The tops of these windows reveal the interior cedar clad and the up-swept soffits on the home’s exterior, creating a floating ceiling effect. Slatted spruce wood fly-overs break up the vertical areas of the great room and define separate areas that would otherwise feel like an overwhelmingly expansive space. Photography by: Cheryl Ramsay of Ramsay Photography

Sunny Sky Residence, located in Spring, TX, is a refined example of transitional architecture, seamlessly blending timeless materials with clean, modern lines. The façade showcases a balanced composition of brick and stucco, accented by natural wood lintels, contemporary wood box elements, and brick corbel detailing on the gables. Throughout the home, curved design elements, including elegant arches and softened transitions, create a cohesive and sophisticated architectural language that connects every space with intention. The interior layout is designed for both comfort and functionality, featuring a 16-foot-tall living room anchored by a sculptural fireplace and a gracefully curved staircase wrapping around it. The kitchen is defined by a vaulted ceiling and a dramatic arched accent wall that conceals the vent hood, set against a brick feature wall with a large arched window that draws in natural light and extends the material palette from outside to in. Thoughtfully designed amenities, including a wine room, gym, game room, and expansive outdoor living area with pool and summer kitchen, enhance the life style and entertainment appeal. The master suite offers a spa-like retreat with arched framing around the tub, dual closets, and a built-in laundry station. Additional features include a private in-law suite, three-car garage, and a second-floor kids’ wing complete with a reading nook and laundry chute, each detail crafted to elevate everyday living with elegance, comfort, and timeless style.

ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL + CRAFTSMANSHIP: Award of Excellence PROJECT: DISCRETE HOUSE CLIENT: Dino DeConcini, Elizabeth Murfee, and Keith DeConcini ARCHITECTURE FIRM: FOLAN+TRUMBLE ENGINEERS: Harris Engineering Service; PH Mechanical Engineering; Balda Electrical Consulting CONTRACTORS: Steve Hazen, Ltd. PHOTOGRAPHER: Liam Frederick Photography DESCRIPTION: The DISCRETE HOUSE project involved the adaptive reuse of a territorial adobe mud block structure constructed in the 1930s into a permanent residence for retirement for the clients and the accommodation of their adult, disabled son. Each intervention made was human centered and focused on the orientation/re-orientation in response to the needs of the inhabitants, utilizing a language of detailing and materiality that makes clear the distinction between past and present, as well as the integration of strategically placed sustainable technologies such as water harvesting cisterns and a photovoltaic array. JURY COMMENTS: The masterful attention to details and reoccurring themes make for marvelously simple looking spaces with a very sophisticated richness. How the glass, wood, and metal come together is beautiful. The architect and craftsman worked very well together.

Sunny Sky Residence, located in Spring, TX, is a refined example of transitional architecture, seamlessly blending timeless materials with clean, modern lines. The façade showcases a balanced composition of brick and stucco, accented by natural wood lintels, contemporary wood box elements, and brick corbel detailing on the gables. Throughout the home, curved design elements, including elegant arches and softened transitions, create a cohesive and sophisticated architectural language that connects every space with intention. The interior layout is designed for both comfort and functionality, featuring a 16-foot-tall living room anchored by a sculptural fireplace and a gracefully curved staircase wrapping around it. The kitchen is defined by a vaulted ceiling and a dramatic arched accent wall that conceals the vent hood, set against a brick feature wall with a large arched window that draws in natural light and extends the material palette from outside to in. Thoughtfully designed amenities, including a wine room, gym, game room, and expansive outdoor living area with pool and summer kitchen, enhance the life style and entertainment appeal. The master suite offers a spa-like retreat with arched framing around the tub, dual closets, and a built-in laundry station. Additional features include a private in-law suite, three-car garage, and a second-floor kids’ wing complete with a reading nook and laundry chute, each detail crafted to elevate everyday living with elegance, comfort, and timeless style.