This Coastal Acorn Home is a beautiful example of Acorn Deck House Company’s custom design flexibility to meet the needs of every site. This home is elevated on posts to meet the local zoning requirements and features “breakaway” panels in case of rising tides, hurricane winds and storm surges. The Coastal has three bedrooms, four bathrooms and is designed with a future elevator in mind.

Designed by Growsgreen Landscape Design: growsgreen.com.
Example of a trendy deck design in San Francisco

this large-scale landscape, created for an on-site family wedding, draws both inspiration and materials from the property’s location at the base of the topa topa mountains. situated on a dry creek bed, the site required considerable excavation and recompacting, yielding an abundance of boulders that were incorporated into long, dry-stacked retaining walls. flagstone patios and steel trellises front and back let the owners take in both sunrise and sunset views of the surrounding mountains and valley images | kurt jordan photography design collaboration | scott menzel landscape architect

The site for this waterfront residence is located on the Great Neck Peninsula, facing west to views of NYC and the borough bridges. When purchased, there existed a 50-year-old house and pool structurally condemned which required immediate removal. Once the site was cleared, a year was devoted to stabilizing the seawall and hill to accommodate the newly proposed home. The lot size, shape and relationship to an easement access road, overlaid with strict zoning regulations was a key factor in the organization of the client’s program elements. The arc contour of the easement road and required setback informed the front facade shape, which was designed as a privacy screen, as adjacent homes are in close proximity. Due to strict height requirements the house from the street appears to be one story and then steps down the hill allowing for three fully occupiable floors. The local jurisdiction also granted special approval accepting the design of the garage, within the front set back, as its roof is level with the roadbed and fully landscaped. A path accesses a hidden door to the bedroom level of the house. The garage is accessed through a semicircular driveway that leads to a depressed entry courtyard, offering privacy to the main entrance. The configuration of the home is a U-shape surrounding a rear courtyard. This shape, along with suspended pods assures water views to all occupants while not compromising privacy from the adjacent homes. The house is constructed on a steel frame, clad with fiber cement, resin panels and an aluminum curtain wall system. All roofs are accessible as either decks or landscaped garden areas. The lower level accesses decks, an outdoor kitchen, and pool area which are perched on the edge of the upper retaining wall.

This Coastal Acorn Home is a beautiful example of Acorn Deck House Company’s custom design flexibility to meet the needs of every site. This home is elevated on posts to meet the local zoning requirements and features “breakaway” panels in case of rising tides, hurricane winds and storm surges. The Coastal has three bedrooms, four bathrooms and is designed with a future elevator in mind.

This Coastal Acorn Home is a beautiful example of Acorn Deck House Company’s custom design flexibility to meet the needs of every site. This home is elevated on posts to meet the local zoning requirements and features “breakaway” panels in case of rising tides, hurricane winds and storm surges. The Coastal has three bedrooms, four bathrooms and is designed with a future elevator in mind.

This custom new construction home located in Fox Trail, Illinois was designed for a sizeable family who do a lot of extended family entertaining. There was a strong need to have the ability to entertain large groups and the family cooks together. The family is of Indian descent and because of this there were a lot of functional requirements including thoughtful solutions for dry storage and spices. The architecture of this project is more modern aesthetic, so the kitchen design followed suit. The home sits on a wooded site and has a pool and lots of glass. Taking cues from the beautiful site, O’Brien Harris Cabinetry in Chicago focused the design on bringing the outdoors in with the goal of achieving an organic feel to the room. They used solid walnut timber with a very natural stain so the grain of the wood comes through. There is a very integrated feeling to the kitchen. The volume of the space really opens up when you get to the kitchen. There was a lot of thoughtfulness on the scaling of the cabinetry which around the perimeter is nestled into the architecture. obrienharris.com

The design made critical balances between the sloppy site and the requirements of the client to have a house with two distinct uses; a private family house and a banqueting facility with a swimming pool and terrace, in addition to a parking lot, playgrounds, landscape and a design farm land with a wondering jogging track. All the functions entertain the main beautiful panoramic views from the land down the slope, balconies, terraces and roof top are equipped with relaxing seating and other needed services.

BeachHaus is built on a previously developed site on Siesta Key. It sits directly on the bay but has Gulf views from the upper floor and roof deck. The client loved the old Florida cracker beach houses that are harder and harder to find these days. They loved the exposed roof joists, ship lap ceilings, light colored surfaces and inviting and durable materials. Given the risk of hurricanes, building those homes in these areas is not only disingenuous it is impossible. Instead, we focused on building the new era of beach houses; fully elevated to comfy with FEMA requirements, exposed concrete beams, long eaves to shade windows, coralina stone cladding, ship lap ceilings, and white oak and terrazzo flooring. The home is Net Zero Energy with a HERS index of -25 making it one of the most energy efficient homes in the US. It is also certified NGBS Emerald. Photos by Ryan Gamma Photography

The site for this waterfront residence is located on the Great Neck Peninsula, facing west to views of NYC and the borough bridges. When purchased, there existed a 50-year-old house and pool structurally condemned which required immediate removal. Once the site was cleared, a year was devoted to stabilizing the seawall and hill to accommodate the newly proposed home. The lot size, shape and relationship to an easement access road, overlaid with strict zoning regulations was a key factor in the organization of the client’s program elements. The arc contour of the easement road and required setback informed the front facade shape, which was designed as a privacy screen, as adjacent homes are in close proximity. Due to strict height requirements the house from the street appears to be one story and then steps down the hill allowing for three fully occupiable floors. The local jurisdiction also granted special approval accepting the design of the garage, within the front set back, as its roof is level with the roadbed and fully landscaped. A path accesses a hidden door to the bedroom level of the house. The garage is accessed through a semicircular driveway that leads to a depressed entry courtyard, offering privacy to the main entrance. The configuration of the home is a U-shape surrounding a rear courtyard. This shape, along with suspended pods assures water views to all occupants while not compromising privacy from the adjacent homes. The house is constructed on a steel frame, clad with fiber cement, resin panels and an aluminum curtain wall system. All roofs are accessible as either decks or landscaped garden areas. The lower level accesses decks, an outdoor kitchen, and pool area which are perched on the edge of the upper retaining wall.

Sitting atop a steep hillside of fir trees overlooking the Sound below, the Gambier Island House is a cedar-and-glass home whose challenging location required us to ship the materials to the site by barge, followed by a particularly precise siting. The wide open living space shares breathtaking views and natural light with the kitchen, dining room, and loft—with seamless flow between indoors and out, thanks to large lift-and-slide doors. In order to extend use throughout the seasons, we created a partially covered deck, hovering among the trees. Embracing the region’s heavy rainfall, we designed the main roof to channel rainwater to one location where it spills from a scupper—increasing our clients’ connection to their site, and creating a spectacle to be watched and heard. Turkel Design manufactures, delivers, and assembles each of our homes, and we are happy to work with you to customize a design from our extensive library. The photos and prefab package for this particular home we designed were provided by Lindal Cedar Homes.

Pianoforte is a musical term referring to the variations in volume or loudness. Inspired by our clients’ love of all things with keys, the residence interprets the masculine form as ‘loud’ and the play of light as ‘soft’. The site required a strong response to the very active 1st Avenue to the south while transparency and perforations soften the form along Oneida Street. The L-shaped plan addresses the active corner while providing protection to the rear outdoor landscape. The entry becomes a gateway into this secret garden. Light breathes life into the living space in the morning and pours into the kitchen from the southern clerestory above. Our client, who currently plays the organ at weekly services, has working organ pipes that surround the fireplace enclosure. The pattern of the organ pipes is reflected in the perforated panels that screen the entry and filter light into the residence. Featured in Modern In Denver. (Photos by Chris Reilmann)

Natural cedar shingles are a classic choice for homes all over New England. Maibec Eastern White Cedar Shingles were chosen for this New Bedford, oceanfront home. This siding is very durable and requires little maintenance. It’s protected against rot and insects with natural preservatives and a 50 year warranty. You can even get them pre-dipped, which offers U.V. protection along with mildew resistance and water repellence. Pre-dipped shingles will also save you from having to hire an on-site painter.

The design made critical balances between the sloppy site and the requirements of the client to have a house with two distinct uses; a private family house and a banqueting facility with a swimming pool and terrace, in addition to a parking lot, playgrounds, landscape and a design farm land with a wondering jogging track. All the functions entertain the main beautiful panoramic views from the land down the slope, balconies, terraces and roof top are equipped with relaxing seating and other needed services.

Natural cedar shingles are a classic choice for homes all over New England. Maibec Eastern White Cedar Shingles were chosen for this New Bedford, oceanfront home. This siding is very durable and requires little maintenance. It’s protected against rot and insects with natural preservatives and a 50 year warranty. You can even get them pre-dipped, which offers U.V. protection along with mildew resistance and water repellence. Pre-dipped shingles will also save you from having to hire an on-site painter.

The design made critical balances between the sloppy site and the requirements of the client to have a house with two distinct uses; a private family house and a banqueting facility with a swimming pool and terrace, in addition to a parking lot, playgrounds, landscape and a design farm land with a wondering jogging track. All the functions entertain the main beautiful panoramic views from the land down the slope, balconies, terraces and roof top are equipped with relaxing seating and other needed services.

Holly Hill, a retirement home, whose owner's hobbies are gardening and restoration of classic cars, is nestled into the site contours to maximize views of the lake and minimize impact on the site. Holly Hill is comprised of three wings joined by bridges: A wing facing a master garden to the east, another wing with workshop and a central activity, living, dining wing. Similar to a radiator the design increases the amount of exterior wall maximizing opportunities for natural ventilation during temperate months. Other passive solar design features will include extensive eaves, sheltering porches and high-albedo roofs, as strategies for considerably reducing solar heat gain. Daylighting with clerestories and solar tubes reduce daytime lighting requirements. Ground source geothermal heat pumps and superior to code insulation ensure minimal space conditioning costs. Corten steel siding and concrete foundation walls satisfy client requirements for low maintenance and durability. All light fixtures are LEDs. Open and screened porches are strategically located to allow pleasant outdoor use at any time of day, particular season or, if necessary, insect challenge. Dramatic cantilevers allow the porches to project into the site’s beautiful mixed hardwood tree canopy without damaging root systems. Guest arrive by vehicle with glimpses of the house and grounds through penetrations in the concrete wall enclosing the garden. One parked they are led through a garden composed of pavers, a fountain, benches, sculpture and plants. Views of the lake can be seen through and below the bridges. Primary client goals were a sustainable low-maintenance house, primarily single floor living, orientation to views, natural light to interiors, maximization of individual privacy, creation of a formal outdoor space for gardening, incorporation of a full workshop for cars, generous indoor and outdoor social space for guests and parties.

A former summer camp, this site came with a unique set of challenges. An existing 1200 square foot cabin was perched on the shore of Thorndike Pond, well within the current required setbacks. Three additional outbuildings were part of the property, each of them small and non-conforming. By limiting reconstruction to the existing footprints we were able to gain planning consent to rebuild each structure. A full second story added much needed space to the main house. Two of the outbuildings have been rebuilt to accommodate guests, maintaining the spirit of the original camp. Black stained exteriors help the buildings blend into the landscape. The project is a collaboration with Spazio Rosso Interiors. Photos by Sean Litchfield.