When a world class sailing champion approached us to design a Newport home for his family, with lodging for his sailing crew, we set out to create a clean, light-filled modern home that would integrate with the natural surroundings of the waterfront property, and respect the character of the historic district. Our approach was to make the marine landscape an integral feature throughout the home. One hundred eighty degree views of the ocean from the top floors are the result of the pinwheel massing. The home is designed as an extension of the curvilinear approach to the property through the woods and reflects the gentle undulating waterline of the adjacent saltwater marsh. Floodplain regulations dictated that the primary occupied spaces be located significantly above grade; accordingly, we designed the first and second floors on a stone “plinth” above a walk-out basement with ample storage for sailing equipment. The curved stone base slopes to grade and houses the shallow entry stair, while the same stone clads the interior’s vertical core to the roof, along which the wood, glass and stainless steel stair ascends to the upper level. One critical programmatic requirement was enough sleeping space for the sailing crew, and informal party spaces for the end of race-day gatherings. The private master suite is situated on one side of the public central volume, giving the homeowners views of approaching visitors. A “bedroom bar,” designed to accommodate a full house of guests, emerges from the other side of the central volume, and serves as a backdrop for the infinity pool and the cove beyond. Also essential to the design process was ecological sensitivity and stewardship. The wetlands of the adjacent saltwater marsh were designed to be restored; an extensive geo-thermal heating and cooling system was implemented; low carbon footprint materials and permeable surfaces were used where possible. Native and non-invasive plant species were utilized in the landscape. The abundance of windows and glass railings maximize views of the landscape, and, in deference to the adjacent bird sanctuary, bird-friendly glazing was used throughout. Photo: Michael Moran/OTTO Photography

This historic 1840’s Gothic Revival home perched on the harbor, presented an array of challenges: they included a narrow-restricted lot cozy to the neighboring properties, a sensitive coastal location, and a structure desperately in need of major renovations. The renovation concept respected the historic notion of individual rooms and connecting hallways, yet wanted to take better advantage of water views. The solution was an expansion of windows on the water siding of the house, and a small addition that incorporates an open kitchen/family room concept, the street face of the home was historically preserved. The interior of the home has been completely refreshed, bringing in a combined reflection of art and family history with modern fanciful choices. Adds testament to the successful renovation, the master bathroom has been described as “full of rainbows” in the morning.

A new-build, replacement dwelling in a sensitive green belt location, designed to take advantage of the countryside setting and views. By capitalising on volume increases to the existing dwelling through a series of incremental Permitted Development schemes, the home better suits its site and context. By raising a previously ground bearing floor area into a cantilever it can now encapsulate long ranging views from the master bedroom. To create a contemporary rural aesthetic the materials include a zinc roof, pre-weathered burnt timber cladding and brick. Landscaping has been designed by renowned British Garden Designer Andy Sturgeon who created three distinct gardens: a wild flower walk to the pool, a formal crescent-shaped striped lawn and south-facing gravel garden. The garden takes advantage of views across the Thames valley to Hedsor House and Cliveden, as a result of it being elevated and levelled with excavation material from the basement.

This historic 1840’s Gothic Revival home perched on the harbor, presented an array of challenges: they included a narrow-restricted lot cozy to the neighboring properties, a sensitive coastal location, and a structure desperately in need of major renovations. The renovation concept respected the historic notion of individual rooms and connecting hallways, yet wanted to take better advantage of water views. The solution was an expansion of windows on the water siding of the house, and a small addition that incorporates an open kitchen/family room concept, the street face of the home was historically preserved. The interior of the home has been completely refreshed, bringing in a combined reflection of art and family history with modern fanciful choices. Adds testament to the successful renovation, the master bathroom has been described as “full of rainbows” in the morning.

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.

Timeless, Inspired, Elegant design by O'Neil Architecture
Trendy exterior home photo in Christchurch

Design work for this eclectic 1900’s home in Maplewood started with making infrastructure improvements throughout the house. The new owners wanted systems that would be energy efficient and ecologically friendly. We installed a very high efficiency HVAC system, replaced the piping and plumbing throughout, and specified new super high efficiency windows. Other exterior improvements included new leaders and gutters, insulation, and new siding in some locations. These upgrades were balanced with maintaining as many as the original details of the house as possible. When you walk into the house, you still sense the original character and charm of the house, but are surrounded by modern amenities and environmentally sensitive finishes. Specific renovations include updated and reconfigured bathrooms throughout, a new kitchen, finishing of the basement, and repurposing of several rooms so the house would have better flow. In 2011 the family moved back to New York City, and new owners purchased this Maplewood home. We had the pleaser of working with them to design further improvements to the house necessitated by their growing family. We added a porte cochere, a family-room, and increased the ceiling height in their master bedroom. These improvements augmented our design work previously completed in 2008, and the house continues to be a blend of traditional old-house details with modern, contemporary furnishings that perfectly suite a family with young children.

Trendy bedroom photo in San Francisco

Contractor: David Clough Photographer: Dan Gair/Blind Dog Photo, Inc. This period home straddles two centuries and dual roles. As the home for the headmaster of an independent high school, it is also considered a school asset as a facility for visitors. Formal details define the public rooms that accommodate school functions. A ground-floor guest suite hosts campus visitors. The catering-quality kitchen, like a hinge, connects the intimate living quarters to formal spaces. The heart of their family sanctuary is the great room just beyond the kitchen. The headmaster holds occasional student classes in his living room, connecting students to this campus legacy. He and his wife can see the front door of the main building from his upstairs window. Boundaries between public and private life are sensitively articulated throughout.

The Gun Lake Residence replaces a small, aging, existing house located on a narrow peninsula on Gun Lake, in west Michigan. The peninsula is neatly populated with century-old homes that quietly occupy this uncommon setting. The project site offers extraordinary views of the water in multiple directions and extends to the east with open space, bordering on an historic, 19th-century community ice house. A primary project goal was to reimagine the relationship of the house to its surroundings while remaining sensitive to the communal context of the neighboring properties. The design seed of the new project included rotating the footprint of the existing house 90 degrees to open the long side of the home toward the lake, maximizing views and gaining optimal benefit of the linear site. Drawing inspiration from the traditional lake vernacular of the neighboring houses, the two principal roof forms of the new house reciprocate the setting -- the modern, clean lines of the upper gable roof upholds the clarity and tradition of the neighborhood, while the lower roof mimics the extension of the landscape and invites improvisational use. The horizontal flat roof allows use of the deck in all weather and cantilevers the most used public spaces into the landscape in a band of captured horizontal space. A wood-clad retaining wall refines a cut into the earth and harbors a transitional, outdoor room between the water and the basement. At 2200 finished square feet, the conditioned building envelope is compact. And like the exterior, the interior form responds directly to its use. The upper floor is a monastic repetition of modest sleeping cells and bathrooms with unique directional views, combined with a grand central stair and master bedroom at each corner that captures myriad views of the water, over the trees, in all directions. The main floor utilizes a core of small, functional spaces to shield the adjacent road, and forms a backdrop to the open interior spaces. Aided by the reaching, cedar-bellied roof, the living, dining, and kitchen spaces spill to the outdoors through an unusually porous exterior wall. Three sliding glass doors–including one at 20 feet wide–and a finished, surrounding ground plane cohere the landscape to the main living level. Super-insulated wood-framed walls, triple-paned aluminum-clad wood windows, and a structurally insulated roof panels make-up the core of the building envelope, and additional exterior high-performance design features include geothermal heating/cooling and a green roof. Cementitious lap siding, concrete panels, hardwood decking, cedar soffits, and river rock comprise the exterior finish. In addition to cedar ceilings, interior finishes include porcelain ceramic tile, cork flooring, tight pile wool carpet, and neutral painted walls -- designed in quiet tones to highlight the most important interior ingredient: views outside.

Built in the small eco-sensitive beachfront community of Punto Chivato near Mulege in Baja California, this artists' home was designed with an open plan that provides year-round connectivity to the outdoors. Staggered roofs shade the home's interior from direct sun while facilitating natural light and cross-ventilation. Design features include a partially covered sunroof over the master bedroom that affords outstanding views of the Sea of Cortez, a covered outdoor dining room, and an extensive trellis along the home's south side. The residence generates 100 percent of its electricity through a rooftop solar electric system with battery storage. Nathan Good

A new-build, replacement dwelling in a sensitive green belt location, designed to take advantage of the countryside setting and views. By capitalising on volume increases to the existing dwelling through a series of incremental Permitted Development schemes, the home better suits its site and context. By raising a previously ground bearing floor area into a cantilever it can now encapsulate long ranging views from the master bedroom. To create a contemporary rural aesthetic the materials include a zinc roof, pre-weathered burnt timber cladding and brick. Landscaping has been designed by renowned British Garden Designer Andy Sturgeon who created three distinct gardens: a wild flower walk to the pool, a formal crescent-shaped striped lawn and south-facing gravel garden. The garden takes advantage of views across the Thames valley to Hedsor House and Cliveden, as a result of it being elevated and levelled with excavation material from the basement.

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.

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.

A new-build, replacement dwelling in a sensitive green belt location, designed to take advantage of the countryside setting and views. By capitalising on volume increases to the existing dwelling through a series of incremental Permitted Development schemes, the home better suits its site and context. By raising a previously ground bearing floor area into a cantilever it can now encapsulate long ranging views from the master bedroom. To create a contemporary rural aesthetic the materials include a zinc roof, pre-weathered burnt timber cladding and brick. Landscaping has been designed by renowned British Garden Designer Andy Sturgeon who created three distinct gardens: a wild flower walk to the pool, a formal crescent-shaped striped lawn and south-facing gravel garden. The garden takes advantage of views across the Thames valley to Hedsor House and Cliveden, as a result of it being elevated and levelled with excavation material from the basement.

When a world class sailing champion approached us to design a Newport home for his family, with lodging for his sailing crew, we set out to create a clean, light-filled modern home that would integrate with the natural surroundings of the waterfront property, and respect the character of the historic district. Our approach was to make the marine landscape an integral feature throughout the home. One hundred eighty degree views of the ocean from the top floors are the result of the pinwheel massing. The home is designed as an extension of the curvilinear approach to the property through the woods and reflects the gentle undulating waterline of the adjacent saltwater marsh. Floodplain regulations dictated that the primary occupied spaces be located significantly above grade; accordingly, we designed the first and second floors on a stone “plinth” above a walk-out basement with ample storage for sailing equipment. The curved stone base slopes to grade and houses the shallow entry stair, while the same stone clads the interior’s vertical core to the roof, along which the wood, glass and stainless steel stair ascends to the upper level. One critical programmatic requirement was enough sleeping space for the sailing crew, and informal party spaces for the end of race-day gatherings. The private master suite is situated on one side of the public central volume, giving the homeowners views of approaching visitors. A “bedroom bar,” designed to accommodate a full house of guests, emerges from the other side of the central volume, and serves as a backdrop for the infinity pool and the cove beyond. Also essential to the design process was ecological sensitivity and stewardship. The wetlands of the adjacent saltwater marsh were designed to be restored; an extensive geo-thermal heating and cooling system was implemented; low carbon footprint materials and permeable surfaces were used where possible. Native and non-invasive plant species were utilized in the landscape. The abundance of windows and glass railings maximize views of the landscape, and, in deference to the adjacent bird sanctuary, bird-friendly glazing was used throughout. Photo: Michael Moran/OTTO Photography

The Gun Lake Residence replaces a small, aging, existing house located on a narrow peninsula on Gun Lake, in west Michigan. The peninsula is neatly populated with century-old homes that quietly occupy this uncommon setting. The project site offers extraordinary views of the water in multiple directions and extends to the east with open space, bordering on an historic, 19th-century community ice house. A primary project goal was to reimagine the relationship of the house to its surroundings while remaining sensitive to the communal context of the neighboring properties. The design seed of the new project included rotating the footprint of the existing house 90 degrees to open the long side of the home toward the lake, maximizing views and gaining optimal benefit of the linear site. Drawing inspiration from the traditional lake vernacular of the neighboring houses, the two principal roof forms of the new house reciprocate the setting -- the modern, clean lines of the upper gable roof upholds the clarity and tradition of the neighborhood, while the lower roof mimics the extension of the landscape and invites improvisational use. The horizontal flat roof allows use of the deck in all weather and cantilevers the most used public spaces into the landscape in a band of captured horizontal space. A wood-clad retaining wall refines a cut into the earth and harbors a transitional, outdoor room between the water and the basement. At 2200 finished square feet, the conditioned building envelope is compact. And like the exterior, the interior form responds directly to its use. The upper floor is a monastic repetition of modest sleeping cells and bathrooms with unique directional views, combined with a grand central stair and master bedroom at each corner that captures myriad views of the water, over the trees, in all directions. The main floor utilizes a core of small, functional spaces to shield the adjacent road, and forms a backdrop to the open interior spaces. Aided by the reaching, cedar-bellied roof, the living, dining, and kitchen spaces spill to the outdoors through an unusually porous exterior wall. Three sliding glass doors–including one at 20 feet wide–and a finished, surrounding ground plane cohere the landscape to the main living level. Super-insulated wood-framed walls, triple-paned aluminum-clad wood windows, and a structurally insulated roof panels make-up the core of the building envelope, and additional exterior high-performance design features include geothermal heating/cooling and a green roof. Cementitious lap siding, concrete panels, hardwood decking, cedar soffits, and river rock comprise the exterior finish. In addition to cedar ceilings, interior finishes include porcelain ceramic tile, cork flooring, tight pile wool carpet, and neutral painted walls -- designed in quiet tones to highlight the most important interior ingredient: views outside.

Design work for this eclectic 1900’s home in Maplewood started with making infrastructure improvements throughout the house. The new owners wanted systems that would be energy efficient and ecologically friendly. We installed a very high efficiency HVAC system, replaced the piping and plumbing throughout, and specified new super high efficiency windows. Other exterior improvements included new leaders and gutters, insulation, and new siding in some locations. These upgrades were balanced with maintaining as many as the original details of the house as possible. When you walk into the house, you still sense the original character and charm of the house, but are surrounded by modern amenities and environmentally sensitive finishes. Specific renovations include updated and reconfigured bathrooms throughout, a new kitchen, finishing of the basement, and repurposing of several rooms so the house would have better flow. In 2011 the family moved back to New York City, and new owners purchased this Maplewood home. We had the pleaser of working with them to design further improvements to the house necessitated by their growing family. We added a porte cochere, a family-room, and increased the ceiling height in their master bedroom. These improvements augmented our design work previously completed in 2008, and the house continues to be a blend of traditional old-house details with modern, contemporary furnishings that perfectly suite a family with young children.

A new-build, replacement dwelling in a sensitive green belt location, designed to take advantage of the countryside setting and views. By capitalising on volume increases to the existing dwelling through a series of incremental Permitted Development schemes, the home better suits its site and context. By raising a previously ground bearing floor area into a cantilever it can now encapsulate long ranging views from the master bedroom. To create a contemporary rural aesthetic the materials include a zinc roof, pre-weathered burnt timber cladding and brick. Landscaping has been designed by renowned British Garden Designer Andy Sturgeon who created three distinct gardens: a wild flower walk to the pool, a formal crescent-shaped striped lawn and south-facing gravel garden. The garden takes advantage of views across the Thames valley to Hedsor House and Cliveden, as a result of it being elevated and levelled with excavation material from the basement.