The detached garage required a driveway across the lawn and we installed Stabiligrid recycled plastic grids for a driveable lawn. Here you can see the grids have completely reestablished into lawn. The grids keep the crown of the grass plants from getting crushed from vehicular traffic so the grass doesn't die and the site doesn't get muddy or mushy. We maintain this site with our organic based compost teas (called BeeSafe) to keep the grass healthy naturally instead of using chemical fertilizers. Bacterial-dominant lawns are much thicker and happier in our Western WA forests, and can withstand shade better as well. This photo is taken in November.

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.

Rock outcroppings make a striking background for new lounge areas in this compact Los Angeles hillside garden. Working with the attributes of the site, we added native plants to drape over the stone, and converted hollowed stone planters into a firepit and water feature. New built-in seating and a cozy hammock complete the relaxing space, and dramatic lighting makes it come alive at night. Photo by Martin Cox Photography.

This foothills residence project proves that a lush, oasis feel can be water-conscious, using minimal planting place for maximum visual impact and definition of space. Custom-designed gabion rock walls were built to transition between upper and lower patio areas and were filled with existing site rock to avoid wasting material. This project also features a UC Verde grass plug lawn with subsurface drip irrigation and a vegetable garden. ‘UC Verde’ is a variety of buffalograss developed by researchers at UC Davis and UC Riverside that requires ¼ the amount of water compared to a traditional lawn. This makes it a water-conscious way of incorporating lawn into the landscape. In addition, it requires much less maintenance than a traditional lawn. The plant palette consists of native and drought tolerant species that thrive with minimal irrigation and blend with existing desert-adapted plants. A rich variety of textures and colors help create a lush, oasis feel once the plants have grown in.

Daylighting with clerestories and solar tubes reduce daytime lighting requirements for baths and dressing areas
Mid-sized minimalist master gray tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile, gray floor and single-sink walk-in shower photo in Atlanta with flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, white walls, an integrated sink, quartz countertops, white countertops and a built-in vanity

The detached garage required a driveway across the lawn and we installed Stabiligrid recycled plastic grids for a driveable lawn. Here you can see the grids have completely reestablished into lawn. The grids keep the crown of the grass plants from getting crushed from vehicular traffic so the grass doesn't die and the site doesn't get muddy or mushy. We maintain this site with our organic based compost teas (called BeeSafe) to keep the grass healthy naturally instead of using chemical fertilizers. Bacterial-dominant lawns are much thicker and happier in our Western WA forests, and can withstand shade better as well.

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.

Michael Wilkinson The client selected the pizza oven because he can use it to make pizzas, bake bread, and cook other items. The unit weighs 2500 pounds! To support the oven, we made the base of the chimney from CMU/concrete block. The exterior of the base is faced with engineered stone to echo the home's real stone accents. We worked closely with the manufacturer for the requirements to run the gas line, fire proofing, venting, and air intake. We installed porcelain tile on the base of the pizza oven. We used the same tile for the interior of the wine closets. Since the pizza oven was so heavy and large, we rented a forklift to bring it to the site. Our field crew had to time delivery so the addition was under roof, but not all the walls were installed so the forklift lift it into place. Once on site, the crew used the old trick of rolling it on pipes to get it into place.

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 was a collaboration with Spazio Rosso Interior Design. Photographs by Sean Litchfield

Michael Wilkinson The client selected the pizza oven because he can use it to make pizzas, bake bread, and cook other items. The unit weighs 2500 pounds! To support the oven, we made the base of the chimney from CMU/concrete block. The exterior of the base is faced with engineered stone to echo the home's real stone accents. We worked closely with the manufacturer for the requirements to run the gas line, fire proofing, venting, and air intake. We installed porcelain tile on the base of the pizza oven. We used the same tile for the interior of the wine closets. Since the pizza oven was so heavy and large, we rented a forklift to bring it to the site. Our field crew had to time delivery so the addition was under roof, but not all the walls were installed so the forklift lift it into place. Once on site, the crew used the old trick of rolling it on pipes to get it into place.

Eye-Land: Named for the expansive white oak savanna views, this beautiful 5,200-square foot family home offers seamless indoor/outdoor living with five bedrooms and three baths, and space for two more bedrooms and a bathroom. The site posed unique design challenges. The home was ultimately nestled into the hillside, instead of placed on top of the hill, so that it didn’t dominate the dramatic landscape. The openness of the savanna exposes all sides of the house to the public, which required creative use of form and materials. The home’s one-and-a-half story form pays tribute to the site’s farming history. The simplicity of the gable roof puts a modern edge on a traditional form, and the exterior color palette is limited to black tones to strike a stunning contrast to the golden savanna. The main public spaces have oversized south-facing windows and easy access to an outdoor terrace with views overlooking a protected wetland. The connection to the land is further strengthened by strategically placed windows that allow for views from the kitchen to the driveway and auto court to see visitors approach and children play. There is a formal living room adjacent to the front entry for entertaining and a separate family room that opens to the kitchen for immediate family to gather before and after mealtime.

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.

The comfortable elegance of this French-Country inspired home belies the challenges faced during its conception. The beautiful, wooded site was steeply sloped requiring study of the location, grading, approach, yard and views from and to the rolling Pennsylvania countryside. The client desired an old world look and feel, requiring a sensitive approach to the extensive program. Large, modern spaces could not add bulk to the interior or exterior. Furthermore, it was critical to balance voluminous spaces designed for entertainment with more intimate settings for daily living while maintaining harmonic flow throughout. The result home is wide, approached by a winding drive terminating at a prominent facade embracing the motor court. Stone walls feather grade to the front façade, beginning the masonry theme dressing the structure. A second theme of true Pennsylvania timber-framing is also introduced on the exterior and is subsequently revealed in the formal Great and Dining rooms. Timber-framing adds drama, scales down volume, and adds the warmth of natural hand-wrought materials. The Great Room is literal and figurative center of this master down home, separating casual living areas from the elaborate master suite. The lower level accommodates casual entertaining and an office suite with compelling views. The rear yard, cut from the hillside, is a composition of natural and architectural elements with timber framed porches and terraces accessed from nearly every interior space flowing to a hillside of boulders and waterfalls. The result is a naturally set, livable, truly harmonious, new home radiating old world elegance. This home is powered by a geothermal heating and cooling system and state of the art electronic controls and monitoring systems.

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.

ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography

The detached garage required a driveway across the lawn and we installed Stabiligrid recycled plastic grids for a driveable lawn. Here you can see the grids have completely reestablished into lawn. The grids keep the crown of the grass plants from getting crushed from vehicular traffic so the grass doesn't die and the site doesn't get muddy or mushy. We maintain this site with our organic based compost teas (called BeeSafe) to keep the grass healthy naturally instead of using chemical fertilizers. Bacterial-dominant lawns are much thicker and happier in our Western WA forests, and can withstand shade better as well. This photo is taken in November.

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

ZeroEnergy Design (ZED) created this modern home for a progressive family in the desirable community of Lexington. Thoughtful Land Connection. The residence is carefully sited on the infill lot so as to create privacy from the road and neighbors, while cultivating a side yard that captures the southern sun. The terraced grade rises to meet the house, allowing for it to maintain a structured connection with the ground while also sitting above the high water table. The elevated outdoor living space maintains a strong connection with the indoor living space, while the stepped edge ties it back to the true ground plane. Siting and outdoor connections were completed by ZED in collaboration with landscape designer Soren Deniord Design Studio. Exterior Finishes and Solar. The exterior finish materials include a palette of shiplapped wood siding, through-colored fiber cement panels and stucco. A rooftop parapet hides the solar panels above, while a gutter and site drainage system directs rainwater into an irrigation cistern and dry wells that recharge the groundwater. Cooking, Dining, Living. Inside, the kitchen, fabricated by Henrybuilt, is located between the indoor and outdoor dining areas. The expansive south-facing sliding door opens to seamlessly connect the spaces, using a retractable awning to provide shade during the summer while still admitting the warming winter sun. The indoor living space continues from the dining areas across to the sunken living area, with a view that returns again to the outside through the corner wall of glass. Accessible Guest Suite. The design of the first level guest suite provides for both aging in place and guests who regularly visit for extended stays. The patio off the north side of the house affords guests their own private outdoor space, and privacy from the neighbor. Similarly, the second level master suite opens to an outdoor private roof deck. Light and Access. The wide open interior stair with a glass panel rail leads from the top level down to the well insulated basement. The design of the basement, used as an away/play space, addresses the need for both natural light and easy access. In addition to the open stairwell, light is admitted to the north side of the area with a high performance, Passive House (PHI) certified skylight, covering a six by sixteen foot area. On the south side, a unique roof hatch set flush with the deck opens to reveal a glass door at the base of the stairwell which provides additional light and access from the deck above down to the play space. Energy. Energy consumption is reduced by the high performance building envelope, high efficiency mechanical systems, and then offset with renewable energy. All windows and doors are made of high performance triple paned glass with thermally broken aluminum frames. The exterior wall assembly employs dense pack cellulose in the stud cavity, a continuous air barrier, and four inches exterior rigid foam insulation. The 10kW rooftop solar electric system provides clean energy production. The final air leakage testing yielded 0.6 ACH 50 - an extremely air tight house, a testament to the well-designed details, progress testing and quality construction. When compared to a new house built to code requirements, this home consumes only 19% of the energy. Architecture & Energy Consulting: ZeroEnergy Design Landscape Design: Soren Deniord Design Paintings: Bernd Haussmann Studio Photos: Eric Roth Photography

Terrain was invited to build this site by the landscape architect. This beautiful structure required extensive modifications and permitting to the existing building. We coordinated and installed a new Nano Door that brought the outdoors into the interior space. We custom ordered the basalt stone and slabs for the patio and the fireplace area. We installed the post and frame wood structure with six skylights to let the sunlight in and a heating system for year-round use. We worked with the electricians and landscape architect to create a LED lighting design that gives a luxury, 5-star feel. Design collaboration with Williamson Landscape Architects.