Inspiration for a contemporary landscaping in Los Angeles.

Inspiration for a scandinavian light wood floor and beige floor living room remodel in New York with white walls and a ribbon fireplace

Lincoln Farmhouse LEED-H Platinum, Net-Positive Energy OVERVIEW. This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse ties into the cultural landscape of Lincoln, Massachusetts - a town known for its rich history, farming traditions, conservation efforts, and visionary architecture. The goal was to design and build a new single family home on 1.8 acres that respects the neighborhood’s agrarian roots, produces more energy than it consumes, and provides the family with flexible spaces to live-play-work-entertain. The resulting 2,800 SF home is proof that families do not need to compromise on style, space or comfort in a highly energy-efficient and healthy home. CONNECTION TO NATURE. The attached garage is ubiquitous in new construction in New England’s cold climate. This home’s barn-inspired garage is intentionally detached from the main dwelling. A covered walkway connects the two structures, creating an intentional connection with the outdoors between auto and home. FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. With a modest footprint, each space must serve a specific use, but also be flexible for atypical scenarios. The Mudroom serves everyday use for the couple and their children, but is also easy to tidy up to receive guests, eliminating the need for two entries found in most homes. A workspace is conveniently located off the mudroom; it looks out on to the back yard to supervise the children and can be closed off with a sliding door when not in use. The Away Room opens up to the Living Room for everyday use; it can be closed off with its oversized pocket door for secondary use as a guest bedroom with en suite bath. NET POSITIVE ENERGY. The all-electric home consumes 70% less energy than a code-built house, and with measured energy data produces 48% more energy annually than it consumes, making it a 'net positive' home. Thick walls and roofs lack thermal bridging, windows are high performance, triple-glazed, and a continuous air barrier yields minimal leakage (0.27ACH50) making the home among the tightest in the US. Systems include an air source heat pump, an energy recovery ventilator, and a 13.1kW photovoltaic system to offset consumption and support future electric cars. ACTUAL PERFORMANCE. -6.3 kBtu/sf/yr Energy Use Intensity (Actual monitored project data reported for the firm’s 2016 AIA 2030 Commitment. Average single family home is 52.0 kBtu/sf/yr.) o 10,900 kwh total consumption (8.5 kbtu/ft2 EUI) o 16,200 kwh total production o 5,300 kwh net surplus, equivalent to 15,000-25,000 electric car miles per year. 48% net positive. WATER EFFICIENCY. Plumbing fixtures and water closets consume a mere 60% of the federal standard, while high efficiency appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer also reduce consumption rates. FOOD PRODUCTION. After clearing all invasive species, apple, pear, peach and cherry trees were planted. Future plans include blueberry, raspberry and strawberry bushes, along with raised beds for vegetable gardening. The house also offers a below ground root cellar, built outside the home's thermal envelope, to gain the passive benefit of long term energy-free food storage. RESILIENCY. The home's ability to weather unforeseen challenges is predictable - it will fare well. The super-insulated envelope means during a winter storm with power outage, heat loss will be slow - taking days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. During normal conditions, reduced energy consumption plus energy production means shelter from the burden of utility costs. Surplus production can power electric cars & appliances. The home exceeds snow & wind structural requirements, plus far surpasses standard construction for long term durability planning. ARCHITECT: ZeroEnergy Design http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse CONTRACTOR: Thoughtforms http://thoughtforms-corp.com/ PHOTOGRAPHER: Chuck Choi http://www.chuckchoi.com/

Inspiration for a large contemporary drought-tolerant and full sun front yard gravel landscaping in San Diego.

Mid-sized elegant side yard stone patio photo in San Francisco with no cover

Our client in Emerson has a beautiful home, perched on a magnificent mountain slope with incredible views. They asked Dreamscapes to design outdoor living spaces for them in order to fully utilize the property. Their wish list included a water feature, a deck for outdoor living, a patio to take in the distant views of the mountains, a place to garden, and a natural and native planting design to fit into the existing southeastern native woodlands and mountain environment. Living on the side of a mountain means bedrock. The design incorporates the natural slope and stone and works with the terrain. A new deck was constructed to extend out from the house, floating over the bedrock where it meets the new pond. From the top of the hill, a waterfall cascades down through the native plantings into the pond below. Natural boulders were used to build seating along the pond’s edge, where you can watch the fish, tend to the aquatic plants, listen to the frogs, and even take a dip to cool off. Two natural flagstone patios were built at two different elevations to sit and enjoy the views of the landscape and the mountains. Both patios are accessible by cut stone crab orchard steps set into the slope. The space at the end of the driveway was a blank canvas and the perfect place to design and build a garden of raised beds, enclosed in a traditional picket fence. It is now filled with vegetables, herbs, and cutting flowers. The local bees and butterflies love it too. And the beautiful landscape takes on a magical look after sunset. Landscape lighting was expertly placed, using a variety of fixture types to enhance the pond, waterfalls, trees and plants, bringing the spaces to life after dark. The homeowners are both multi-talented and wanted a place to incorporate their skills. They create original art, build detailed wood work and plant edible gardens, just to name a few. This new landscape gives them and their family and friends a place to work and play and relax. It has become a haven for people and wildlife alike. Outdoor living at its finest!

Request Free Quote This backyard features a rectangular swimming pool, an exercise swim spa, and a custom spa. The swimming pool measures 15'0" x 50'0", the Spa measures 6'0" x 16'0" and the exercise pool measures 6'0" x 16'0". All three pools have automatic pool covers with stone lid systems. All three pools have LED colored lighting. The coping is Valders, Buff-colored Limestone. The interior exposed aggregate finish color is Midnight Blue. The patio area also features a fire pit, as well as a natural stone pool deck and coping. This project is at a home in Glencoe, Illinois.

This home provides a private courtyard for the guest suite and incorporates stepping stones to soften the impact of the walk way in the yard. Multiple transom windows provide natural light and privacy where needed. Photo by Reed Brown

Our clients need a complete update to their master bathroom. Storage and comfort were the main focus with this remodel. Design elements included built in medicine cabinets, cabinet pullouts and a beautiful teak wood shower floor. Textured tile in the shower gives an added dimension to this luxurious new space.

This cozy gardening space has multiple focal points, including the garden path with wooden bridge, water feature, bench, and multiple container plantings

Total re-landscaping of front entrance using veined limestone boulder walls, bluestone steps and patios and plantings and resodding of the lawn.
Inspiration for a large contemporary partial sun front yard concrete paver formal garden in Boston for spring.

Inspiration for a large contemporary backyard tile and rectangular lap pool house remodel in Los Angeles

Raised brick patio with blue stone inlaid pattern in the center. The patio has multiple level entry points for easy access to back yard pool, outdoor kitchen and rear entrance door. Photo: Trey Riedmayer

Venetian Plaster Walls in Staircase Area. Photographer Kim Sargent
Staircase - mediterranean curved staircase idea in Miami

Ciro Coelho Photography
Example of a minimalist one-story house exterior design in Santa Barbara

Centrally located stair sits adjacent to dining room which is framed by a large window opening to an outdoor garden. Living room and front entry beyond Photo by Dan Arnold

Terraced Retaining Wall of AllenBlock Europa Series with low voltage landscape lighting, new plantings and sitting patio of concrete pavers.
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional partial sun and drought-tolerant backyard concrete paver retaining wall landscape in Seattle for summer.

This basement features billiards, a sunken home theatre, a stone wine cellar and multiple bar areas and spots to gather with friends and family.
Staircase - large cottage walk-out vinyl floor and brown floor staircase idea in Cincinnati with white walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace