Search results for "Prototypes" in Home Design Ideas

The single greatest difficulty found in the design of low cost homes is that this process mandates the repetitive use of a few house plan prototypes. Simple house prototypes must be given some unique design features to create a long lasting neighborhood where the residents feel a sense of ownership (these are all built with low-income housing tax credits, and thus are rental for 15 years). Color, texture, material, porch configuration and detail, window locations, bays, roof shape - all are elements that can be changed to make a single house type look different.

GOAT designed the St. Roch Avenue Shotgun House as an affordable single-family housing prototype. To date, three homes have been constructed in New Orleans by SBP with teams of volunteers.
The houses were designed to continue the evolution of the city’s residential architecture while responding to the concerns of neighborhood residents regarding context, familiarity, and affordability. The resulting three homes, built on the same block in the Milneburg neighborhood of Gentilly, establish a case study in how modern architecture can meet the challenges of neighborhood revitalization with sensitivity. By relating to the scale, rhythm and texture of the traditional New Orleans neighborhood, the St. Roch Avenue Shotgun is reminiscent of a traditional New Orleans home. By incorporating modern materials and construction methods, vaulting interior spaces, adjusting the historic shotgun layout, and adding some contemporary flair, it functions like a modern home.

GOAT designed the St. Roch Avenue Shotgun House as an affordable single-family housing prototype. To date, three homes have been constructed in New Orleans by SBP with teams of volunteers.
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Architect: DCHGlobal Inc. AIA Housing Award Recipient.
Relic Rock is designed with a simple, flexible, sustainable prototype building system that is adaptable to a broad range of different climates and terrains. This prototype architectural solution sits lightly on the land, with cantilevered floors that minimize site disruption. A distinctive connection to nature is achieved by dissolving the division of interior and exterior space.
Bill Timmerman

Architect: DCHGlobal Inc. AIA Housing Award Recipient.
Relic Rock is designed with a simple, flexible, sustainable prototype building system that is adaptable to a broad range of different climates and terrains. This prototype architectural solution sits lightly on the land, with cantilevered floors that minimize site disruption. A distinctive connection to nature is achieved by dissolving the division of interior and exterior space.
Bill Timmerman

Architect: DCHGlobal Inc. AIA Housing Award Recipient.
Relic Rock is designed with a simple, flexible, sustainable prototype building system that is adaptable to a broad range of different climates and terrains. This prototype architectural solution sits lightly on the land, with cantilevered floors that minimize site disruption. A distinctive connection to nature is achieved by dissolving the division of interior and exterior space.
Bill Timmerman

We've been working on prototypes for factory built housing, single family of varying sizes, from a kit of parts. This scheme is about 1,800 square feet with 4 bedrooms (or 3 bedroom and an office)--the main bedroom suite is on the first floor for privacy or use by a family member who cannot climb stairs. This is the first version of the design prototype as we were working on size and constructability issues.

Architect: DCHGlobal Inc. AIA Housing Award Recipient.
Relic Rock is designed with a simple, flexible, sustainable prototype building system that is adaptable to a broad range of different climates and terrains. This prototype architectural solution sits lightly on the land, with cantilevered floors that minimize site disruption. A distinctive connection to nature is achieved by dissolving the division of interior and exterior space.
Bill Timmerman

Contractor: Added Dimensions Inc.
Photographer: Hoachlander Davis Photography
Small minimalist exterior home photo in DC Metro
Small minimalist exterior home photo in DC Metro

The owners requested that their home harmonize with the spirit of the surrounding Colorado mountain setting and enhance their outdoor recreational lifestyle - while reflecting their contemporary architectural tastes. The site was burdened with a myriad of strict design criteria enforced by the neighborhood covenants and architectural review board. Creating a distinct design challenge, the covenants included a narrow interpretation of a “mountain style” home which established predetermined roof pitches, glazing percentages and material palettes - at direct odds with the client‘s vision of a flat-roofed, glass, “contemporary” home.
Our solution finds inspiration and opportunities within the site covenant’s strict definitions. It promotes and celebrates the client’s outdoor lifestyle and resolves the definition of a contemporary “mountain style” home by reducing the architecture to its most basic vernacular forms and relying upon local materials.
The home utilizes a simple base, middle and top that echoes the surrounding mountains and vegetation. The massing takes its cues from the prevalent lodgepole pine trees that grow at the mountain’s high altitudes. These pine trees have a distinct growth pattern, highlighted by a single vertical trunk and a peaked, densely foliated growth zone above a sparse base. This growth pattern is referenced by placing the wood-clad body of the home at the second story above an open base composed of wood posts and glass. A simple peaked roof rests lightly atop the home - visually floating above a triangular glass transom. The home itself is neatly inserted amongst an existing grove of lodgepole pines and oriented to take advantage of panoramic views of the adjacent meadow and Continental Divide beyond.
The main functions of the house are arranged into public and private areas and this division is made apparent on the home’s exterior. Two large roof forms, clad in pre-patinated zinc, are separated by a sheltering central deck - which signals the main entry to the home. At this connection, the roof deck is opened to allow a cluster of aspen trees to grow – further reinforcing nature as an integral part of arrival.
Outdoor living spaces are provided on all levels of the house and are positioned to take advantage of sunrise and sunset moments. The distinction between interior and exterior space is blurred via the use of large expanses of glass. The dry stacked stone base and natural cedar cladding both reappear within the home’s interior spaces.
This home offers a unique solution to the client’s requests while satisfying the design requirements of the neighborhood covenants. The house provides a variety of indoor and outdoor living spaces that can be utilized in all seasons. Most importantly, the house takes its cues directly from its natural surroundings and local building traditions to become a prototype solution for the “modern mountain house”.
Overview
Ranch Creek Ranch
Winter Park, Colorado
Completion Date
October, 2007
Services
Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

View from the west. Photography by Stephen Brousseau.
Example of a mid-sized minimalist brown one-story mixed siding house exterior design in Seattle with a shed roof and a metal roof
Example of a mid-sized minimalist brown one-story mixed siding house exterior design in Seattle with a shed roof and a metal roof

At 19 Irving Avenue, the dining room is less a formal destination and more a moment within the flow of the home—an intentional pause where gathering, light, and architecture come together in quiet balance.
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Positioned within the open plan, the dining space feels naturally connected rather than separated. It sits comfortably between the kitchen and living areas, allowing conversation and movement to carry effortlessly through the home. There’s no rigid boundary—just a subtle transition defined by sightlines, proportions, and the rhythm of the architecture.
Light plays a central role here. Surrounded by glass, the dining room is constantly shifting—bright and airy during the day, then more intimate as the light softens in the evening. Views outward become part of the experience, reinforcing Eichler’s idea that even the most everyday moments—like sharing a meal—should feel connected to the natural environment.
The design itself is restrained and purposeful. Clean lines and an absence of excess allow the space to feel open and uncluttered, while the scale remains comfortable and human. It’s easy to imagine long, casual dinners unfolding here, with the boundaries between inside and out quietly disappearing.
In many ways, the dining room reflects Eichler’s broader philosophy: that a home doesn’t need formal separation to feel complete. Instead, it thrives on connection—between spaces, between people, and between architecture and the world just beyond the glass.

Virtual Imagery 360 Photography
Inspiration for a modern entryway remodel in San Francisco
Inspiration for a modern entryway remodel in San Francisco

The owners requested that their home harmonize with the spirit of the surrounding Colorado mountain setting and enhance their outdoor recreational lifestyle - while reflecting their contemporary architectural tastes. The site was burdened with a myriad of strict design criteria enforced by the neighborhood covenants and architectural review board. Creating a distinct design challenge, the covenants included a narrow interpretation of a “mountain style” home which established predetermined roof pitches, glazing percentages and material palettes - at direct odds with the client‘s vision of a flat-roofed, glass, “contemporary” home.
Our solution finds inspiration and opportunities within the site covenant’s strict definitions. It promotes and celebrates the client’s outdoor lifestyle and resolves the definition of a contemporary “mountain style” home by reducing the architecture to its most basic vernacular forms and relying upon local materials.
The home utilizes a simple base, middle and top that echoes the surrounding mountains and vegetation. The massing takes its cues from the prevalent lodgepole pine trees that grow at the mountain’s high altitudes. These pine trees have a distinct growth pattern, highlighted by a single vertical trunk and a peaked, densely foliated growth zone above a sparse base. This growth pattern is referenced by placing the wood-clad body of the home at the second story above an open base composed of wood posts and glass. A simple peaked roof rests lightly atop the home - visually floating above a triangular glass transom. The home itself is neatly inserted amongst an existing grove of lodgepole pines and oriented to take advantage of panoramic views of the adjacent meadow and Continental Divide beyond.
The main functions of the house are arranged into public and private areas and this division is made apparent on the home’s exterior. Two large roof forms, clad in pre-patinated zinc, are separated by a sheltering central deck - which signals the main entry to the home. At this connection, the roof deck is opened to allow a cluster of aspen trees to grow – further reinforcing nature as an integral part of arrival.
Outdoor living spaces are provided on all levels of the house and are positioned to take advantage of sunrise and sunset moments. The distinction between interior and exterior space is blurred via the use of large expanses of glass. The dry stacked stone base and natural cedar cladding both reappear within the home’s interior spaces.
This home offers a unique solution to the client’s requests while satisfying the design requirements of the neighborhood covenants. The house provides a variety of indoor and outdoor living spaces that can be utilized in all seasons. Most importantly, the house takes its cues directly from its natural surroundings and local building traditions to become a prototype solution for the “modern mountain house”.
Overview
Ranch Creek Ranch
Winter Park, Colorado
Completion Date
October, 2007
Services
Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

Aquatica’s True Ofuro Mini Japanese soaking tub has been inspired by the ancient Japanese bathing traditions and its design heavily influenced by the traditional Ofuro soaking bathtubs.
Following the launch of our True Ofuro bathtub, many of our customers kept requested an even smaller version of Japanese tub that would be practical and useful in applications where no other bathtub would fit. This, in a nutshell, is how this small and tall version of ‘sit and soak’, solid surface Japanese bathtub was conceived. True Ofuro Mini Japanese style bathtub features a deeper design for a comfortable, full-body immersion. Designed in Italy, this immaculately sculpted model is also available with an optional inline water heater and digital control panel which includes a temperature display.
This feature will help reduce water consumption and provide a prolonged soaking experience in very comfortable water temperatures.
The True Ofuro Mini Japanese style bathtub is taller and deeper and features a slightly elevated rim for improved neck and head support, as well as a convenient ergonomic built-in seat, allowing the body to comfortably emerge to maximum water capacity. The height of the True Ofuro Mini Japanese style soaking bathtub is substantially taller than the original True Ofuro bathtub, and therefore we recommend people who are shorter than 170cm also purchase our stylish teak wood step.
Aquatica’s international industrial design team, used advanced CAD tools, modeling and repeated testing with real size prototype units so that we could reach the optimal balance between ergonomic comfort and visual appeal.
Our AquateX™ material is the star in this Japanese soaking tub as it retains heat much longer and also has a silky and velvety surface. This bathtub is currently one of our most space conscious bathtubs at a size of 43" x 43" (1090x1090mm), making the freestanding and petite construction of this Japanese style bathtub easy to be installed in any sized bathroom.

The True Ofuro Mini came about as the direct result of your requests. It too is inspired by the ancient traditions of Japanese bathing that led to the development of our incredibly popular True Ofuro. It too draws on the best ergonomic principles to sculpt a bath with internal seating and built-in headrest, made available in a very compact footprint to fit into even the smallest bathrooms. In fact, Aquatica’s clever designers have managed to create this ‘small and tall’ tub, deep enough for full body soaking in a footprint of just 43”.
Now we have made one more important innovation to the Ofuro Mini - the addition of a stunning graphite black option, using our award-winning and ground-breaking AquateX™ solid surface composite. Just think how that might look in your bathroom!
It is taller and deeper and features a slightly elevated rim for improved neck and head support, as well as a convenient ergonomic built-in seat, allowing the body to comfortably emerge to maximum water capacity. The height of the True Ofuro Mini Japanese style soaking bathtub is substantially taller than the original True Ofuro bathtub, and therefore we recommend people who are shorter than 170cm also purchase our stylish teak wood step.
Aquatica’s international industrial design team, used advanced CAD tools, modeling and repeated testing with real size prototype units so that we could reach the optimal balance between ergonomic comfort and visual appeal.
Our AquateX™ material is the star in this Japanese soaking tub as it retains heat much longer and also has a silky and velvety surface. This bathtub is currently one of our most space conscious bathtubs at a size of 43" x 43" (1090x1090mm), making the freestanding and petite construction of this Japanese style bathtub easy to be installed in any sized bathroom.

Daytime view of the inside gate at the Falconview Estate in Bel Aire, California. This gate is over 16 feet tall at the highest point and 26.5 feet wide. The pillars are limestone and marble. Designed, fabricated and installed by GatesLosAngeles.com, a division of Mulholland Security Centers in Los Angeles. A video regarding the installation of this gate can be seen here: https://youtu.be/IioCCRowijU

Aquatica True Ofuro Freestanding Stone Japanese Soaking Bathtub
Inspired by ancient Japanese traditions of soaking in Ofuro tubs, the True Ofuro Japanese style bathtub is a ‘sit and soak’, solid surface bathtub, featuring a deep design for a full-body immersion. Crafted in Italy, this immaculately sculpted tub is available with an optional inline water heater and digital control panel with temperature display, which will reduce water consumption and provide for a prolonged soaking experience at very comfortable temperatures.
One of the True Ofuro's key features is it's carefully designed elevated rim for improved bathers neck and head support, and the convenient ergonomic seating, which allows the body to be comfortably emerged to maximum water capacity.
The international industrial design team, commissioned by Aquatica to create this product, used advanced CAD tools, modeling and repeated testing with real size prototype units, in order to reach the optimal balance between ergonomic comfort and visual appeal for this one of a kind bathtub.
Thanks to the AquateX™ material, this Japanese soaking tub retains heat for much longer and has a silky and smooth surface. Besides being one of our most space conscious bathtubs, the freestanding and petite construction of this Japanese style bathtub means that it can be installed pretty much anywhere in your bathroom.

The owners requested that their home harmonize with the spirit of the surrounding Colorado mountain setting and enhance their outdoor recreational lifestyle - while reflecting their contemporary architectural tastes. The site was burdened with a myriad of strict design criteria enforced by the neighborhood covenants and architectural review board. Creating a distinct design challenge, the covenants included a narrow interpretation of a “mountain style” home which established predetermined roof pitches, glazing percentages and material palettes - at direct odds with the client‘s vision of a flat-roofed, glass, “contemporary” home.
Our solution finds inspiration and opportunities within the site covenant’s strict definitions. It promotes and celebrates the client’s outdoor lifestyle and resolves the definition of a contemporary “mountain style” home by reducing the architecture to its most basic vernacular forms and relying upon local materials.
The home utilizes a simple base, middle and top that echoes the surrounding mountains and vegetation. The massing takes its cues from the prevalent lodgepole pine trees that grow at the mountain’s high altitudes. These pine trees have a distinct growth pattern, highlighted by a single vertical trunk and a peaked, densely foliated growth zone above a sparse base. This growth pattern is referenced by placing the wood-clad body of the home at the second story above an open base composed of wood posts and glass. A simple peaked roof rests lightly atop the home - visually floating above a triangular glass transom. The home itself is neatly inserted amongst an existing grove of lodgepole pines and oriented to take advantage of panoramic views of the adjacent meadow and Continental Divide beyond.
The main functions of the house are arranged into public and private areas and this division is made apparent on the home’s exterior. Two large roof forms, clad in pre-patinated zinc, are separated by a sheltering central deck - which signals the main entry to the home. At this connection, the roof deck is opened to allow a cluster of aspen trees to grow – further reinforcing nature as an integral part of arrival.
Outdoor living spaces are provided on all levels of the house and are positioned to take advantage of sunrise and sunset moments. The distinction between interior and exterior space is blurred via the use of large expanses of glass. The dry stacked stone base and natural cedar cladding both reappear within the home’s interior spaces.
This home offers a unique solution to the client’s requests while satisfying the design requirements of the neighborhood covenants. The house provides a variety of indoor and outdoor living spaces that can be utilized in all seasons. Most importantly, the house takes its cues directly from its natural surroundings and local building traditions to become a prototype solution for the “modern mountain house”.
Overview
Ranch Creek Ranch
Winter Park, Colorado
Completion Date
October, 2007
Services
Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture
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