ARCHITECTURE: Honor Award PROJECT: Uptown Lofts on Fifth CLIENT: ACTION-Housing, Inc. ARCHITECTURE FIRM: FortyEighty Architecture ENGINEERS: Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, Inc.; Keystone Structural Solutions; Iams Consulting, LLC CONTRACTORS: Mosites Construction Company PHOTOGRAPHER: FortyEighty Architecture DESCRIPTION: The Uptown Lofts on Fifth are two new multi-unit apartment buildings constructed on opposite sides of Fifth Avenue in Uptown, a neighborhood of Pittsburgh that suffers from steady population decline due to a lack of adequate housing. The developer for the project, ACTION-Housing, Inc., serves a mission to empower people to build secure and self-sufficient lives through decent, affordable housing, and has worked to demonstrate the importance of energy efficiency through various projects. This project was designed to allow for a comparison of the operational performance of the two buildings – one designed to meet Passive House standards and the other designed to meet the requirements of the current energy code. JURY COMMENTS: This is the project the jury discussed the most. Perhaps not best in any one category, this project achieved so much in so many categories. Architecture is about richness, layers of meanings, and social responsibility. This project surpassed others by doing so much in terms of being solidly designed in the context of its neighborhood, with aggressive sustainable goals, and all on a very tight budget. It is serving as a demonstration to the greater sustainable community with two test buildings from which to compare the ROI on a project designed to meet passive house standards versus a building meeting the current energy codes. Most importantly, this building brings a high level of dignity to an all too often overlooked user in a neglected part of town.

The Vermont Cottage continues to be one of our most popular designs - mostly because the kits ship free* in the continental US and Eastern Canada & the estimated assembly time to build this 16' x 20' cabin is only 2 people, 40 hours. Diy plans are $49.95. * http://jamaicacottageshop.com/free-shipping/

A design that incorporates style, class, luxury and grandeur into a home kitchen. One such kitchen remodeling contractor in Los Angeles is ADU Builders that helps in transforming dull & bland looking kitchens into self-sufficient and fully functional working spaces. Kitchen Remodeling Contractors in Los Angeles, CA - https://www.adubuildersca.com/

2010 NARI CAPITAL COTY GRAND AWARD WINNER The homeowner wanted to add square footage and implement an aging-in-place strategy that will enable her to live out her days in residence with dignified self-sufficiency. Specifically, she was seeking an updated family room and larger master bedroom suite. Additionally, she wanted to maintain the original intent of the Cape Cod style. A 28’ x 29’ addition was split between the new family room and the new master suite. First, every doorway into the master suite was redone for better accessibility. The suite itself features a cathedral ceiling, skylights and recessed lighting. The master suite bathroom has features a whirlpool bath, walk-in shower and double vanity. Grab bars and other handicap-accessible features are incorporated for aging in place living. A double-sided fireplace connects the master suite and the family room.

With ADU construction services in City of Industry booming for the past few years, it is experts like Sunshine Remodelers that have provided innovative ADU design ideas for space-crunched residences. It is done by converting old garages into spacious master bedrooms, kitchens, baths & self-sufficient family suites for in-law or guest accommodation. Home Remodeling Contractors in City of Industry, CA - https://www.sunshineremodelers.com/

Space remodel/reclamation at homes becomes easy, when you’ve partnered with general contractors in San Leandro like Carter Home Remodeling that have years of experience in general home remodeling in San Leandro. These guys know how to convert an unused lying odd spaces into a master bedroom or a self-sufficient family suite with all the standard rooms and fixtures. General Contractors in San Leandro for Home Remodeling in San Leandro, CA - https://www.carterhomeremodeling.com/ 94577, 94578, 94579

"Scandinavian Mats (God's Gift)", Living Room, 2020. Scandinavian style is one of the latest interior design trends. I love it for its purity and graphics. The interior's Scandinavian motifs send us to an atmosphere of comfort, peace, and tranquility for its natural materials and enveloping comfort. Customers already had a beautiful and thoughtful interior. Asked me to help bring some zest to the room space. The interior already had a vertical painting with a pen, in the color spectrum of which there were colors beloved by the hostess: the delicate bloom of tiffany, but a little muted, light yellow, antique black. I pushed away from this color combination. The color in the interior should be exactly the color that pleases the house residents. Since the room was on the north side, I wanted to bring some sun to the interior, revive it a little with flowers. The room's main accent was a wooden wall composition created by the masters of the company "Jamike Home Improvement," according to my drawings from polished wooden strips covered with matte varnish. They have done the job excellently! A unique graphic created precisely under this space, which brought the room to an entirely new aesthetic level. I am happy with the work of the contractors. Everything here has its character, its place. Each is self-sufficient and functional: a gorgeous coffee table made of the wooden massif, which opens and serves as additional storage. Accent Mid-century chairs are very comfortable. A natural wool handcrafted area rug is soft and cozy. The beauty of this carpet consists precisely in non-standard, lack of precise geometry. The diamond-shaped pattern of the carpet visually expands the space. The color scheme binds together all the colors of the interior as if completing the overall picture. So, for your attention, the project "Scandinavian Mats (God's Gift)," Living Room, 2020. Author: Oxana Kovalchuk, OxanaKovalchukDesign,Inc

A design that incorporates style, class, luxury and grandeur into a home kitchen. One such kitchen remodeling contractor in Oceanside is Crystal Remodelers that helps in transforming dull & bland looking kitchens into self-sufficient and fully functional working spaces. Kitchen Remodelers, Oceanside, CA - https://www.crystalremodelers.com/

Wide soffits, thicker walls and insulation, and cork flooring regulate temperatures inside.
Inspiration for a craftsman master brown floor, wood ceiling and wood wall bedroom remodel in Other with brown walls

This stunning bespoke design turned a large open floorplan into a serene square-shaped kitchen offering maximum efficiency of use. Each work area is self-sufficient. Each detail was customized to the inch to meet the client’s desires for a space that could support heavy cooking and large gatherings while living in harmony with the oceanscapes visible just outside its windows. Bleached light oak wood cabinets combine with the sculptural feel of Neolith Mont Blanc surfaces, used for counters, backsplashes, and the cooktop/hood area cabinets. UNICA Bespoke project by MandiCasa New York in collaboration with Anderson Campanella Architects. For more about the project and the choices that went into it: https://www.mandicasa.com/a-synthesis-of-zen-and-efficiency

When was the last time you thought seriously about an ADU-garage conversion in City of Industry? Long ago, right? Then, it’s the time to go for a space remodeling by carving out additional rooms and carpet area by converting an old garage or a store room into a spacious master bedroom or a self-sufficient family suite. Home Remodeling Contractors in City of Industry, CA - https://www.sunshineremodelers.com/

2010 NARI CAPITAL COTY GRAND AWARD WINNER The homeowner wanted to add square footage and implement an aging-in-place strategy that will enable her to live out her days in residence with dignified self-sufficiency. Specifically, she was seeking an updated family room and larger master bedroom suite. Additionally, she wanted to maintain the original intent of the Cape Cod style. A 28’ x 29’ addition was split between the new family room and the new master suite. First, every doorway into the master suite was redone for better accessibility. The suite itself features a cathedral ceiling, skylights and recessed lighting. The master suite bathroom has features a whirlpool bath, walk-in shower and double vanity. Grab bars and other handicap-accessible features are incorporated for aging in place living. A double-sided fireplace connects the master suite and the family room.

Space remodel/reclamation at homes becomes easy, when you’ve partnered with general contractors in San Leandro like Carter Home Remodeling that have years of experience in general home remodeling in San Leandro. These guys know how to convert an unused lying odd spaces into a master bedroom or a self-sufficient family suite with all the standard rooms and fixtures. General Contractors in San Leandro for Home Remodeling in San Leandro, CA - https://www.carterhomeremodeling.com/ 94577, 94578, 94579

Fluted fillers, and raised panel cabinetry make this a traditional bar. Adding the sink, and many small appliances make it self sufficient.
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless basement remodel in Denver with yellow walls

This Carlsbad area homeowner came to Specialty Home Improvement looking for a customized design for the accessory dwelling unit they were planning to build on their property. This eco-friendly ADU is self-sufficient, spacious, and move-in ready for short or long-term renters.

A design that incorporates style, class, luxury and grandeur into a home kitchen. One such kitchen remodeling contractor in Oceanside is Crystal Remodelers that helps in transforming dull & bland looking kitchens into self-sufficient and fully functional working spaces. Kitchen Remodelers, Oceanside, CA - https://www.crystalremodelers.com/

This sleek, modern exterior is a welcomed disruption to the otherwise traditional homes in the area. It is minimal and sustainable, and the roof, adorned with Tesla shingles, enables self-sufficient electricity production.

Self sufficiency in paradise best describes this residence located behind Cooks Beach in the Coromandel. Situated next to the top of a waterfall, this off the grid home takes advantage of the private north facing rocky knoll. Simple pavilions cluster around the rocky knoll providing a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces and have been arranged to take advantage of the view and sun. Limited access meant trucks could not deliver concrete, so floor slabs were strategically placed to maximize passive solar collection. Winter sun is adsorbed in tiled floor slabs which radiates warmth back into the spaces at night. Pergolas and eaves shade these slabs keeping the interior cool in the hot summer months. Locally milled Lawson Cyprus weatherboards clad the exterior, nestling the structure into the surrounding bush. A glimpse of the stream feeding the waterfall can be seen when taking a bath.