Photography by Braden Gunem Project by Studio H:T principal in charge Brad Tomecek (now with Tomecek Studio Architecture). This project questions the need for excessive space and challenges occupants to be efficient. Two shipping containers saddlebag a taller common space that connects local rock outcroppings to the expansive mountain ridge views. The containers house sleeping and work functions while the center space provides entry, dining, living and a loft above. The loft deck invites easy camping as the platform bed rolls between interior and exterior. The project is planned to be off-the-grid using solar orientation, passive cooling, green roofs, pellet stove heating and photovoltaics to create electricity.

Common elderberry blossom in early June in central Maryland. Curtis Adams, 2015
This is an example of a rustic landscaping in DC Metro.

Houzz@bricksinc.net produced these images of a custom single family home in Chicago, IL. The 100% reclaimed Chicago Common brick color is "CLAY BUFF" and we have plenty available in face brick and thin brick (tile).

A neighborly Andrena (Andrena vicina) visits common blue violet (Viola sororia) — a good reminder that even commonly-occurring plants such as violets can provide forage for bees, especially in early spring.

North Loop trail east of Mummy Mountain, Spring Mountains, southern Nevada (elev. about 2700 m) Bridge Penstemon / Penstemon rostriflorus Photo: Stan Shebs, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

What is an ADU: Accessory Dwelling Units: An accessory dwelling unit, usually just called an ADU, is a secondary housing unit on a single-family residential lot. The term “accessory dwelling unit” is a institutional-sounding name, but it’s the most commonly-used term across the country to describe this type of housing. While the full name is a mouthful, the shorthand “ADU” is better. ADUs vary in their physical form quite a bit, as there are detached ADU, attached ADU, second story ADU (above garage or work shop), addition ADU, internal ADU. IMPORTANT: There’s simply too few permitted ADUs to make a real difference in the housing stock. But, even if they aren’t going to solve all a city’s problems, they may help homeowners solve some of their problems. The most common motivation for ADU development is rental income potential, followed by the prospect of flexible living space for multigenerational households. We at FIDELITY GENERAL CONTRACTORS, providing a single point of contact to homeowners interested in this product, from conceptual stage including plans, city legwork, project managing of the construction stage including assistance with material purchase and other coordination, all the way to completion. (this project showcases a detached ADU, 400 SQ.)

Stylophorum Diphyllum / Celandine Poppy Photo: wplynn, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic
This is an example of a landscaping in Other.

Northern Sea Oats / Chasmanthium latifolium Photo: Aaron Carlson, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic
This is an example of a landscaping in Other.

Photo: Flickr user echoe69, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

Common checkered skipper butterfly (Pyrgus communis) on California native Bur marigold (Bidens laevis). Photo by Pete Veilleux
Inspiration for a landscaping in San Francisco.

Our client had been living in her beautiful lakeside retreat for about 3 years. All around were stunning views of the lake and mountains, but the view from inside was minimal. It felt dark and closed off from the gorgeous waterfront mere feet away. She desired a bigger kitchen, natural light, and a contemporary look. Referred to JRP by a subcontractor our client walked into the showroom one day, took one look at the modern kitchen in our design center, and was inspired! After talking about the frustrations of dark spaces and limitations when entertaining groups of friends, the homeowner and the JRP design team emerged with a new vision. Two walls between the living room and kitchen would be eliminated and structural revisions were needed for a common wall shared a wall with a neighbor. With the wall removals and the addition of multiple slider doors, the main level now has an open layout. Everything in the home went from dark to luminous as sunlight could now bounce off white walls to illuminate both spaces. Our aim was to create a beautiful modern kitchen which fused the necessities of a functional space with the elegant form of the contemporary aesthetic. The kitchen playfully mixes frameless white upper with horizontal grain oak lower cabinets and a fun diagonal white tile backsplash. Gorgeous grey Cambria quartz with white veining meets them both in the middle. The large island with integrated barstool area makes it functional and a great entertaining space. The master bedroom received a mini facelift as well. White never fails to give your bedroom a timeless look. The beautiful, bright marble shower shows what's possible when mixing tile shape, size, and color. The marble mosaic tiles in the shower pan are especially bold paired with black matte plumbing fixtures and gives the shower a striking visual. Layers, light, consistent intention, and fun! - paired with beautiful, unique designs and a personal touch created this beautiful home that does not go unnoticed.   PROJECT DETAILS: • Style: Contemporary • Colors: Neutrals • Countertops: Cambria Quartz, Luxury Series, Queen Anne • Kitchen Cabinets: Slab, Overlay Frameless Uppers: Blanco Base: Horizontal Grain Oak • Hardware/Plumbing Fixture Finish: Kitchen – Stainless Steel • Lighting Fixtures: • Flooring: Hardwood: Siberian Oak with Fossil Stone finish • Tile/Backsplash: Kitchen Backsplash: White/Clear Glass Master Bath Floor: Ann Sacks Benton Mosaics Marble Master Bath Surround: Ann Sacks White Thassos Marble Photographer: Andrew – Open House VC

Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture, via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-2.0 Generic
Photo of a landscaping in Other.

Great Blue Lobelia / Lobelia siphilitica Photo: rockerBOO, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution- ShareAlike 2.0 Generic
Photo of a landscaping in Other.

Complete overhaul of the common area in this wonderful Arcadia home. The living room, dining room and kitchen were redone. The direction was to obtain a contemporary look but to preserve the warmth of a ranch home. The perfect combination of modern colors such as grays and whites blend and work perfectly together with the abundant amount of wood tones in this design. The open kitchen is separated from the dining area with a large 10' peninsula with a waterfall finish detail. Notice the 3 different cabinet colors, the white of the upper cabinets, the Ash gray for the base cabinets and the magnificent olive of the peninsula are proof that you don't have to be afraid of using more than 1 color in your kitchen cabinets. The kitchen layout includes a secondary sink and a secondary dishwasher! For the busy life style of a modern family. The fireplace was completely redone with classic materials but in a contemporary layout. Notice the porcelain slab material on the hearth of the fireplace, the subway tile layout is a modern aligned pattern and the comfortable sitting nook on the side facing the large windows so you can enjoy a good book with a bright view. The bamboo flooring is continues throughout the house for a combining effect, tying together all the different spaces of the house. All the finish details and hardware are honed gold finish, gold tones compliment the wooden materials perfectly.

Carolina Allspice (Calycanthus floridus). Photo: Flickr user Dendroica cerulea, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution- 2.0 Generic
This is an example of a large landscaping in Other for summer.

Fruit de Ribes sanguineum. Photo: Wikimedia Commons user Patrice78500, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
This is an example of a landscaping in Other.

No forest garden would be complete without its share of edible and medicinal weeds. Common Mallow, or Malva neglecta is one of my favorites. Even its Latin name 'neglata' speaks to its ability to be neglected and thrive. The leaves are mild, slightly mucilaginous and form a great foundational green in a salad. It is highly nutritious and 'nutritionally dense'. A weed is simply a plant that grows where we don't want it to, by developing a different relationship to this delightful and tenacious plant it becomes a desired resident in the forest garden.

The renovation of our Renfrew Residence completely reimagined what we expected from a classic Vancouver Special home. The boxy shape of Vancouver Specials was a result of maximizing floor space under the zoning guidelines of their time. Builders in the 1960s and 1980s saw an opportunity and made the most of it! Today, renovating these homes are a common and rewarding project for Design Build firms. We love transforming Vancouver Specials because they have a lot of versatility and great foundations! Our Renfrew Residence is a great example of how all the common modernizations of a Vancouver Special are even better with Design Build. To begin, we gave this home a more modern layout. We opened the walls upstairs, expanded the master bathroom, and gave the home an overall open feeling. In order to do so, we restructured and moved some of the walls.

The renovation of our Renfrew Residence completely reimagined what we expected from a classic Vancouver Special home. The boxy shape of Vancouver Specials was a result of maximizing floor space under the zoning guidelines of their time. Builders in the 1960s and 1980s saw an opportunity and made the most of it! Today, renovating these homes are a common and rewarding project for Design Build firms. We love transforming Vancouver Specials because they have a lot of versatility and great foundations! Our Renfrew Residence is a great example of how all the common modernizations of a Vancouver Special are even better with Design Build. To begin, we gave this home a more modern layout. We opened the walls upstairs, expanded the master bathroom, and gave the home an overall open feeling. In order to do so, we restructured and moved some of the walls.