Exterior front elevation with existing neighboring homes. This “in-fill” custom new home was created on the undeveloped half of a double lot. The home, designed by Jeffrey A. Lindgren of Jalin Design, LLC was created to blend with the existing neighborhood and homes. Great care was taken to create a home that melds with its surroundings. Also, the homeowner's interior esthetic was inspired by the "House of Turquoise" blog site. Photo by Troy Thies Photography

Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Photo by Matthew Millman

The architecture was designed to maximize the parkland exposure while providing a “protective” courtyard of privacy. The strategic L-shape opens to the undeveloped parkland views and creates a naturally serene outdoor and indoor experience. The large expanse of glass in the rear opens the interior of the house to its natural surroundings. Kevin Weber Photography

Meyer and Meyer partnered in the design and construction of a modestly sized single-family residence located in a Historic District in a suburb outside of Boston Massachusetts. The initially undeveloped, gently sloping lot is uniquely situated in a residential neighborhood between an enclave of mid-century modern and Victorian era homes. Within this context the clients favored a traditional approach. Early formal iterations were traditional two-story colonial in form. However, in deference to the relatively lower roofed adjacent twentieth century neighbors, a wholly expressed second story was abandoned and replaced with a two-gabled dormer connected by a shed in between. This gave the house a lower profile and began to suggest a more transitional character. In an effort to further this connection to a more eclectically permissible mid and late twentieth century detailing, a dramatic wrapping window was added to the kitchen located in the front corner of the house. In addition, a parallel wrapping window box below integrates the entire window composition into the generally traditional detailing of the house at large. Notwithstanding these features, all of the forms and detailing are solidly drawn from vernacular New England language. Ultimately, the goal was to comfortably transit aesthetically between the significantly disparate period styles of the adjacent neighborhood fabric, all the while maintaining the clients desire to work within a traditional idiom of detail.

Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Photo by Matthew Millman

Driven by a passion for the salt life and a love of the natural beauty of the area, they will leave the Northeast on a trek for the Florida Gulf Coast. The winters there are simply too cold to tolerate for any length of time. And why would they suffer those freezing temperatures when the average temperature on Longboat Key in January is 71 degrees? However, this is no migration and the subject is not a bird. My clients cannot be referred to as “Snowbirds” either. This is a homecoming. More so, it is a new beginning; a resurrection! “From the crown of the palm tree, there grew a flame. The flame revealed a nest. As the flames of change kissed the nest, a new being was born. This fantastic creature was born in the image of its predecessor, but it was given a new life. Indeed, it was resurrected. Behold the Phoenix!” Many years ago, they were pulled from the area in the pursuit of better employment. All the while, they maintained a strong connection with the Gulf Coast. This is where they would spend the best years of their lives. Now is their time of rebirth. The property they chose is on boating water on the Bay side of Longboat Key. The property is among the few undeveloped lots scattered around the island. Over the years it had been planted with a variety of tropical species including many of the common house varieties such as Ficus, rubber trees, and Areca Palms. Loving the locale, these species quickly outgrew their space. In the shadows, native Sabal Palms stretched their trunks in an effort to survive. A Phoenix Reclinata Palm sat unassumingly beneath the shadow of a large Ficus. We liberated them by removing all of the invasive varieties. We then relocated all ten of the resident Sabal Palms (our State Tree) on site. The home, designed by celebrated local architect Mark Sultana of DSDG, Inc., is a contemporary flat. The layout is a single living level above parking and grade level outdoor spaces. The architecture is crisp and inspiring and it is sensitive to the smaller scale of the eclectic neighborhood in which it will be constructed. From the elevated balcony, the residents will enjoy watching the many local manatees as they hug the sea wall looking for warmth on chilly mornings. From grade level decks, they will get up close and personal with the abundant schools of mullet in the canal. A northern exposure to the open side of the plan will allow for the amazing breezes offered by passing cool fronts.

This new, ground-up home was recently built atop the Richmond Hills. Despite the beautiful site with its panoramic 270-degree view, the lot had been left undeveloped over the years due to its modest size and challenging approval issues. Saikley Architects handled the negotiations for County approvals, and worked closely with the owner-builder to create a 2,300 sq. ft., three bedroom, two-and-a-half bath family home that maximizes the site’s potential. The first-time owner-builder is a landscape builder by trade, and Saikley Architects coordinated closely with for him on this spec home. Saikley Architects provided building design details which the owner then carried through in many unique interior design and furniture design details throughout the house. Photo by Chi Chin Photography. https://saikleyarchitects.com/portfolio/hilltop-contemporary/

Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Photo by Matthew Millman

Meyer and Meyer partnered in the design and construction of a modestly sized single-family residence located in a Historic District in a suburb outside of Boston Massachusetts. The initially undeveloped, gently sloping lot is uniquely situated in a residential neighborhood between an enclave of mid-century modern and Victorian-era homes. Within this context, the clients favored a traditional approach. Early formal iterations were traditional two-story colonial in form. However, in deference to the relatively lower roofed adjacent twentieth-century neighbors, a wholly expressed second story was abandoned and replaced with a two-gabled dormer connected by a shed in between. This gave the house a lower profile and began to suggest a more transitional character. In an effort to further this connection to a more eclectically permissible mid and late twentieth century detailing, a dramatic wrapping window was added to the kitchen located in the front corner of the house. In addition, a parallel wrapping window box below integrates the entire window composition into the generally traditional detailing of the house at large. Notwithstanding these features, all of the forms and detailing are solidly drawn from vernacular New England language. Ultimately, the goal was to comfortably transit aesthetically between the significantly disparate period styles of the adjacent neighborhood fabric, all the while maintaining the clients desire to work within a traditional idiom of detail.

This new, ground-up home was recently built atop the Richmond Hills. Despite the beautiful site with its panoramic 270-degree view, the lot had been left undeveloped over the years due to its modest size and challenging approval issues. Saikley Architects handled the negotiations for County approvals, and worked closely with the owner-builder to create a 2,300 sq. ft., three bedroom, two-and-a-half bath family home that maximizes the site’s potential. The first-time owner-builder is a landscape builder by trade, and Saikley Architects coordinated closely with for him on this spec home. Saikley Architects provided building design details which the owner then carried through in many unique interior design and furniture design details throughout the house. Photo by Chi Chin Photography. https://saikleyarchitects.com/portfolio/hilltop-contemporary/

This previously undeveloped rear yard space was a part of this Carmel Valley Remodeling of the Dining & Living Room areas, (previous photo's). Michael J. Gomez (Weststarr Custom Homes,LLC) provided the design & construction management services.

ThinkGreen LLC http://www.thinkgreenllc.com Project Entry: Lafayette Hill Residence 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential $120,000&over Award Level: Gold Photo Description: This project was located on a ridge that overlooks the Wissahickon Creek and surrounded by acres of undeveloped land. The design and construction goals were to aesthetically and ecologically integrate an existing home and property into its surrounding natural setting. Natural stormwater patterns of the site were bulldozed during the intial construction of the home and an existing swale was heavily scoured and contributing to the sedimentation of sensitive local waterways. The backbone of the site improvements was restoring the swale by adding gentle undulating curves, installing boulders to slow the rate at which stormwater flowed, and heavily plantingitwithnativeplantingssuchasIrisversicolorandLobeliacardinalis. Additionalgentle manipulation of the grades and the use of low dry-laid retaining walls and boulder retaining walls allowed a series of outdoor rooms to be created around the house. The pool area features a stone bond beam which extends below the surface of the water, diving rocks, and a rustic white oak pergola. Adjacent to the pool is a large stone terrace for dining and entertainment. Low dry-laid fieldstone seat walls retain the grades and provide additional seating. The large terrace is easily accessed from the house as well as the rustic white oak tree house. Several solid bluestone risers lead to a smaller more intimate terrace is outside of the pool area. Throughout the site a predominately native plant palette using plants such as Magnolia virginiana, Ilex verticillata, and a variety of ferns were used to mimic the undisturbed areas of woodland and meadows adjacent to the site. Collectively the site improvements have benefitted the local waterways by capturing and slow releasing stormwater and limiting further sedimentation. Additional habitat was created for the local fauna, and the client’s children were provided with a natural haven to explore and learn from nature.

Exterior front elevation with existing neighboring homes. This “in-fill” custom new home was created on the undeveloped half of a double lot. The home, designed by Jeffrey A. Lindgren of Jalin Design, LLC was created to blend with the existing neighborhood and homes. Great care was taken to create a home that melds with its surroundings. Also, the homeowner's interior esthetic was inspired by the "House of Turquoise" blog site. Photo by Troy Thies Photography

Nestled in an undeveloped thicket between two homes on Monmouth road, the Eastern corner of this client’s lot plunges ten feet downward into a city-designated stormwater collection ravine. Our client challenged us to design a home, referencing the Scandinavian modern style, that would account for this lot’s unique terrain and vegetation. Through iterative design, we produced four house forms angled to allow rainwater to naturally flow off of the roof and into a gravel-lined runoff area that drains into the ravine. Completely foregoing downspouts and gutters, the chosen design reflects the site’s topography, its mass changing in concert with the slope of the land. This two-story home is oriented around a central stacked staircase that descends into the basement and ascends to a second floor master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet. The main entrance—a triangular form subtracted from this home’s rectangular plan—opens to a kitchen and living space anchored with an oversized kitchen island. On the far side of the living space, a solid void form projects towards the backyard, referencing the entryway without mirroring it. Ground floor amenities include a bedroom, full bathroom, laundry area, office and attached garage. Among Architecture Office’s most conceptually rigorous projects, exterior windows are isolated to opportunities where natural light and a connection to the outdoors is desired. The Monmouth home is clad in black corrugated metal, its exposed foundations extending from the earth to highlight its form.

Meyer and Meyer partnered in the design and construction of a modestly sized single-family residence located in a Historic District in a suburb outside of Boston Massachusetts. The initially undeveloped, gently sloping lot is uniquely situated in a residential neighborhood between an enclave of mid-century modern and Victorian-era homes. Within this context, the clients favored a traditional approach. Early formal iterations were traditional two-story colonial in form. However, in deference to the relatively lower roofed adjacent twentieth-century neighbors, a wholly expressed second story was abandoned and replaced with a two-gabled dormer connected by a shed in between. This gave the house a lower profile and began to suggest a more transitional character. In an effort to further this connection to a more eclectically permissible mid and late twentieth century detailing, a dramatic wrapping window was added to the kitchen located in the front corner of the house. In addition, a parallel wrapping window box below integrates the entire window composition into the generally traditional detailing of the house at large. Notwithstanding these features, all of the forms and detailing are solidly drawn from vernacular New England language. Ultimately, the goal was to comfortably transit aesthetically between the significantly disparate period styles of the adjacent neighborhood fabric, all the while maintaining the clients desire to work within a traditional idiom of detail.

Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Photo by Matthew Millman

Living Room with Marvin sliding French doors. This “in-fill” custom new home was created on the undeveloped half of a double lot. The home, designed by Jeffrey A. Lindgren of Jalin Design, LLC was created to blend with the existing neighborhood and homes. Great care was taken to create a home that melds with its surroundings. Also, the homeowner's interior esthetic was inspired by the "House of Turquoise" blog site. Photo by Troy Thies Photography

This new, ground-up home was recently built atop the Richmond Hills. Despite the beautiful site with its panoramic 270-degree view, the lot had been left undeveloped over the years due to its modest size and challenging approval issues. Saikley Architects handled the negotiations for County approvals, and worked closely with the owner-builder to create a 2,300 sq. ft., three bedroom, two-and-a-half bath family home that maximizes the site’s potential. The first-time owner-builder is a landscape builder by trade, and Saikley Architects coordinated closely with for him on this spec home. Saikley Architects provided building design details which the owner then carried through in many unique interior design and furniture design details throughout the house. Photo by Chi Chin Photography. https://saikleyarchitects.com/portfolio/hilltop-contemporary/

An undeveloped master bedroom is taken next level. Challenge: design a master bedroom that evokes creativity but also becomes a place to recharge and relax. Managed outside sub-contractors and project managed wallpaper schedule and lighting schedule. Selected all artwork, furnishings, lighting and directed artwork install.