We were given the challenge of designing a house overlooking a pond on a site constrained by wetlands. Our client had an interest in permanence and solidity and a desire to work with architectural concrete. Additionally, the client desired interiors that would showcase their substantial art collection. Our design approach began with the footprint of an L-shaped courtyard house, which in part, was determined by the limited buildable area. The house is sited on a natural rise in the land, allowing the first floor elevation to rise 15 ft above the pond’s surface; this height provides dynamic views through the trees that separate the house from the pond. Ultimately, our design leverages the inherent capabilities of architectural concrete i.e. its structural capacity; the material allows for bold cantilevers and expanses of glass, creating greater transparency between interior and exterior environments. The interior palette is comprised of rift sawn oak with 16-inch wide oak plank flooring, oak casework and millwork, a stainless steel and glass main staircase, and minimalist concrete details throughout. On the upper level, the plan accommodates a master bedroom suite, three children’s bedrooms, and a family room. The first floor includes a guest bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room, office, and family room. The ground level has a recreational room, a mudroom, and office/studio. The site plan employs native plantings and includes a small resistance pool in the courtyard. Concrete will be utilized for all of the house’s structural and insulation components. This method modulates the fluctuation of interior temperature, creating both an energy-efficient envelope and enough concrete mass to keep temperatures moderate and consistent throughout a 24-hour day. The employment of triple-glazed windows and a triple-glazed aluminum curtain wall further increases the project’s energy efficiency and allows the house to have abundant glass. Natural light permeates the interior and affords spectacular view in all directions of both Todd Pond and the neighboring woodlands.

Deluxe Garages is a premier concrete coating expert in Austin, Texas, and surrounding areas. We do Garage Floor Coatings, Metallic Epoxy Floors, Basement Floor Coatings, Pool Decks, Concrete Staining, Polishing, and Overlays. Our team makes sure to provide homeowners and businesses with top epoxy flooring solutions to complete their flooring projects. We have specialized equipment and long-term experience in concrete flooring and ensures every installation exceeds their expectations. Quality is the cornerstone of our process. We utilize the high-quality materials and methods as we strive to outlast and outperform any other epoxy concrete floor coatings being offered today. We maintain long-standing relationships with our customers, and our commitment ensures that working with us will be an asset to you and to your business.

Elements on this pavilion have been borrowed from the 1930's era house and combined with an eclectic mix of modern details. Though this back yard would not be considered large, the space has been utilized to achieve the maximum amount of usage.

Inspiration for a modern laundry room remodel in Seattle

An elegant yet practical theme was the intention of the designer when imagining this families outdoor environment. This designer utilizes stamped concrete, honed travertine and a deep blue aggregate pool surface to create a beautiful multidimensional project. An elevated spa/water-feature with columns containing planters and a multi-tiered spillway is centered between this Bartonville area swimming pool and the withdrawn arbor. A slide is positioned to the far right to remain useable without detracting from the vision of this family.

Garage - mid-sized traditional attached two-car garage idea in Sacramento

Side yard renovation utilizes concrete pavers and rock. Concrete bench has a built-in raise bed.
Inspiration for a contemporary home design remodel in Orange County

This organic modern design is built in an area known for having notable issues with ground movement. After speaking with the developer and reviewing the soil report with our Structural Engineer, we made our recommendations to the client. Since the budget for a full-blown pier and beam structure with void boxes under the pool was well beyond the comfort level of our client, they elected to have us utilize a float shell construction method. For this, we over-excavated the hole and placed a 12" layer of gravel beneath the shell of the pool. Drain lines lead from the deepest point under the pool down into a culvert, placed off to the side of the pool. A sump pump removes any excess water from the culvert as it accumulates. For the shell of the pool, we utilized a double matt of steel and increased the wall thickness to a minimum of 12". This gave added strength to withstand the volatile soil. The elements of fire, water, wood and stone were very important in creating the organic modern feel of this design. The layered effect along the back wall creates a visual stimulation across the length of the yard, without overwhelming the senses. Rather than creating walls only of hard materials, we used Ipe wood to create horizontal screen walls of a more organic nature. At either end, the raised wall and the fire feature are finished in a large-scale porcelain tile, with the look of stained concrete. Custom stainless steel scuppers, made by a local fabricator, create a soothing sound of falling water. The low wall at the center of the project is faced in natural ledgestone, and carries a color palette that set the tone for the entire project. Behind this wall and in front of one of the Ipe screens are three Desert Steel Giant Agave sculptures. The unique fire feature isn't quite a fire place, nor is it a fire pit. It is a linear fire burner, surrounded by a 4" thick cantilevered Leuder limestone hearth, with a backdrop wall of blue glazed clay tile. Although the pool was initially planned as a plaster pool, as the project began to take shape, the client elected to go all the way and finish it in a beautiful blue glass mosaic. Custom fabricated stainless steel cannon jets send a delicate arch of water over this deep blue, and draw attention to the three square wok planters on the far side of the yard. For the decking on this project, we elected to work with Mother Nature rather than against her. Two and a half inch thick concrete pavers, set on a bed of compacted, decomposed granite allow for movement around the pool that is easily fixed. If an area of deck moves around, we can simply lift the affected areas, re-level with DG bed, and re-set the pavers.

HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner Reno's Circular Whirlwind Reno, Nevada Hain Enterprises Late in 2013 in the pastoral horse country just west of Reno, Nevada, a homeowner challenged his contractor to design a patio environment incorporating as many circles as possible that would flow seamlessly from one to another and create a unique visual experience for family and guests. The contractor took up the challenge. He and his crews designed and installed one-of-a-kind patios, walls and planting areas, utilizing concrete paver circle kits. The kits spin off one another and linked two separate patio areas and adjacent walkways, without interrupting the flow of each circle. One of many design challenges of this project was deciding how to incorporate the existing drains into the design. The solution: use the drain grates as centers for the circles. Another challenge was determining how to continue the arc of the varying size circles onto and through the connecting pathways. To accomplish this, the contractor installed only curvilinear courses of pavers that appear to run off the pathways and rejoin later. In total, the contractor used 14 paver circle kits and approximately 3,600 square feet of pavement. Included in this project were freestanding seat walls and accent planting areas, creating the outdoor entertainment environment the customer envisioned.

Example of a minimalist laundry room design in Seattle

Example of a large transitional single-wall concrete floor and gray floor kitchen design in Boston with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and black countertops

This project packs a solid punch. From the full kitchen area nestled under the pent roof, to the patio below complete with drainage system for rain or shine enjoyment – there is a lot to take in! Starting on the deck, we utilized Trex’ low maintenance decking to really set off this nice open expanse, it is an amazing product that allows us to heat & bend the deck boards to create both the curve on the deck, and the high-top counter! The homeowner is now equipped to cook a full Thanksgiving meal on their new outdoor kitchen, with plenty of space to host the whole family! Below, we were able to utilize stamped concrete for the patio, a great cost-efficient option to finish out any project!

Located in an existing neighborhood of post-war houses, Skidmore Passivhaus merges contemporary design with the highest level of energy efficiency. Gernerous insulation, extremely airtight construction (tested at .32ach50), high performing triple glazed Zola European Windows, and a super-efficient heat recovery ventilator allow the structure to meet the stringent requirements of the German Passivhaus standard. Generous amounts of south facing glazing (0.5 shgc) maximize the solar gains for most of the year, while motorized exterior aluminum shades can be lowered to block unwanted summer heat gain resulting in extremely comfortable temperatures year round. An extensive green roof helps manage all stormwater on site, while a roof mounted 4.32 kW PV array provides enough electricity to result in a near net zero and truly sustainable building. In Situ Architecture Jeremy Bittermann - BITTERMANN Photography

Atherton has many large substantial homes - our clients purchased an existing home on a one acre flag-shaped lot and asked us to design a new dream home for them. The result is a new 7,000 square foot four-building complex consisting of the main house, six-car garage with two car lifts, pool house with a full one bedroom residence inside, and a separate home office /work out gym studio building. A fifty-foot swimming pool was also created with fully landscaped yards. Given the rectangular shape of the lot, it was decided to angle the house to incoming visitors slightly so as to more dramatically present itself. The house became a classic u-shaped home but Feng Shui design principals were employed directing the placement of the pool house to better contain the energy flow on the site. The main house entry door is then aligned with a special Japanese red maple at the end of a long visual axis at the rear of the site. These angles and alignments set up everything else about the house design and layout, and views from various rooms allow you to see into virtually every space tracking movements of others in the home. The residence is simply divided into two wings of public use, kitchen and family room, and the other wing of bedrooms, connected by the living and dining great room. Function drove the exterior form of windows and solid walls with a line of clerestory windows which bring light into the middle of the large home. Extensive sun shadow studies with 3D tree modeling led to the unorthodox placement of the pool to the north of the home, but tree shadow tracking showed this to be the sunniest area during the entire year. Sustainable measures included a full 7.1kW solar photovoltaic array technically making the house off the grid, and arranged so that no panels are visible from the property. A large 16,000 gallon rainwater catchment system consisting of tanks buried below grade was installed. The home is California GreenPoint rated and also features sealed roof soffits and a sealed crawlspace without the usual venting. A whole house computer automation system with server room was installed as well. Heating and cooling utilize hot water radiant heated concrete and wood floors supplemented by heat pump generated heating and cooling. A compound of buildings created to form balanced relationships between each other, this home is about circulation, light and a balance of form and function. Photo by John Sutton Photography.

Kitchen - large transitional single-wall concrete floor and gray floor kitchen idea in Boston with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and black countertops

HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner Reno's Circular Whirlwind Reno, Nevada Hain Enterprises Late in 2013 in the pastoral horse country just west of Reno, Nevada, a homeowner challenged his contractor to design a patio environment incorporating as many circles as possible that would flow seamlessly from one to another and create a unique visual experience for family and guests. The contractor took up the challenge. He and his crews designed and installed one-of-a-kind patios, walls and planting areas, utilizing concrete paver circle kits. The kits spin off one another and linked two separate patio areas and adjacent walkways, without interrupting the flow of each circle. One of many design challenges of this project was deciding how to incorporate the existing drains into the design. The solution: use the drain grates as centers for the circles. Another challenge was determining how to continue the arc of the varying size circles onto and through the connecting pathways. To accomplish this, the contractor installed only curvilinear courses of pavers that appear to run off the pathways and rejoin later. In total, the contractor used 14 paver circle kits and approximately 3,600 square feet of pavement. Included in this project were freestanding seat walls and accent planting areas, creating the outdoor entertainment environment the customer envisioned.

Jackson Design Build | Photography: NW Architectural Photography
Mid-sized transitional single-wall concrete floor laundry closet photo in Seattle with wood countertops, an utility sink, white walls and a side-by-side washer/dryer

Outdoor Splendor This new outdoor living area complements the beautifully landscaped yard while creating an entimate atmosphere for relaxation, socializing, or a comfortable getaway to watch a movie or exciting sporting event. The clients utilized the Houzz site and found our design build team while looking for ideas for an outdoor living area. Leuders limestone, perma-columns, stained pine ceiling, and salt finished and scored pattern concrete were utilized to create a well detailed addition to this home. The existing roof produced a particular challenge but every consideration was taken to ensure the addition blended with the existing house to appear as though it was original. Structural connections were utilized due to the recent concerns of high winds in the Texas climate. Interior Designer Lila Parker ASID worked with the owners to coordinate colors, finishes and furnishings which enriched this outdoor atmosphere. Bryce Moore, Rocket Boy Photos

This patio utilizes colored concrete with a stamped concrete border. It provides ample outliving space in a compact back yard.
Small eclectic backyard stamped concrete patio photo in Denver with no cover