The new custom fabric retractable awning is made from a screen type fabric to allow some light to come through so that the container garden plants still receive some sunlight. But, this also allows the awning to keep most of the direct sun off of the side of the house to keep it cool and reduce energy consumption. Here the awning is shown in a mostly closed position to keep the house cool and the plants from wilting in the heat while keeping the patio area in the sunlight.

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 transitional porcelain tile porcelain tile and single-sink walk-in shower remodel in Providence with shaker cabinets, gray cabinets, an undermount sink, quartz countertops and a built-in vanity

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/

This creative transitional space was transformed from a very dated layout that did not function well for our homeowners - who enjoy cooking for both their family and friends. They found themselves cooking on a 30" by 36" tiny island in an area that had much more potential. A completely new floor plan was in order. An unnecessary hallway was removed to create additional space and a new traffic pattern. New doorways were created for access from the garage and to the laundry. Just a couple of highlights in this all Thermador appliance professional kitchen are the 10 ft island with two dishwashers (also note the heated tile area on the functional side of the island), double floor to ceiling pull-out pantries flanking the refrigerator, stylish soffited area at the range complete with burnished steel, niches and shelving for storage. Contemporary organic pendants add another unique texture to this beautiful, welcoming, one of a kind kitchen! Photos by David Cobb Photography.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional freestanding desk dark wood floor and brown floor study room remodel in Milwaukee with gray walls

The Cherry Road project is a humble yet striking example of how small changes can have a big impact. A meaningful project as the final room to be renovated in this house, thus our completion aligned with the family’s move-in. The kitchen posed a number of problems the design worked to remedy. Such as an existing window oriented the room towards a neighboring driveway. The initial design move sought to reorganize the space internally, focusing the view from the sink back through the house to the pool and courtyard beyond. This simple repositioning allowed the range to center on the opposite wall, flanked by two windows that reduce direct views to the driveway while increasing the natural light of the space. Opposite that opening to the dining room, we created a new custom hutch that has the upper doors bypass doors incorporate an antique mirror, then led they magnified the light and view opposite side of the room. The ceilings we were confined to eight foot four, so we wanted to create as much verticality as possible. All the cabinetry was designed to go to the ceiling, incorporating a simple coat mold at the ceiling. The west wall of the kitchen is primarily floor-to-ceiling storage behind paneled doors. So the refrigeration and freezers are fully integrated. The island has a custom steel base with hammered legs, with a natural wax finish on it. The top is soapstone and incorporates an integral drain board in the kitchen sink. We did custom bar stools with steel bases and upholstered seats. At the range, we incorporated stainless steel countertops to integrate with the range itself, to make that more seamless flow. The edge detail is historic from the 1930s. There is a concealed sort of office for the homeowner behind custom, bi-folding panel doors. So it can be closed and totally concealed, or opened up and engaged with the kitchen. In the office area, which was a former pantry, we repurposed a granite marble top that was on the former island. Then the walls have a grass cloth wall covering, which is pinnable, so the homeowner can display photographs, calendars, and schedules.

Braheem Residence's social area is enclosed by glass windows nonetheless the architectural design considered this and protected the space from the sun with the position of the mass of the second floor bedrooms. This helps to keep energy costs down by reducing to a minimum the solar gain in these glazed areas. This living space is therefore only exposed to the morning sun coming from the east, but the topography going uphill to the east combined with dense trees that were maintained on that side of the property provide natural shading as well.

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

Example of a country black floor and vaulted ceiling freestanding bathtub design in Los Angeles with flat-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, white walls, an undermount sink, gray countertops, a niche and a floating vanity

The top row of wood across the pergola is designed to meet the sun head-on. These purlins or slats are positioned close together for increased shade, but we didn’t stop there. We also added a TopGal polycarbonate cover to the pergola for increased protection from the sun. The homeowners chose a bronze-tinted TopGal cover because it filters out more sun than clear polycarbonate sheets would filter. TopGal blocks UV rays while allowing light to penetrate, and it will also reduce the heat on this patio in the afternoons.

Example of a tuscan patio design in Orange County

The top row of wood across the pergola is designed to meet the sun head-on. These purlins or slats are positioned close together for increased shade, but we didn’t stop there. We also added a TopGal polycarbonate cover to the pergola for increased protection from the sun. The homeowners chose a bronze-tinted TopGal cover because it filters out more sun than clear polycarbonate sheets would filter. TopGal blocks UV rays while allowing light to penetrate, and it will also reduce the heat on this patio in the afternoons.

Bathroom Universal Design considerations: * The master shower was designed with a curb-less/barrier-free entry * Grab bars were positioned in both bathrooms to reduce the likelihood of falls * Master shower has an extra long hand held shower head hose to easily reach a shower bench or chair * Shampoo niches were placed for easier access while standing or sitting in the shower

RIVUSS Carrión FBWS-300 •Lead-Free Solid Brass Widespread Bathroom Faucet. •Complete Solid Brass Drain Kit Included. •Flühs - German Brand ceramic disc cartridge for near friction free movement for a lifetime. •Neoperl - Switzerland Brand Water Flow Regulator Saves Water - Reduces Energy •All mounting hardware and hot/cold waterlines are included. •Premium color finish resists tarnishing and corrosion. •Faucet mounts in a widespread configuration. •Three Holes Required for installation •Distance Between Handle Installation Holes: 8" - 16" (adjustable) •ADA Compliant •Lead Free - AB 1953 / NSF 372 / NSF 61 Compliant •WaterSense certified product - 1.5 GPM uses at least 30% less water than standard 2.2 GPM faucets. •Certified and Listed by: cUPC / NSF 372 / NSF 61 / AB 1953 / WaterSense / CAL Green •Designed for standard US plumbing connections •Limited Lifetime Warranty *Available in Chrome & Brushed Nickel Finish

Union Square Loft II DHD Interiors worked with this couple to furnish their new recently renovated Flatiron loft. Navigating the dark wood paneling and flooring, DHD selected furniture and finishes that felt rich in color and texture while still cool and casual. Layers of grass cloth wallpapers were added to the main bedrooms to reduce the contrast of the dark wood and walls, adding brightness to the loft’s overall feel. Greys and mink-toned browns served as the foundation for a base palette, with deep burgundies and blues working as accents. This loft feels like a true downtown loft with its original brick and an industrial dining table, but stays balanced with softly upholstered furniture. Each piece, from the Dunbar chaise lounge to the organically shaped coffee table, displays a sculptural quality that contributes to a visually dynamic space. 2 Bedrooms / 2,000 Square Feet Architecture and Photography: Danny Forster Design Studio

FILIPH transforms the sofa experience and introduces innovative materials that instantly capture any eye. It’s marked by the absence of the conventional rigid division occurring between right and left, front and back. The disposition of movable backrests is absolutely free and guarantees maximum comfort in your living space. FILIPH allows the body to go along with its need for functionality and movement. The backrests can be positioned in various con gurations, from reduced to extended sitting, from formal to relaxed. They can be inverted to invite a comely vis-à-vis or transformed into a reclusive chaise lounge or even a large free-standing bed.

The new custom fabric retractable awning is made from a screen type fabric to allow some light to come through so that the container garden plants still receive some sunlight. But, this also allows the awning to keep most of the direct sun off of the side of the house to keep it cool and reduce energy consumption. Here the awning is shown in an extended position in the evening. The screen fabric allows you to see through it. Here, you can see the roofline of the house through the fabric. LED lights were strung between the awning's supports for an evening dinner party.

Sited blocks from the ocean, the Freeman Residence draws from Spanish architectural tradition while embracing a contemporary formal language. Layered volumes step down through the site, anchored by a series of terraced planters that dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior. The design responds directly to the client's outdoor lifestyle, positioning the terraced landscape as an extension of and equal partner to the interior program. Design Priorities Indoor/outdoor continuity with layered landscape integration Terraced massing to reduce street-scale impact Navigation of multiple non-conforming conditions Single-level ground floor living across meaningful grade change