When a world class sailing champion approached us to design a Newport home for his family, with lodging for his sailing crew, we set out to create a clean, light-filled modern home that would integrate with the natural surroundings of the waterfront property, and respect the character of the historic district. Our approach was to make the marine landscape an integral feature throughout the home. One hundred eighty degree views of the ocean from the top floors are the result of the pinwheel massing. The home is designed as an extension of the curvilinear approach to the property through the woods and reflects the gentle undulating waterline of the adjacent saltwater marsh. Floodplain regulations dictated that the primary occupied spaces be located significantly above grade; accordingly, we designed the first and second floors on a stone “plinth” above a walk-out basement with ample storage for sailing equipment. The curved stone base slopes to grade and houses the shallow entry stair, while the same stone clads the interior’s vertical core to the roof, along which the wood, glass and stainless steel stair ascends to the upper level. One critical programmatic requirement was enough sleeping space for the sailing crew, and informal party spaces for the end of race-day gatherings. The private master suite is situated on one side of the public central volume, giving the homeowners views of approaching visitors. A “bedroom bar,” designed to accommodate a full house of guests, emerges from the other side of the central volume, and serves as a backdrop for the infinity pool and the cove beyond. Also essential to the design process was ecological sensitivity and stewardship. The wetlands of the adjacent saltwater marsh were designed to be restored; an extensive geo-thermal heating and cooling system was implemented; low carbon footprint materials and permeable surfaces were used where possible. Native and non-invasive plant species were utilized in the landscape. The abundance of windows and glass railings maximize views of the landscape, and, in deference to the adjacent bird sanctuary, bird-friendly glazing was used throughout. Photo: Michael Moran/OTTO Photography

Located in, Summit Park, Park City UT lies one of the most efficient houses in the country. The Summit Haus – designed and built by Chris Price of PCD+B, is an exploration in design and construction of advanced high performance housing. Seeing a rising demand for sustainable housing along with rising Carbon emissions leading to global warming, this house strives to show that sensible, good design can create spaces adequate for today’s housing demands while adhering to strict standards. The house was designed to meet the very rigid Passiv House rating system – 90% more efficient than a typical home in the area. The house itself was intended to nestle neatly into the 45 degree sloped site and to take full advantage of the limited solar access and views. The views range from short, highly wooded views to a long corridor out towards the Uinta Mountain range towards the east. The house was designed and built based off Passiv Haus standards, and the framing and ventilation became critical elements to maintain such minimal energy requirements. Zola triple-pane, tilt-and-turn Thermo uPVC windows contribute substantially to the home’s energy efficiency, and takes advantage of the beautiful surrounding of the location, including forrest views from the deck off of the kitchen. Photographer: Douglas Burke

The new backyard is perfect for entertaining large groups, hosting intimate dinners, or relaxing. Birdhouses and plants line the new space and a pergola shades a table for al fresco dining. A pass-through into the basement allows guests to pull a stool right up to the bar.

A uniform and cohesive look adds simplicity to the overall aesthetic, supporting the minimalist design. The A5s is Glo’s slimmest profile, allowing for more glass, less frame, and wider sightlines. The concealed hinge creates a clean interior look while also providing a more energy-efficient air-tight window. The increased performance is also seen in the triple pane glazing used in both series. The windows and doors alike provide a larger continuous thermal break, multiple air seals, high-performance spacers, Low-E glass, and argon filled glazing, with U-values as low as 0.20. Energy efficiency and effortless minimalism create a breathtaking Scandinavian-style remodel.

Native Little Bluestem catches the late summer sun.
This is an example of a traditional full sun landscaping in New York.

Tucked in the beauty of Montana, this seemingly modest home design comes alive amongst the trees and wilderness of Whitefish. A hub for outdoor recreation and refuge, this region is most known for its proximity to the West Glacier National Park entrance. Drawing thousands from all over the world, Flathead County is no stranger to hosting those who appreciate the value of aqua blue lakes and rivers, towering evergreens, and winding trails. Enthralled by the beauty of the region, the homeowners selected a plot of land that truly showcased the area with a home design focusing on the wild views. The home’s front exterior is unassuming yet modern. Horizontal narrow windows, seemingly single story with a modest shed roof. The exterior materials bring warmth to the clean angles with barn wood shiplap siding, each a different width for texture and depth. The standing seam roof anchors the home in a rich black metal, a nod to its contemporary aesthetic. The front portico is clad with rusted core ten metal bringing another dimension to the front. The rear of the home quickly unfolds, revealing it to be a two-story home, with a walk-out basement, furnished in glass from head to toe. A stark contrast to the understated front façade.A balcony is immediately off the dining area, providing a quick escape to the outdoor refuge of Whitefish. Glo’s A5 double pane windows were used to create breathtaking views that are the crown jewels of the home’s design. Furthermore, the full height curtain wall windows and 12’ lift and slide doors provide views as well as thermal performance. The argon-filled glazing, multiple air seals, and larger thermal break make these aluminum windows durable and long-lasting.

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This project won in the 2013 Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh Housing Excellence Award for Best Urban Renewal Renovation Project. The glass bowl was made in the glass studio owned by the owner which is adjacent to the residence. The mirror is a repurposed window. The door is repurposed from a boarding house. George Mendel

Karen Swanson of New England Design Works Designed this Pennville Kitchen for her own home, and it won not only the regional Sub-Zero award, but also the National Kitchen & Bath Association's medium kitchen of the year. Karen is located in Manchester, MA and can be reached at nedesignworks@gmail.com or 978.500.1096.

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Modern Aire PS 16 commercial exhaust fan with an application that keeps the hood close to the ceiling and vents through the roof. Curtis Martin Photography

Deborah De graffenreid
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This Boulder, Colorado remodel by fuentesdesign demonstrates the possibility of renewal in American suburbs, and Passive House design principles. Once an inefficient single story 1,000 square-foot ranch house with a forced air furnace, has been transformed into a two-story, solar powered 2500 square-foot three bedroom home ready for the next generation. The new design for the home is modern with a sustainable theme, incorporating a palette of natural materials including; reclaimed wood finishes, FSC-certified pine Zola windows and doors, and natural earth and lime plasters that soften the interior and crisp contemporary exterior with a flavor of the west. A Ninety-percent efficient energy recovery fresh air ventilation system provides constant filtered fresh air to every room. The existing interior brick was removed and replaced with insulation. The remaining heating and cooling loads are easily met with the highest degree of comfort via a mini-split heat pump, the peak heat load has been cut by a factor of 4, despite the house doubling in size. During the coldest part of the Colorado winter, a wood stove for ambiance and low carbon back up heat creates a special place in both the living and kitchen area, and upstairs loft. This ultra energy efficient home relies on extremely high levels of insulation, air-tight detailing and construction, and the implementation of high performance, custom made European windows and doors by Zola Windows. Zola’s ThermoPlus Clad line, which boasts R-11 triple glazing and is thermally broken with a layer of patented German Purenit®, was selected for the project. These windows also provide a seamless indoor/outdoor connection, with 9′ wide folding doors from the dining area and a matching 9′ wide custom countertop folding window that opens the kitchen up to a grassy court where mature trees provide shade and extend the living space during the summer months. With air-tight construction, this home meets the Passive House Retrofit (EnerPHit) air-tightness standard of

Fu-Tung Cheng, CHENG Design • Front Entryway of House 6 concrete and wood home. House 6, is Cheng Design’s sixth custom home project, was redesigned and constructed from top-to-bottom. The project represents a major career milestone thanks to the unique and innovative use of concrete, as this residence is one of Cheng Design’s first-ever ‘hybrid’ structures, constructed as a combination of wood and concrete. Photography: Matthew Millman

Brian Kellogg
Family room - traditional family room idea in Sacramento with beige walls

The Kiguchi family moved into their Austin, Texas home in 1994. Built in the 1980’s as part of a neighborhood development, they happily raised their family here but longed for something more contemporary. Once they became empty nesters, they decided it was time for a major remodel. After spending many years visiting Austin AIA Home Tours that highlight contemporary residential architecture, they had a lot of ideas and in 2013 were ready to interview architects and get their renovation underway. The project turned into a major remodel due to an unstable foundation. Architects Ben Arbib and Ed Hughey, of Arbib Hughey Design were hired to solve the structural issue and look for inspiration in the bones of the house, which sat on top of a hillside and was surrounded by great views. Unfortunately, with the old floor plan, the beautiful views were hidden by small windows that were poorly placed. In order to bring more natural light into the house the window sizes and configurations had to be addressed, all while keeping in mind the homeowners desire for a modern look and feel. To achieve a more contemporary and sophisticated front of house, a new entry was designed that included removing a two-story bay window and porch. The entrance of the home also became more integrated with the landscape creating a template for new foliage to be planted. Older exterior materials were updated to incorporate a more muted palette of colors with a metal roof, dark grey siding in the back and white stucco in the front. Deep eaves were added over many of the new large windows for clean lines and sun protection. “Inside it was about opening up the floor plan, expanding the views throughout the house, and updating the material palette to get a modern look that was also warm and inviting,” said Ben from Arbib Hughey Design. “Prior to the remodel, the house had the typical separation of rooms. We removed the walls between them and changed all of the windows to Milgard Thermally Improved Aluminum to connect the inside with the outside. No matter where you are you get nice views and natural light.” The architects wanted to create some drama, which they accomplished with the window placement and opening up the interior floor plan to an open concept approach. Cabinetry was used to help delineate intimate spaces. To add warmth to an all-white living room, white-washed oak wood floors were installed and pine planks were used around the fireplace. The large windows served as artwork bringing the color of nature into the space. An octagon shaped, elevated dining room, (named “the turret”), had a big impact on the design of the house. They architects rounded the corners and added larger window openings overlooking a new sunken garden. The great room was also softened by rounding out the corners and that circular theme continued throughout the house, being picked up in skylight wells and kitchen cabinetry. A staircase leading to a catwalk was added and the result was a two-story window wall that flooded the home with natural light. When asked why Milgard® Thermally Improved Aluminum windows were selected, the architectural team listed many reasons: 1) Aesthetics: “We liked the slim profiles and narrow sightlines. The window frames never get in the way of the view and that was important to us. They also have a very contemporary look that went well with our design.” 2) Options: “We liked that we could get large sliding doors that matched the windows, giving us a very cohesive look and feel throughout the project.” 3) Cost Effective: “Milgard windows are affordable. You get a good product at a good price.” 4) Custom Sizes: “Milgard windows are customizable, which allowed us to get the right window for each location.” Ready to take on your own traditional to modern home remodeling project? Arbib Hughey Design advises, “Work with a good architect. That means picking a team that is creative, communicative, listens well and is responsive. We think it’s important for an architect to listen to their clients and give them something they want, not something the architect thinks they should have. At the same time you want an architect who is willing and able to think outside the box and offer up design options that you may not have considered. Design is about a lot of back and forth, trying out ideas, getting feedback and trying again.” The home was completely transformed into a unique, contemporary house perfectly integrated with its site. Internally the home has a natural flow for the occupants and externally it is integrated with the surroundings taking advantage of great natural light. As a side note, it was highly praised as part of the Austin AIA homes tour.

Architect: Amanda Martocchio Architecture & Design Photography: Michael Moran Project Year:2016 This LEED-certified project was a substantial rebuild of a 1960's home, preserving the original foundation to the extent possible, with a small amount of new area, a reconfigured floor plan, and newly envisioned massing. The design is simple and modern, with floor to ceiling glazing along the rear, connecting the interior living spaces to the landscape. The design process was informed by building science best practices, including solar orientation, triple glazing, rain-screen exterior cladding, and a thermal envelope that far exceeds code requirements.

Karen Swanson of New England Design Works Designed this Pennville Kitchen for her own home, and it won not only the regional Sub-Zero award, but also the National Kitchen & Bath Association's medium kitchen of the year. Karen is located in Manchester, MA and can be reached at nedesignworks@gmail.com or 978.500.1096.

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