Kate Cerone
Inspiration for a garage remodel in Raleigh

Designing for an avid gardener isn't always easy, but will clear communication and frequent site visits, we were able to develop a landscape rich with diverse native plants, offering habitat to wildlife and beauty for the homeowner. Each autumn, this space becomes a kaleidoscope of fall foliage and pollinator activity.

Aspect 221 is a multi-experiential home designed for a multi-generational family. Set on a sloping corner property in a 1960's Golden Valley neighborhood, this home offers a variety of ways to connect to the immediate landscapes and distant views. The house itself is divided vertically with interaction between families occurring through the centrally located sculptural stair. Horizontal movement in each direction leads to distinct environments provided for the families; multiple habitats offering variety of space, light, and privacy. Expanding towards the west, the property takes advantage of the sweeping views and provides a perfect opportunity for a walk-out lower level and tuck under garage. The young family occupies the middle and upper floors, while the parents occupy the lower level. Each family has their own private entry and dedicated outdoor space. The home has 4 distinct outdoor spaces; a north shade deck and south sun deck, as well as an upper east lawn and lower west lawn. These spaces provide multiple habitats for the families to come together or move apart, offering variety and privacy. We designed Aspect 221 with a nod to the various “aspects” offered by the site and its natural context. The base of the house is a black monolithic plinth anchored into the hillside, containing the garage and older parent’s home. This allows the upper two floors, enclosed in a fractured white and wood box, to remain humanly scaled and to move and gesture freely by twisting the middle floor off axis, and then twisting the upper floor off axis again. Each level offers views in varied directions revealing the site in different ways as you rise in elevation. Location: Golden Valley, MN Project Team: Ben Awes, AIA, Principal-In-Charge Chris Bach Nate Dodge

Kate Cerone
Inspiration for a landscaping in Raleigh.

Photo: Larry Kantor Architect: Jeffrey Zucker
Design ideas for a landscaping in Phoenix.

Kate Cerone
This is an example of a landscaping in Raleigh.

Kate Cerone
This is an example of a landscaping in Raleigh.

Kate Cerone
Inspiration for an exterior home remodel in Raleigh

Portola Valley has a heritage of horse ranching among pristine native woodland / grassland habitats. This situation gave rise to an architectural expression that perpetuates this culture, while fostering a responsible cohabitation of the land. With enough time on site, we were able to trace the game paths that traversed the site from East to West. These daily and seasonal routes connected the site to the bigger landscape of Canyon and its eventual merge with the Portola Valley. We situated all the habitable structures on one horizontal contour that threaded through four Northern California mature oak species on the steeply sloping site. This enabled the stables and pasture to inhabit the grassland meadow below protecting the slope, and restoring the grasslands to their native splendor.

Kate Cerone
Example of a pool design in Raleigh

Sited along Lake Michigan, the Bridge House rises above the dunes and forests which enclose it on all sides to peer out above the natural landscape to the waters beyond. A suspension bridge-like structure reaches out to the top of the dune to minimize the impact to the habitat. All trees and grasses are left intact to ensure the stability of the dunes and to maintain the natural setting. Robert J. Neylan Architects used a combination of Pika-Pika® in Alkyd Black as well as Gendai® in Alkyd Light Gray.

The front yard was redesigned and planted with a modest lawn separated from the road by a low gabion basket wall. This play area occupies a low point on the site and provides a safe sunny spot for the grandchildren, as well as offering on site storm water management.

Aspect 221 is a multi-experiential home designed for a multi-generational family. Set on a sloping corner property in a 1960's Golden Valley neighborhood, this home offers a variety of ways to connect to the immediate landscapes and distant views. The house itself is divided vertically with interaction between families occurring through the centrally located sculptural stair. Horizontal movement in each direction leads to distinct environments provided for the families; multiple habitats offering variety of space, light, and privacy. Expanding towards the west, the property takes advantage of the sweeping views and provides a perfect opportunity for a walk-out lower level and tuck under garage. The young family occupies the middle and upper floors, while the parents occupy the lower level. Each family has their own private entry and dedicated outdoor space. The home has 4 distinct outdoor spaces; a north shade deck and south sun deck, as well as an upper east lawn and lower west lawn. These spaces provide multiple habitats for the families to come together or move apart, offering variety and privacy. We designed Aspect 221 with a nod to the various “aspects” offered by the site and its natural context. The base of the house is a black monolithic plinth anchored into the hillside, containing the garage and older parent’s home. This allows the upper two floors, enclosed in a fractured white and wood box, to remain humanly scaled and to move and gesture freely by twisting the middle floor off axis, and then twisting the upper floor off axis again. Each level offers views in varied directions revealing the site in different ways as you rise in elevation. Location: Golden Valley, MN Project Team: Ben Awes, AIA, Principal-In-Charge Chris Bach Nate Dodge

Portola Valley has a heritage of horse ranching among pristine native woodland / grassland habitats. This situation gave rise to an architectural expression that perpetuates this culture, while fostering a responsible cohabitation of the land. With enough time on site, we were able to trace the game paths that traversed the site from East to West. These daily and seasonal routes connected the site to the bigger landscape of Canyon and its eventual merge with the Portola Valley. We situated all the habitable structures on one horizontal contour that threaded through four Northern California mature oak species on the steeply sloping site. This enabled the stables and pasture to inhabit the grassland meadow below protecting the slope, and restoring the grasslands to their native splendor.

This stunning Carriage House, built in 1903, inspired our team to honor its history and alchemize the feeling of a natural haven on-site through our design choices. The front lawn was converted to a habitat-rich meadow with flowering natives such as Agastache foeniculum (Anise hyssop), Rudbeckia fulgida (Black-Eyed Susan), and Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’ (Summersweet). A fern-filled woodland (including Polystichum acrostichoides and Athyrium filix-femina), was installed in the shady side beds. Despite development encroaching upon this treasured spot over the decades, thoughtful landscape design and maintenance has helped retain its age-old beauty and charm.

On-site research revealed original mid-century concrete steps, retained and used as an informal path into the garden. Photo: Larry Kantor
Inspiration for a backyard retaining wall landscape in Phoenix.

It's always fun to audit and assess property virtues, assets, and drawbacks. We chose to retain the Russian olives on site. Their silver foliage was a frothy, sunlit contrast to the green, lush riparian zone. They way their branches can arch and cascade is an energy we sought to harness and leverage. Mowing and mow lines can literally compose a property like a sculpture, or a fine landscape painting. Mow lines allow designers to emphasize or enhance site features, such as gorgeous trees and the welcome space beneath them. Not only can cut or unshorn turf roll out a welcome mat to intimate spaces such as this, but diverse un-mowed native grasses are vital habitat we ought to preserve along river ways - their roots cling to soil and stabilize river banks year around.

Sited along Lake Michigan, the Bridge House rises above the dunes and forests which enclose it on all sides to peer out above the natural landscape to the waters beyond. A suspension bridge-like structure reaches out to the top of the dune to minimize the impact to the habitat. All trees and grasses are left intact to ensure the stability of the dunes and to maintain the natural setting. Robert J. Neylan Architects used a combination of Pika-Pika® in Alkyd Black as well as Gendai® in Alkyd Light Gray.

A new cabin on this property overlooking Sugar Lake near Annandale, Minnesota, was built in place of an old cabin. The existing cabin was in desperate need of some major maintenance and updating, however due to a number of issues and problems, it seemed like a compelling case for a total rebuild. Therefore, to design a new cabin, a number of important considerations had to be made. Most importantly, the cabin orientation to the lake. To take advantage of the best views, the original cabin was sited diagonally with respect to its lot. However, as the result parts of the cabin was non-conforming! Meaning, it was intruding into the lot setbacks, violating the local zoning requirements. To address this concern and to maintain the desired sights and views of the lake, the architect approached the problem by introducing a system of layers at the exterior walls, to expose the views, seamlessly to the cabin's interior. This approach was the basis for the design concept and the exterior architecture. The open floor plan, extended the views throughout the interior spaces and provided ample natural lighting by utilizing a number of windows, located strategically. Another concern with the old cabin was about flooding and water intrusion. The architect observed the existing grades and by elevating the new cabin and proper grading around the new cabin, not only solved the drainage issue, he introduced the opportunity for daylight windows in the new basement. The new windows also provided the means of egress and addition living space, as the result. The homeowners were also concerned about the afternoon sun and how the old Maple tree which had to be removed earlier provide much needed shade during the afternoon. The design addressed that issue by adopting deeper eaves and overhang around the perimeter, including the gable ends and utilizing roof eyebrows, as architectural elements.