A meticulously crafted backyard retreat small plan home designed to redefine urban living. This energy-efficient dwelling unites the principles of sustainable design with eye-catching aesthetics to provide a functional space that's perfect for additional income, guest quarters, or extended family accommodations. Its compact layout aims to increase urban density while contributing to a reduced carbon footprint. The Retreat not only offers you the chance to embrace a greener, more efficient lifestyle but also empowers you with an opportunity to augment your income.

Value engineering (VE) is systematic method to improve the "value" of goods or products and services by using an examination of function. Value, as defined, is the ratio of function to cost. Value can therefore be increased by either improving the function or reducing the cost. Project Year: 2015 Project Cost: $500,001 - $750,000 Country: United States Zip Code: 12567

Photographed by Ronald Chang
Inspiration for a large modern detached three-car carport remodel in Los Angeles

This project features a clean, professional exterior radon mitigation setup designed to follow the vertical lines of the home's siding. The system incorporates a premium, weather-sealed inline fan unit and a streamlined exhaust stack that safely vents sub-slab soil gases above the roofline. Securely anchored with heavy-duty brackets, this installation offers a highly effective and long-lasting solution for reducing radon levels while keeping the home's exterior neat and unobtrusive.

Deck built for minimal maintenance and privacy. Deck construction is all plastic / galvanized / powder coated materials to eliminate maintenance other than occasional cleaning. Unique cantilevered design to reduce framing member size and load on house. TimberTech deck boards installed with CONCEALoc hidden fastener system and not butt joints. Columns are decorative concrete masonry units. Overhead poles are for retractable canopy (fabric removed for the season).

Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in Orange County

Inspiration for a coastal living room remodel in Boston with white walls, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

This custom pullout unit flanking the gas range makes having cooking utensils readily accessible, convenient, and out of sight when not in use. A must for those who love organization!

Rustic White Photography
Enclosed kitchen - mid-sized transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor enclosed kitchen idea in Atlanta with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and a peninsula

Integrated design-build services combining architectural design with construction management under single contract. EDR Design Build eliminates traditional separation between design and construction phases, reducing project delays and cost overruns. Services include conceptual design, permitting coordination, material selection, quality control, and budget management. Streamlined communication reduces change orders and accelerates project delivery compared to traditional general contracting methods.

Eudora Cabinetry Colony Maple Door Bright White Finish Hardware by Jeffrey Alexander Remodel by Advantage Builders
Inspiration for a large coastal l-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Atlanta with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, blue backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

A meticulously crafted backyard retreat small plan home designed to redefine urban living. This energy-efficient dwelling unites the principles of sustainable design with eye-catching aesthetics to provide a functional space that's perfect for additional income, guest quarters, or extended family accommodations. Its compact layout aims to increase urban density while contributing to a reduced carbon footprint. The Retreat not only offers you the chance to embrace a greener, more efficient lifestyle but also empowers you with an opportunity to augment your income.

Integrated design-build services combining architectural design with construction management under single contract. EDR Design Build eliminates traditional separation between design and construction phases, reducing project delays and cost overruns. Services include conceptual design, permitting coordination, material selection, quality control, and budget management. Streamlined communication reduces change orders and accelerates project delivery compared to traditional general contracting methods.

Integrated design-build services combining architectural design with construction management under single contract. EDR Design Build eliminates traditional separation between design and construction phases, reducing project delays and cost overruns. Services include conceptual design, permitting coordination, material selection, quality control, and budget management. Streamlined communication reduces change orders and accelerates project delivery compared to traditional general contracting methods.

Integrated design-build services combining architectural design with construction management under single contract. EDR Design Build eliminates traditional separation between design and construction phases, reducing project delays and cost overruns. Services include conceptual design, permitting coordination, material selection, quality control, and budget management. Streamlined communication reduces change orders and accelerates project delivery compared to traditional general contracting methods.

Building Design, Plans, and Interior Finishes by: Fluidesign Studio I Builder: Anchor Builders I Photographer: sethbennphoto.com
Eat-in kitchen - large traditional l-shaped light wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Minneapolis with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Andrea Calo
Trendy white tile white floor alcove shower photo in Austin with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, a vessel sink, a hinged shower door and white countertops

CASA 1O Contemporary on a Mid-century Scaffold. Largely unmodified since its design by Russell Forester and construction in 1957, the structure housed the original family until 2013. An intimate 1,910 square foot space, the house acquired a separate 600 square foot cottage in the 70’s designed by another architect. New owners purchased the house with the idea of keeping the original architect’s intent intact – the simple accommodation of everyday life with a focus on outdoor living only possible in Southern California. At the same time the house needed insulation, new electrical, plumbing, siding – everything but new studs and foundations. A single roof beam travels south from the north fireplace wall all the way to the bedrooms in the back. Functions occur to either side, with private access to exterior courtyards. How do we accentuate the uncomplicated while enhancing the qualities of the chosen materials? Contemporary applied to a mid-century scaffold. We focused on reduction, a few things performing many tasks. Each component, material or color performs more than one duty. Lighting is paramount, enhancing the design’s procession from front to back, north to south, public to private. Strip LED’s reinforce the beam’s linear presence and spot LED’s make punctuation points of the roof purlins. Hidden up and down-lights in the cabinets and elsewhere provide the rooms with a quiet glow. Exterior grass plantings give the only vertical dimension to the design, waving as the breeze moves them. All else is horizontal: caramelized bamboo siding, porcelain tile, roof line and ocean horizon. Architect: Heather Johnston Architect Landscaping: HJA Photography: Brady Architectural Photography

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