If you were to look up “classic summer cottage” in the dictionary, there should be a picture of this house. Located in a densely populated community of historic summer cottages, this new gambrel-style home was designed to maintain the beach cottage feel of its predecessor. Due to strict zoning and easement restrictions the new construction had to be designed within the same footprint and volume of its former self. The new design allows for a more open floor plan, more living space, and an almost 180-degree view of the ocean. Filled with natural light and a palette of colors and materials reminiscent of seashells, this four-bedroom home is the quintessential summer retreat. Glass foldaway doors extend the main living area to a covered porch with gas fireplace. A fully finished basement suite, with walk-out access to a gas grilling patio and the beach, is perfect for guests. The interiors are an artful blend of modern fixtures along with some slightly more traditional materials that are in keeping with the cottage vibe. © Eric Roth Photography

Serpentine dry stacked granite walls celebrate regional materials while transforming this sloping yard into a multilevel extension of home. It features a secluded fire pit that looks out over a striking view of the stormwater pond below and mountains in the distance, activated by the occasional glimpse of local wildlife populations including bald eagles and deer. Two cedar pergolas act as an outdoor extension of home and provide afternoon shade both inside the house and out. Photography: Louie Jeon Photography

In approaching the task of form-making in this context, the Architect considered the surrounding vernacular architecture. The most distinct structures in the sparsely populated area are agricultural buildings -- barns and sheds. In the initial phase of the project, the living area was therefore conceived as an abstraction of the typical barn form. Alternately, the bedroom wing takes the form of the shed. Phillip Spears Photographer

This garden was designed to celebrate panoramic views of the San Gabriel mountains. Horizontal bands of slate tile from the interior of the mid-century home wrap around the house’s perimeter and extend to the rear pool area, inviting the family outdoors. With a pool framed by mature trees, a sunken seating area, fruit trees, and a modest lawn for a young family, the landscape provides a wide range of opportunities for play, entertaining and relaxation. Photos by Martin Cox Photography.

Photos by ©ThompsonPhotographic.com 2019 A passion for the Southwest inspires one couple to turn their garden into a vibrant showcase for Sonoran Desert flora. By Nancy Erdmann | Photography by Steve Thompson For someone who loves to garden and has done so in many areas of the U.S., taking on the challenge of a rocky, boulder-strewn hillside lot in the Sonoran Desert is something that Carey Bertsch relishes. “I was born in Scotland but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. My husband, Robin, is from Indiana. We have always loved everything about the Southwest. The sunny, arid climate; the lifestyle; the flora; the fauna—they all resonate with us,” she remarks. As such, the couple, who are based in Colorado, decided to purchase a part-time residence in Arizona. They found a Santa Fe Territorial-style home that’s tucked into the base of a steep slope in North Scottsdale’s Estancia community. Populated with natural boulder outcroppings, the property’s landscape was rudimentary at best. “But we saw the potential and knew it could be so much more,” recalls Carey. She and her husband lived in the house for several years before making any major changes; they recently completed a total exterior remodel.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours, Inc. Envision Virtual Tours and High Resolution Photography is your best choice to find just what you are looking for in the Lake Burton Area . Knowing the areas and resources of Lake Burton is our specialty Lake Burton is a 2,775 acre man-made lake with 62 miles of shoreline located in the northeastern corner of Georgia in Rabun County. It is the first lake in a five-lake series called the Tallulah River Watershed that follows the original course of the Tallulah River. The series of lakes starts with Lake Burton as the northernmost lake followed by Lake Seed, Lake Rabun, Lake Tallulah Falls and the eastern arm of Lake Tugalo (the western arm is formed by the Chattooga River. The lakes are owned and operated by the Georgia Power Company to generate hydroelectric energy for Georgia's largest city, Atlanta. At one time these lakes were the largest producers of electricity in the state of Georgia. Now, they only provide peak power supply. The lake was built in a deep valley located along a 10 mile section of the Tallulah River. The Lake Burton Dam was closed on December 22, 1919 and the lake started to fill. The dam is a gravity concrete dam, with a height of 128 feet and a span of 1,100 feet. The spillway is equipped with eight gates 22 feet wide by 6.6 feet high. The total capacity at an elevation of 1,866.6 feet is 108,000 acre-ft, of which 106,000 acre-ft is usable storage. The generating capacity of the dam is 6,120 kilowatts (two units).Lake Burton is the highest Georgia Power lake in Georgia. Lake Burton gets its named from the town of Burton, which was the second largest town in Rabun County with a population of approximately 200 but now lies below the lake's surface. The town (and the lake) was named after local prominent citizen Jeremiah Burton and was situated along the road from Clayton, Georgia to the Nacoochee Valley. Andrew Jackson Ritchie served as the postmaster for the area for several years. Gold was first discovered in Rabun County where Dicks Creek and the Tallulah River come together and was the reason for the town's founding in the early 1800s. The Lake Burton Fish Hatchery and Moccasin Creek State Park are located on the western side of the lake. Lake Burton is home to several species of fish, including Spotted Bass, Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, White Catfish, Walleye, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Yellow Perch. The residents of Lake Burton are a mix of permanent residents and seasonal vacationers who together make-up the Lake Burton Civic Association, a local organization who goal is to maintain the lake through volunteer clean-ups and other such events. Let a Lake Burton resident and expert show you the way The Lake Burton Civic Association is an active homeowners association for residents of the Lake Burton area and sponsors many events throughout the year such as: burton, custom, envision, georgia, lake, mountain, nc, north, photography, web, western, Lake Burton, Lake Rabun, Seed Lake,Virtual Tours.

Photos by ©ThompsonPhotographic.com 2019 A passion for the Southwest inspires one couple to turn their garden into a vibrant showcase for Sonoran Desert flora. By Nancy Erdmann | Photography by Steve Thompson For someone who loves to garden and has done so in many areas of the U.S., taking on the challenge of a rocky, boulder-strewn hillside lot in the Sonoran Desert is something that Carey Bertsch relishes. “I was born in Scotland but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. My husband, Robin, is from Indiana. We have always loved everything about the Southwest. The sunny, arid climate; the lifestyle; the flora; the fauna—they all resonate with us,” she remarks. As such, the couple, who are based in Colorado, decided to purchase a part-time residence in Arizona. They found a Santa Fe Territorial-style home that’s tucked into the base of a steep slope in North Scottsdale’s Estancia community. Populated with natural boulder outcroppings, the property’s landscape was rudimentary at best. “But we saw the potential and knew it could be so much more,” recalls Carey. She and her husband lived in the house for several years before making any major changes; they recently completed a total exterior remodel.

Nationwide Lifts introduces the Artisan Product Line of home elevators. This elevator line is fully customizable. If you can dream it up, we can make it! We have the capability to match your front door, idea or design and make it into your reality!

These Lino Lakes homeowners decided it was time to update their lake home. The local woodpecker population was not happy with Craftsman's Choice when we pulled off the existing cedar siding and replaced it with James Hardie fiber cement siding. We installed 6" Timberbark lap siding, Monterey Taupe straight edge shakes, with cobblestone trim. We also made them custom James Hardie shutters with a pine tree cutout.

The SIX is a 52-unit affordable housing project provides a home, support services and rehabilitation for disabled veterans. It is located in the MacArthur Park area of Los Angeles. McArthur Park has one of the highest densities in the USA with over 38,000 people per square mile and a total population of 120,000 people in 2.72 square miles. Offering shelter and comfort, the SIX breaks the prescriptive mold of the traditional shelter by creating public and private "zones" in which private space is deemphasized, in favor of large public areas. The organization of the space is intended to transform the way people live-away from a reclusive, isolating layout towards a community-oriented, interactive space. The ground level contains offices, support spaces for the veterans, bike storage and parking while the second level has a large public courtyard. Surrounded by four levels of housing units with balconies wrapped with a wood screen made from recycle planking the courtyard has large openings with green roofs that visually connects the space to the street on the lower level beyond. This allows the tenants to enjoy a secured open space while still connecting to the larger community. The uppermost level has a green roof, large public patio and edible garden with panoramic views of the area. The SIX distinguishes itself from most conventionally developed projects in that it incorporates energy efficient measures that exceed standard practice, optimize building performance, and ensure reduced energy use during all phases of construction and occupancy. The planning and design emerged from close consideration and employment of passive design strategies. These strategies include: locating and orienting the building to control solar cooling loads; shaping and orienting the building for exposure to prevailing winds; shaping the building to induce buoyancy for natural ventilation; designing windows to maximize day lighting; shading south facing windows and minimizing west-facing glazing; designing windows to maximize natural ventilation; utilizing low flow fixtures and storm water management; shaping and planning the interior to enhance daylight and natural air flow distribution. These passive strategies alone make this building 50% more efficient than a conventionally designed structure.

This lakefront diamond in the rough lot was waiting to be discovered by someone with a modern naturalistic vision and passion. Maintaining an eco-friendly, and sustainable build was at the top of the client priority list. Designed and situated to benefit from passive and active solar as well as through breezes from the lake, this indoor/outdoor living space truly establishes a symbiotic relationship with its natural surroundings. The pie-shaped lot provided significant challenges with a street width of 50ft, a steep shoreline buffer of 50ft, as well as a powerline easement reducing the buildable area. The client desired a smaller home of approximately 2500sf that juxtaposed modern lines with the free form of the natural setting. The 250ft of lakefront afforded 180-degree views which guided the design to maximize this vantage point while supporting the adjacent environment through preservation of heritage trees. Prior to construction the shoreline buffer had been rewilded with wildflowers, perennials, utilization of clover and meadow grasses to support healthy animal and insect re-population. The inclusion of solar panels as well as hydroponic heated floors and wood stove supported the owner’s desire to be self-sufficient. Core ten steel was selected as the predominant material to allow it to “rust” as it weathers thus blending into the natural environment.

This amazing 35' stream with 16x11' pond water feature was built by Platinum Ponds & Landscaping, Grand Rapids, MI. The customer contacted us for a new home for their Koi fish. They had an existing 10x12 man built pond built from Timbers. The Koi fish were over populating this space and they wanted something that looked much better aesthetically. We met with the customer and discussed their budget and designed this amazing water feature. They were absolutely thrilled with the outcome to say the least!!

The homeowners of this transitional contemporary home near Albany, Vermont, are avid bird watchers. When building their new home near the Green Mountains, they wanted windows and doors that provided natural views while also helping to protect the local bird population. The homeowners used bird-friendly, bird-strike-deterring glass to meet both of these goals. The homeowners used the services of the Marvin at 7 Tide Brand Experience Center in Boston, Massachusetts, to help curate the window and door choices for their project, including confirming their desire to use bird-friendly glass in Marvin Ultimate collection windows and exterior doors. To complete their home, they selected interior doors from TruStile.

A one bedroom model with a striking view of Philadelphia’s Museum of Art and centrally located in an upscale urban neighborhood. This eclectic apartment was designed to reflect the energy of the young Philly population and its melting pot of cultures.

The Japanese maple was the first thing planted. This is a progress shot from the interior as we started to populate the soil with various groundcovers and ferns.

Populations of big cats in the wild are declining at an alarming rate. Bringing awareness to their plight and in celebration of their beauty and the mystery that surrounds our largest feline friends, this Big Cats line of National Geographic rugs is inspired by their magnificent coats of many colors and patterns. Photo Credits: Lauren Rountree & Jennifer Sligh

The Potrero Residence is the archetype for Architecture Office’s iterative process. Nestled in the Santa Monica mountains and surrounded by avocado farms, our client asked us to design a monumental hilltop home with views facing every direction and an underground ten car garage. We developed three concepts, choosing one developed by modelling a floorplate and populating it with cube forms. Using modelling software, we “sliced” the cubes at different points and rotated them across the plate. Via the interplay of these segmented cubes, this process created unique trapezoidal forms on each floorplate. Each floor in the Potrero residence functions as a unique relationship of forms and voids. In this building, each exterior-facing void⁠—the spaces between the rotated cubes⁠—is either walled with glass to create a floor to ceiling window, or subtracted to create a balcony. These punctures provide each exterior facing room in the house with a panoramic view over a different area of the property. The balconies give this home a variety of lighting conditions throughout the day, sometimes dark and sometimes light, reminiscent of cave dwellings. This design process creates a unique exterior wall across every face of the building. The driveway-facing facade is sculpted to resemble a traditional gable roofed house. Working around the house reveals a much more complex and digitally derived form. In the center of the house, a gem-shaped courtyard offers light within the relatively deep floor plates. Following the form building process, we developed a material solution using cast-in-place, board formed concrete—giving the house a weighty appearance and reinforcing its cave-like volumes. The rotated cube forms create diverse atmospheres within the interior, and singular aesthetic relationships to the exterior environment. Though grand in scale, our design process creates a fundamentally simple form, while the interior’s spatial conditions evoke the comforts of home.

Just completed wine feature in Encino Hills. Homeowner couldn't wait to begin populating with wine. Wine wall features traditional cork view and wood case storage lowers and double deep label view upper pins on metallic veneered back-lit panels.

This property was situated in the tiny, yet picturesque village of Grafton Underwood in Kettering, Northamptonshire. The village has only a population numbering a few hundred and, interestingly enough, is the childhood home of the famous ‘Bridget Jones’ character. I have previously worked on a number of floors in Grafton Underwood, and on this particular occasion I was called to complete the job through a recommendation – which is always welcome! This particular customer had two floors that needed re-finishing; the first was a polished Limestone tiled conservatory (which I will cover in a separate post as the process was different) and the second a Flagstone tiled living room; so on a rather dull day in November, I began my work. The sealer on the Flagstone tiled living room had failed in certain places, resulting in the floor becoming difficult to clean due to dirt becoming ingrained in the stone. The decline in the sealer is not uncommon, as they do wear down over time – especially in an area of high traffic like a living room. To resolve this issue, the old surface seal needed to be stripped back and re-sealed. To remove what was left of the old sealer, I applied a dilution of Tile Doctor Remove and Go and scrubbed it into the floor using a rotary machine fitted with black stripping pads. I then gave the floor an initial rinse, before paying special attention to scrubbing the stubborn spots, making sure all of the sealer was removed. I then gave the floor an acid wash using Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up in order to remove grout haze and other mineral deposits which were evident. Due to its acidic properties, you have to be very careful with this product on any type of stone, so I didn’t let it dwell for too long and made sure the floor was thoroughly rinsed down afterwards, with all solutions extracted using a wet-vac machine. The floor was left to dry for more than 24 hours, before I returned to re-seal it using Tile Doctor Seal & Go. This product provides both a stain resistant surface seal and the durable low-sheen finish requested by my client. Seal & Go is suitable for use on internal unsealed, porous surfaces. I guess the photographs don’t really do the transformation justice however the freshly re-sealed Flagstone living room certainly brightened up what was a very dreary autumn day! Phil Vissian Northamptonshire Tile Doctor