Patrick & Topaze McCaffery - Taproot Garden Design & Fine Gardening "New Ipe wood fencing, raised planter boxes, and benches set the tone for this beautiful, modern back yard."

Inspiration for a large transitional plywood floor home climbing wall remodel in Salt Lake City with multicolored walls

We love to collaborate, whenever and wherever the opportunity arises. For this mountainside retreat, we entered at a unique point in the process—to collaborate on the interior architecture—lending our expertise in fine finishes and fixtures to complete the spaces, thereby creating the perfect backdrop for the family of furniture makers to fill in each vignette. Catering to a design-industry client meant we sourced with singularity and sophistication in mind, from matchless slabs of marble for the kitchen and master bath to timeless basin sinks that feel right at home on the frontier and custom lighting with both industrial and artistic influences. We let each detail speak for itself in situ.

Andrew McKinney photographer Design: Jack Chandler & Associates jack@chandler2.com
Inspiration for a mediterranean patio remodel in San Francisco with a pergola

David Deitrich
Mountain style dark wood floor and brown floor sunroom photo in Other with a stone fireplace and a standard ceiling

Inspiration for a small eclectic home climbing wall remodel in Austin with white walls

Architecture can be sculptural inside and out. The Jessor/Menken residence is an excellent example of creating a dynamic space with simple materials. The innovative shape of the house is composed of glass and wood contrasted with thick linear walls made of stucco. As avid mountain climbers, the owners wanted a house that integrated their outdoor lifestyle into the architecture. In response HMH designed a stair as a focal point of the design. The house is a composition of four floors with a linear stair running along the thick wall. Small punctured windows provide playful shadows on the climb up the stair culminating in a fifth floor rooftop terrace. The residence is distinctive in design and sculptural in form. The dialectic of curving and rectilinear shapes along with the contrast of confined and soaring spaces and the combination of near and distant views creates interior spaces that are both intimate and expansive. The result is a home not only inspiring in shape and form, but is also an intimate representation of and integration with the homeowner’s passion and lifestyle. HMH. LIVE ARTFULLY. AWARDS • 2002 – Merit Award, AIA – Colorado North Chapter PUBLICATIONS • Architecture and Design of the West- 2007 PHOTOGRAPHY • Ron Forth

Side garden with mountain view. Spears Horn Architects
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary drought-tolerant side yard landscaping in Albuquerque.

WHAT MAKES VILLA TERRA GREEN? 1. Rammed Earth and PISE Walls Beyond it’s beautiful qualities and “Old World” look, the rammed earth and PISE walls (pneumatically impacted stabilized earth) drastically reduce the use of trees for the initial wall framing lumber. And because this “Earth Structure” will far outlast any wood frame building, trees are again saved many times over, creating the foundation for the true model of sustainability. We have created a house that will essentially last forever, instead of having to be rebuilt every 50 to 75 years. The 18” thick PISE walls and concrete floors also provide thermal mass, an integral part of the passive solar design of the house. These features help keep the house naturally cooler in summer and retaining heat in winter, greatly reducing the heating and cooling loads and energy use. 2. High Content Fly Ash Concrete Foundation Use of high content (25%) fly ash (industrial waste byproduct) in place of Portland Cement results in reduction of energy consumption and green house gas emissions associated with Portland cement production (second only to petroleum in terms of carbon dioxide emissions). 3. Reclaimed Plumbing Fixtures All lavatory sinks and tubs were bought from salvage yards (tub is reportedly from the Jack Benny house in Hollywood). Reclaimed Carrara marble fountain has been made into the powder room sink. 4. Natural Daylighting Use of numerous skylights and high transom windows to reduce electrical lighting loads during the day. Natural daylighting also has documented benefits on mood, productivity, and enjoyment of the space. 5. Photo Voltaic Solar Panels Use of PV solar electric generation system to reduce electrical grid consumption, and bi-directional meter sends power back to the grid when it is needed most, on hot summer afternoons. 6. Hydronic Radiant Heat Floor Use of hydronic radiant floor heating system saves energy, is more efficient for residential heating, is more comfortable for inhabitants, and promotes superior indoor air quality over forced air systems. 7. Natural/Passive Ventilation Use of operable skylights operable high windows and ceiling fans, creates a natural convection current, thereby eliminating the need for an air conditioning system. 8. Passive Solar Design Use of extensive east and south facing glass, proper overhangs, high interior mass, deciduous grape vines on appropriately placed trellises, to passively heat the home in winter, and protect the house from unnecessary heat gain in summer. 9. Reclaimed Lumber - Douglas fir ceiling beams reclaimed from the Town & Country Village Shopping Center (now Santana Row) in San Jose. - Douglas fir ceiling decking reclaimed from the 118 year old Notre Dame High School in downtown San Jose. TJI joists reclaimed from the “Millenium Man” movie set in Alameda used for floor and roof framing. Redwood ceiling beams reclaimed from a Los Altos cabana/trellis. 10. Extensive Use of Other Reclaimed Materials Two antique reclaimed European stone fireplace mantles grace the family room and master bedroom fireplaces. Interior doors with glass knobs reclaimed from the original house located at the property. Two large terraces utilize used brick salvaged from at least 15 different locations. Courtyard fountain is tiled using recycled and restored ceramic tiles from a 1928 California Colonial house in Los Altos. Cabinet lumber from original house used for closet shelving. Plywood from crates that the windows and doors were delivered in were used to create garage shear walls. Foundation forms were salvaged and rip cut for use as interior stud walls. Garage doors were salvaged from a remodel project in Mountain View. 11. Ground Source Heat Pump - Ground source heat pump uses geothermal energy to heat the house and domestic water, greatly reducing natural gas and fossil fuel consumption. 12. Low VOC Paint Clay Plaster Wall Finishes VOC-free interior paint and stain finishes promotes healthy indoor air quality, reduces exacerbation of respiratory ailments such as asthma and lung cancer. Extensive use of American Clay Plaster integral color wall finish eliminates need for painted walls. 13. High Efficiency Windows Use of energy efficient dual pane thermal glazing with “Low e” coating at all doors and windows reduces heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter, cutting energy use. 14. Engineered Structural Lumber Extensive use of engineered lumber for structural framing and sheathing reduces cutting of old growth forests, and encourages use of “crop lumber”. 15. FSC Certified Mill Work Extensive use of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified sustainable lumber products for cabinetry, hardwood flooring, trim, etc. further protects the environment through third party monitoring and certification of the entire supply chain. 16. Cotton Insulation Formaldehyde-free cotton insulation made from recycled blue jeans used extensively for attic insulation. photography by Frank Paul Perez

The owners of this custom/design built home desired an elevator for use in their "golden years". Our design team incorporated the shaft to be used as a rock climbing wall in the interim as the owners are avid mountain climbers. Their elevator shaft is put to good use while they await their full functioning elevator!

Model homes for the Ritz Carlton in Dove Mountain. www.shopboxhill.com
Photo of a southwestern landscaping in Phoenix.

details matter
Large contemporary brown one-story stone exterior home idea in Baltimore

Photos by Koichi Torimura
Example of a small minimalist white one-story concrete exterior home design in Yokohama

Great Room renovation.
Inspiration for a contemporary family room remodel in Toronto

Rolling Stone Landscapes
This is an example of a contemporary retaining wall landscape in Melbourne.

Arthur Lathouris
Photo of a traditional landscaping in Sydney with a pergola.

Design ideas for a farmhouse landscaping in Venice.