After moving into a mid-century ranch home on Spokane's South Hill, these homeowners gave the tired landscape a dramatic makeover. The aging asphalt driveway was replaced by precast concrete pavers that coordinate with a new walkway of sandwashed concrete pads. A pared-down front lawn reduces the overall water use of the landscape, while sculptural boulders add character. A small flagstone patio creates a spot to enjoy the outdoors in the courtyard-like area between the house and the towering ponderosa pines. The backyard received a similar update, with a new garden area, water feature, and paver patio anchoring the updated space.

The new space creates a defined kitchen separate from the pantry/bar area by reducing the opening with a wall and pulling the refrigerator out of the doorway and pantry into the kitchen. The opening was reduced enough to separate the rooms while still keeping it large enough to address the dining room connection. The raised panel, French blue cabinets are finished with a dark brown glazing. These are full overlay doors and drawers, constructed with high precision to maintain a 1/8” gap between every side of a door and drawer. PHOTO CREDIT: John Ray

Photography by Studio H Landscape Architecture. Post processing by Isabella Li.
Inspiration for a contemporary landscaping in Orange County.

ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography

Corri Sandwick Architecture Location: Bellaire, MI, USA Sitting on the banks of the Intermediate River, this house is designed to be a Green Star Silver retreat. Integrating and expanding on the expression of the original modern house and inspired by Joseph Eichler, this house incorporates simple lines, and clean details. With the goal of going to net-zero in a few years, the house is well air-sealed and insulated to reduce energy consumption as a first step in achieving the goal. Using the Green Star program helped to guide the design and construction team to achieve a home that addresses sustainability in all aspects. Photographed by: Endura Homes

Corri Sandwick Architecture Location: Bellaire, MI, USA Sitting on the banks of the Intermediate River, this house is designed to be a Green Star Silver retreat. Integrating and expanding on the expression of the original modern house and inspired by Joseph Eichler, this house incorporates simple lines, and clean details. With the goal of going to net-zero in a few years, the house is well air-sealed and insulated to reduce energy consumption as a first step in achieving the goal. Using the Green Star program helped to guide the design and construction team to achieve a home that addresses sustainability in all aspects. Photographed by: Endura Homes

Corri Sandwick Architecture Location: Bellaire, MI, USA Sitting on the banks of the Intermediate River, this house is designed to be a Green Star Silver retreat. Integrating and expanding on the expression of the original modern house and inspired by Joseph Eichler, this house incorporates simple lines, and clean details. With the goal of going to net-zero in a few years, the house is well air-sealed and insulated to reduce energy consumption as a first step in achieving the goal. Using the Green Star program helped to guide the design and construction team to achieve a home that addresses sustainability in all aspects. Photographed by: Endura Homes

Corri Sandwick Architecture Location: Bellaire, MI, USA Sitting on the banks of the Intermediate River, this house is designed to be a Green Star Silver retreat. Integrating and expanding on the expression of the original modern house and inspired by Joseph Eichler, this house incorporates simple lines, and clean details. With the goal of going to net-zero in a few years, the house is well air-sealed and insulated to reduce energy consumption as a first step in achieving the goal. Using the Green Star program helped to guide the design and construction team to achieve a home that addresses sustainability in all aspects. Photographed by: Endura Homes

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

Corri Sandwick Architecture Location: Bellaire, MI, USA Sitting on the banks of the Intermediate River, this house is designed to be a Green Star Silver retreat. Integrating and expanding on the expression of the original modern house and inspired by Joseph Eichler, this house incorporates simple lines, and clean details. With the goal of going to net-zero in a few years, the house is well air-sealed and insulated to reduce energy consumption as a first step in achieving the goal. Using the Green Star program helped to guide the design and construction team to achieve a home that addresses sustainability in all aspects. Photographed by: Endura Homes

The open space plan on the main level of the Prairie Style home is deceiving of the actual separation of spaces. This home packs a punch with a private hot tub, craft room, library, and even a theater. The interior of the home features the same attention to place, as the natural world is evident in the use of granite, basalt, walnut, poplar, and natural river rock throughout. Floor to ceiling windows in strategic locations eliminates the sense of compression on the interior, while the overall window design promotes natural daylighting and cross-ventilation in nearly every space of the home. Glo’s A5 Series in double pane was selected for the high performance values and clean, minimal frame profiles. High performance spacers, double pane glass, multiple air seals, and a larger continuous thermal break combine to reduce convection and eliminate condensation, ultimately providing energy efficiency and thermal performance unheard of in traditional aluminum windows. The A5 Series provides smooth operation and long-lasting durability without sacrificing style for this Prairie Style home.

Corri Sandwick Architecture Location: Bellaire, MI, USA Sitting on the banks of the Intermediate River, this house is designed to be a Green Star Silver retreat. Integrating and expanding on the expression of the original modern house and inspired by Joseph Eichler, this house incorporates simple lines, and clean details. With the goal of going to net-zero in a few years, the house is well air-sealed and insulated to reduce energy consumption as a first step in achieving the goal. Using the Green Star program helped to guide the design and construction team to achieve a home that addresses sustainability in all aspects. Photographed by: Endura Homes

Progressive’s design team strategically reconfigured the kitchen layout, successfully addressing the homeowners’ needs for improved functionality. This change not only provided ample countertop space but also allowed us to install an exterior-vented cooktop hood, which was previously lacking. The kitchen now boasts a spacious island, double ovens to replace the single oven, and a separate microwave, aligning with their preferences. Furthermore, we optimized the dining area, reducing its footprint and eliminating unnecessary wasted space.

Corri Sandwick Architecture Location: Bellaire, MI, USA Sitting on the banks of the Intermediate River, this house is designed to be a Green Star Silver retreat. Integrating and expanding on the expression of the original modern house and inspired by Joseph Eichler, this house incorporates simple lines, and clean details. With the goal of going to net-zero in a few years, the house is well air-sealed and insulated to reduce energy consumption as a first step in achieving the goal. Using the Green Star program helped to guide the design and construction team to achieve a home that addresses sustainability in all aspects. Photographed by: Endura Homes

Quite often rear yards are often broken up into separate spaces that do not complement each other. This small urban yard was no exception and to address this bsq redesigned a smaller deck that was opened up to the rear yard. An integrated concrete seat bench added a fun element while removing the need for railings that would otherwise cut off the deck from the yard. Entertainment space was key for this family so the garden areas had to be reduced. Stainless steel cables were added as an architectural feel and to add support for vertical greening and flowering vines. An existing Corten steel planter that was a treasured art piece was turned into a gas fireplace with a removable wood top to provide double duty as a coffee table that did not take up too much space.

Quite often rear yards are often broken up into separate spaces that do not complement each other. This small urban yard was no exception and to address this bsq redesigned a smaller deck that was opened up to the rear yard. An integrated concrete seat bench added a fun element while removing the need for railings that would otherwise cut off the deck from the yard. Entertainment space was key for this family so the garden areas had to be reduced. Stainless steel cables were added as an architectural feel and to add support for vertical greening and flowering vines. An existing Corten steel planter that was a treasured art piece was turned into a gas fireplace with a removable wood top to provide double duty as a coffee table that did not take up too much space.

This home was featured in the January 2016 edition of HOME & DESIGN Magazine. To see the rest of the home tour as well as other luxury homes featured, visit http://www.homeanddesign.net/beauty-exemplified-british-west-indies-style/

Our goal is to provide tailored window treatment solutions that address client requirements, including coordination for hardwiring. Duette® LightLock® with PowerView® Automation delivers, accomplishing clients’ preferences of room darkening with reduced light seepage, thanks to the LightLock® channels. Extending room darkening in the master bath allows the door to the bedroom to stay open. Additional light filtering shades with top-down/bottom-up operation offer sun control and privacy without compromising the view during the day. Corner windows with cranks pose a unique challenge, especially with 2 shades and additional tracks, and these turned out perfect!

Quite often rear yards are often broken up into separate spaces that do not complement each other. This small urban yard was no exception and to address this bsq redesigned a smaller deck that was opened up to the rear yard. An integrated concrete seat bench added a fun element while removing the need for railings that would otherwise cut off the deck from the yard. Entertainment space was key for this family so the garden areas had to be reduced. Stainless steel cables were added as an architectural feel and to add support for vertical greening and flowering vines. An existing Corten steel planter that was a treasured art piece was turned into a gas fireplace with a removable wood top to provide double duty as a coffee table that did not take up too much space.