Madrona Passive House, a new Seattle home designed by SHED Architecture & Design and built by Hammer & Hand, combines contemporary design with high performance building to create an environmentally responsive and resource-efficient house. The home’s airtight, super-insulated building envelope and passive design minimize energy consumption while providing superior thermal comfort to occupants. A heat recovery ventilator supplies constant fresh air to the home’s interior while recovering 90% of thermal energy from exhaust air for reuse inside. A rooftop solar photovoltaic array will provide enough energy to offset most, perhaps all, of the home’s energy consumption on a net annual basis. To manage stormwater the project employs permeable pavers for site hardscape and two cisterns to capture and control rainwater from the home’s roof and the green roof on the garage. By investing in sustainable site development strategies, efficient building systems and an advanced envelope, the project aims to respect the home’s environmentally critical site and achieve one of the world’s most demanding building energy standards: Passive House. Photos by Mark Woods Photography.

Guram Architects
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless white one-story mixed siding house exterior remodel in Denver with a metal roof

Madrona Passive House, a new Seattle home designed by SHED Architecture & Design and built by Hammer & Hand, combines contemporary design with high performance building to create an environmentally responsive and resource-efficient house. The home’s airtight, super-insulated building envelope and passive design minimize energy consumption while providing superior thermal comfort to occupants. A heat recovery ventilator supplies constant fresh air to the home’s interior while recovering 90% of thermal energy from exhaust air for reuse inside. A rooftop solar photovoltaic array will provide enough energy to offset most, perhaps all, of the home’s energy consumption on a net annual basis. To manage stormwater the project employs permeable pavers for site hardscape and two cisterns to capture and control rainwater from the home’s roof and the green roof on the garage. By investing in sustainable site development strategies, efficient building systems and an advanced envelope, the project aims to respect the home’s environmentally critical site and achieve one of the world’s most demanding building energy standards: Passive House. Photos by Mark Woods Photography.

Photo credit Michael Moran. The design for this client’s “dream house on the water” capitalizes on every opportunity to incorporate views of the Long Island Sound within the home. The placement and expanse of the fir windows and sliding doors underscore the water’s proximity. The interior gathering space spills out onto the raised outdoor deck and lap pool overlooking the seawall. Reducing the house’s carbon footprint is another priority, accomplished by generating renewable energy on site. The precise angle of the house on the property is calculated for optimal solar energy production by the rooftop photovoltaic panels and a geothermal system installed under the driveway provides heating and cooling for the house. Due to the fact that the site is located on a floodplain, the ground floor of the house is raised and no basement is allowed. This presents a challenge in terms of carving out enough storage space in the main house that one might normally relegate to a basement. Rooms are efficiently sized and serve multiple functions and storage is built-in wherever possible.

Here is an architecturally built house from the early 1970's which was brought into the new century during this complete home remodel by adding a garage space, new windows triple pane tilt and turn windows, cedar double front doors, clear cedar siding with clear cedar natural siding accents, clear cedar garage doors, galvanized over sized gutters with chain style downspouts, standing seam metal roof, re-purposed arbor/pergola, professionally landscaped yard, and stained concrete driveway, walkways, and steps.

Madrona Passive House, a new Seattle home designed by SHED Architecture & Design and built by Hammer & Hand, combines contemporary design with high performance building to create an environmentally responsive and resource-efficient house. The home’s airtight, super-insulated building envelope and passive design minimize energy consumption while providing superior thermal comfort to occupants. A heat recovery ventilator supplies constant fresh air to the home’s interior while recovering 90% of thermal energy from exhaust air for reuse inside. A rooftop solar photovoltaic array will provide enough energy to offset most, perhaps all, of the home’s energy consumption on a net annual basis. To manage stormwater the project employs permeable pavers for site hardscape and two cisterns to capture and control rainwater from the home’s roof and the green roof on the garage. By investing in sustainable site development strategies, efficient building systems and an advanced envelope, the project aims to respect the home’s environmentally critical site and achieve one of the world’s most demanding building energy standards: Passive House. Photos by Mark Woods Photography.

Charlie Dresen
Inspiration for a contemporary landscaping in Denver.

How do you improve on midcentury modern? Lincoln Lighthill Architect’s extensive renovation of an early 60's, Eichler-esque home on Twin Peaks answers the question by picking up where the original house left off, with simple but important updates that reimagine this unique home. By replacing punched windows with walls of glass, removing interior walls and opening up a 40’ wide living space with a large steel moment frame, inserting skylights at key locations to bring light deep into the interior, and cantilevering a steel and timber deck off the front to take in the spectacular view, the full potential of the original design is realized. The renovation included an inside and out rethinking of how the home functions, with new kitchen, bathrooms, and finishes throughout. A comprehensive energy upgrade included efficient windows, LED lighting and dimming controls, spray-foam insulation throughout, efficient furnace upgrades, and pre-wiring for a rooftop solar system.

How do you improve on midcentury modern? Lincoln Lighthill Architect’s extensive renovation of an early 60's, Eichler-esque home on Twin Peaks answers the question by picking up where the original house left off, with simple but important updates that reimagine this unique home. By replacing punched windows with walls of glass, removing interior walls and opening up a 40’ wide living space with a large steel moment frame, inserting skylights at key locations to bring light deep into the interior, and cantilevering a steel and timber deck off the front to take in the spectacular view, the full potential of the original design is realized. The renovation included an inside and out rethinking of how the home functions, with new kitchen, bathrooms, and finishes throughout. A comprehensive energy upgrade included efficient windows, LED lighting and dimming controls, spray-foam insulation throughout, efficient furnace upgrades, and pre-wiring for a rooftop solar system.

Our long-time clients wanted a bit of outdoor entertainment space at their Boston penthouse, and while there were some challenges due to location and footprint, we agreed to help. The views are amazing as this space overlooks the harbor and Boston’s bustling Seaport below. With Logan Airport just on the other side of the Boston Harbor, the arriving jets are a mesmerizing site as their lights line up in preparation to land. The entire space we had to work with is less than 10 feet wide and 45 feet long (think bowling-alley-lane dimensions), so we worked extremely hard to get as much programmable space as possible without forcing any of the areas. The gathering spots are delineated by granite and IPE wood floor tiles supported on a custom pedestal system designed to protect the rubber roof below. The gas grill and wine fridge are installed within a custom-built IPE cabinet topped by jet-mist granite countertops. This countertop extends to a slightly-raised bar area for the ultimate view beyond and terminates as a waterfall of granite meets the same jet-mist floor tiles… custom-cut and honed to match, of course. Moving along the length of the space, the floor transitions from granite to wood, and is framed by sculptural containers and plants. Low-voltage lighting warms the space and creates a striking display that harmonizes with the city lights below. Once again, the floor transitions, this time back to granite in the seating area consisting of two counter-height chairs. "This purposeful back-and-forth of the floor really helps define the space and our furniture choices create these niches that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional.” - Russell The terrace concludes with a large trough planter filled with ornamental grasses in the summer months and a seasonal holiday arrangements throughout the winter. An ‘L’-shaped couch offers a spot for multiple guests to relax and take in the sounds of a custom sound system — all hidden and out of sight — which adds to the magical feel of this ultimate night spot.

Large transitional beige two-story wood gable roof idea in Toronto

The overarching design intent for this 1,455-square-foot West Vine Street condominium was to make the spaces contemporary and functional. The renovation began with an unexpected structural deficiency in the form of a post located in the middle of the living room that was causing a three-inch dip in the floor. It was removed and replaced with steel columns running down through the walls and into a footing pad with a three-foot depth. The main living spaces underwent significant changes; the kitchen was reconfigured to open up a formerly cramped space, and the removal of a wall made room for a cascading island with Cesarstone countertops—a crowning feature. Additionally, an electrical panel was relocated to be able to wrap the refrigerator with a wood veneer frame. Notable materials include eight-inch-wide ‘Esplanade’ French oak plank floors chosen to complement the reclaimed wood-wrapped ceiling beams, which feature a combination of LED downlighting and uplighting. A sleek gas fireplace with horizontal slate surround and paneled wall backing replaced an old wood-burning stove—furthering the design program. Pacheco-Robb Architects dismantled an existing spiral stair and replaced it with a cable-rail system—a nautical nod—which is noteworthy for the way it meets code; by running a contiguous oak banister for the entire length of the stair, they were able to avoid having to add a second railing, which would shrink the already narrow stairwell. Upstairs, a tight bedroom with gabled ceilings was addressed by adding a solar-operated skylight with built-in shade, plus minimalistic furnishings. Structural changes in the master bedroom included eliminating a closest to widen the room, and reconfiguring a bathroom to fit a small walk-in closet in lieu of a long, thin hallway. The formerly unfinished rooftop deck is now accessed via a six-foot door that opens more than 90 degrees. Azek decking was laid over the rubber roof, and two-inch stanchions were located around the rail’s outer edge. By opening the floor plan and streamlining the aesthetic, the place now breathes.

This magnificent custom 4,200 sq ft timber frame Adirondack style home, with guest house and pool, enjoys complete privacy at the end of a rustic mountain road on 16 acres. Outfitted with robust, modern, eco-friendly solar systems and technology, the 4-bedroom, 3.5 bathroom main house features a wraparound porch and balcony, an open floor plan with oak and black walnut floors, rough Tuscan plaster walls, wood beams and French doors throughout. The spacious Timberpeg great room addition with loft balcony, cathedral ceilings and floor to ceiling rough-hewn stone fireplace, opens onto a patio sitting area enclosed by rustic walls cut from the property''s stone. Adjacent to the great room, an exceptional screened porch with fireplace looks over spectacular views of expansive lawns and the Catskill Mountains beyond. The Tuscan-inspired kitchen has an Italian tile and limestone farm sink, 6-burner Wolf range and custom extractor hood. The Master suite features a timbered balcony, steam shower and Jacuzzi tub. Opening onto the porch, a private main floor guest suite shares the outstanding views that define this exclusive property. Full basement with radiant floors, and roughed out for 5 th bedroom suite/bathroom and game room, provides additional storage. The property also features high-efficiency Buderus boiler, EV car charging port, rooftop solarvoltaic panels, back-up generator, driveway basketball court, 2-car garage, and space for a tennis court. A chalet-style post and beam 2-bedroom, 1-bath guesthouse completes this distinctive estate, with dining and sitting room, kitchenette, a natural form solar-heated pool with propane heat backup, free-form stone patio, spa whirlpool, waterfall, weeping rock wall, and cedar log pergola.

Design ideas for a rustic landscaping in Denver.

SunPower® home solar panels can help lower your energy costs and reduce your carbon footprint.
Example of a mid-sized classic white one-story exterior home design in San Francisco

Custom Solar "PV" Carport
Mid-sized minimalist detached two-car carport photo in Miami

This magnificent custom 4,200 sq ft timber frame Adirondack style home, with guest house and pool, enjoys complete privacy at the end of a rustic mountain road on 16 acres. Outfitted with robust, modern, eco-friendly solar systems and technology, the 4-bedroom, 3.5 bathroom main house features a wraparound porch and balcony, an open floor plan with oak and black walnut floors, rough Tuscan plaster walls, wood beams and French doors throughout. The spacious Timberpeg great room addition with loft balcony, cathedral ceilings and floor to ceiling rough-hewn stone fireplace, opens onto a patio sitting area enclosed by rustic walls cut from the property''s stone. Adjacent to the great room, an exceptional screened porch with fireplace looks over spectacular views of expansive lawns and the Catskill Mountains beyond. The Tuscan-inspired kitchen has an Italian tile and limestone farm sink, 6-burner Wolf range and custom extractor hood. The Master suite features a timbered balcony, steam shower and Jacuzzi tub. Opening onto the porch, a private main floor guest suite shares the outstanding views that define this exclusive property. Full basement with radiant floors, and roughed out for 5 th bedroom suite/bathroom and game room, provides additional storage. The property also features high-efficiency Buderus boiler, EV car charging port, rooftop solarvoltaic panels, back-up generator, driveway basketball court, 2-car garage, and space for a tennis court. A chalet-style post and beam 2-bedroom, 1-bath guesthouse completes this distinctive estate, with dining and sitting room, kitchenette, a natural form solar-heated pool with propane heat backup, free-form stone patio, spa whirlpool, waterfall, weeping rock wall, and cedar log pergola.

Photo credit Michael Moran. The design for this client’s “dream house on the water” capitalizes on every opportunity to incorporate views of the Long Island Sound within the home. The placement and expanse of the fir windows and sliding doors underscore the water’s proximity. The interior gathering space spills out onto the raised outdoor deck and lap pool overlooking the seawall. Reducing the house’s carbon footprint is another priority, accomplished by generating renewable energy on site. The precise angle of the house on the property is calculated for optimal solar energy production by the rooftop photovoltaic panels and a geothermal system installed under the driveway provides heating and cooling for the house. Due to the fact that the site is located on a floodplain, the ground floor of the house is raised and no basement is allowed. This presents a challenge in terms of carving out enough storage space in the main house that one might normally relegate to a basement. Rooms are efficiently sized and serve multiple functions and storage is built-in wherever possible.

This magnificent custom 4,200 sq ft timber frame Adirondack style home, with guest house and pool, enjoys complete privacy at the end of a rustic mountain road on 16 acres. Outfitted with robust, modern, eco-friendly solar systems and technology, the 4-bedroom, 3.5 bathroom main house features a wraparound porch and balcony, an open floor plan with oak and black walnut floors, rough Tuscan plaster walls, wood beams and French doors throughout. The spacious Timberpeg great room addition with loft balcony, cathedral ceilings and floor to ceiling rough-hewn stone fireplace, opens onto a patio sitting area enclosed by rustic walls cut from the property''s stone. Adjacent to the great room, an exceptional screened porch with fireplace looks over spectacular views of expansive lawns and the Catskill Mountains beyond. The Tuscan-inspired kitchen has an Italian tile and limestone farm sink, 6-burner Wolf range and custom extractor hood. The Master suite features a timbered balcony, steam shower and Jacuzzi tub. Opening onto the porch, a private main floor guest suite shares the outstanding views that define this exclusive property. Full basement with radiant floors, and roughed out for 5 th bedroom suite/bathroom and game room, provides additional storage. The property also features high-efficiency Buderus boiler, EV car charging port, rooftop solarvoltaic panels, back-up generator, driveway basketball court, 2-car garage, and space for a tennis court. A chalet-style post and beam 2-bedroom, 1-bath guesthouse completes this distinctive estate, with dining and sitting room, kitchenette, a natural form solar-heated pool with propane heat backup, free-form stone patio, spa whirlpool, waterfall, weeping rock wall, and cedar log pergola.