This winter residence, located on the Atlantic coast of Florida, is part of a planned residential community with specific guidelines regulating the exterior design of the buildings to be “Anglo-Caribbean” in character. Our brief was to create a bright, modernist experience for the interior and courtyard while observing the detailed architectural rules of the development. Our response was to subdue the traditional forms as much as allowable, resulting in a mannerist approach to the envelope of the house, and to create an interior with articulated views to the exterior and flush with natural light. The water of the pool and the geometry of the piazza-like courtyard become integral to the experience of the interior through the use of full-height expanses of glass against the living areas of the house.
Established in Chicago in 1989, Brininstool + Lynch has been bringing rigor, vision, and elegance to diverse projects since its founding. The work is firmly rooted in the proud architectural legacy of Chicago; it unabashedly celebrates its kinship with the rigorous modernism of Mies van der Rohe, as well as its sympathy for Frank Lloyd Wright’s marriage of building and landscape. And, in the pragmatic Chicago tradition, Brininstool + Lynch is a firm whose work is as much driven by process as it is by product. The result is architecture that is as enduring and timeless as it is graceful and powerful.
An existing nondescript 1980’s hillside home on a spectacular site was transformed with critical concern for the preservation and optimization of panoramic ocean views. The vehicular approach, orientation and entry sequence are choreographed to capitalize on the site conditions and view opportunities.
Structural reinforcement of the terrain allowed for the conceptual overlay of program, including an office/exercise room level, sleeping level, and living/entertaining level are all tucked within the hillside. An elegant yet casual palette of natural materials, textures, and rich details supports a connection between the interior and exterior spaces.
Located on five acres of dense Ohia forest, this cast-in-place concrete house frames indoor and outdoor living spaces along with views of the forest, the sky, and the coastline. It continues our exploration of a reductive architecture that enhances the experience of living in this compelling environment.
The main feature of the house is a concrete beam, 140 foot long, 48 inch tall x 12 inch wide running the length of the building with only three short concrete walls supporting it along its massive span. The concrete beam allows for sizable spans of uninterrupted glass and covered outdoor space, creating a permeable edge between the man-made and nature, amplify the sensation of living in the Ohia forest.
Craig Steely is a California and Hawaii based architect. His buildings have been described as true and unique hybrids of these two environments. They embrace the realities of the environment and our connection/separation to it over the subjugation of it, all the while focusing on developing a singular architecture rooted in its context. Active projects include work on the Big Island of Hawaii and Maui, as well as several along the coast of California—from Sea Ranch to San Francisco to Big Sur.
He received his architecture degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He has lectured at the University of Hawaii, the University of California at Berkeley, Cal Poly and at many conferences including the Monterey Design Conference. His work has been awarded recognition by the American Institute of Architects and published widely in books and periodicals. In 2009 he was selected as an “Emerging Talent” by the AIA California Council. His office was chosen the top firm in the 2013 Residential Architect Magazine leadership awards.
CONTACT
Craig Steely Architecture
8 Beaver Street
San Francisco, California 94114 USA
tel. 415.864.7013
Location: Dutchess County, New York, US
Area: 2,000 SF
Year: 2013
AWARDS
American Architecture Award
AIA NY Design Award
Interior Design Best of Year Award
Boston Society of Architecture Housing Award
World Architecture Festival Finalist Award
Architizer A+ Design Award- Special Mention
SARA NY Gold Award of Excellence
SARA National Design Award
Designed as a contemplative retreat for weekend visitors, this guest house is situated on a rock outcropping that overlooks a trout pond and open farmland with vast unobstructed views to the landscape. The house integrates a number of sustainable design strategies, including geothermal heating and cooling, radiant floors, natural ventilation, motorized solar shades, photovoltaic panels, and rainwater harvesting for irrigation, in addition to an elegant structural design.
Open views to nature create a stunning backdrop for the main living and sleeping areas. A main bedroom and two ‘couchette’ nooks with built-in bunk beds provide accommodations for six overnight guests.
The couchette nooks, bathroom, and storage rooms are housed within a slatted wood core in the middle of the house. The custom wood wall system surrounding the core allows natural light to penetrate through to the inner spaces of the home by day; at night, light emanates from the wood core and provides a warm, inviting glow in the living areas. The slatted system also allows the whole house to ‘breathe’; comfortable natural ventilation occurs throughout the house, even in the sleeping couchettes and storage closets.
The structural design for the house relies on 4 steel columns imbedded in the wood core; the roof cantilevers out from these 4 columns. This elegant structural solution uses the minimum amount of materials to achieve expansive, open living areas at both ends of the house. The façade of the house was designed as a thermally robust system of high-performance, triple-paned glass units that vary in width from 10’ to 20’. The entire glass assembly was prefabricated off-site, shipped to the site in one container, and erected by crane in 2 days.
Landscape design strategies were closely tied to the design of the house. A tight palette of native vegetation highlights vistas and other natural features on the property while also managing storm water run-off. Local bluestone slabs and shale excavated from the site create outdoor seating areas and pathways; bluestone steps from the terrace lead to a barbeque area and an outdoor shower in the woods.
Katherine ChiaFAIA and Arjun Desai AIA are the founding principals of Desai Chia Architecture. Since 1996, they have established the firm’s reputation for authentic design, creating inspiring environments expressive of their use and materials; Desai Chia’s portfolio includes cultural, residential, and commercial projects as well as commissions for product design and collaborations with artists. Projects are currently in development throughout the United States and India.
Desai Chia’s projects have been published extensively and received many accolades including the AIA Institute Honor Award, AAP Small Firm of the Year Award for Multi-disciplinary Architecture, numerous American Architecture Awards, AIA Design Awards, Interior Design Best of Year Awards, the IDEA Award, and several Good Design Awards. The firm’s work has been exhibited at the Center for Architecture, the Chicago Architecture Biennial, the Istanbul Bienniale, Salone del Mobile Milan, the Herman Miller showrooms in New York and LA, and Parsons The New School of Design.
Katherine Chia FAIA earned her Master of Architecture degree from M.I.T. and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College. Prior to founding Desai Chia Architecture, she worked for Maya Lin on numerous art and architecture commissions. Chia is a registered architect in the state of New York & Connecticut. She has also been a faculty member in the architecture department at Parsons The New School of Design. She is Co-Chair of the Van Alen Institute’s Program Leadership Council, an elected member of the AIA NY Finance Committee, and Trustee Emerita of Amherst College.
Arjun Desai AIA grew up in New Delhi and Mumbai, India. Prior to founding Desai Chia Architecture, he worked at SHCA/NY on numerous civic projects in New York and Washington, D.C. He earned his Master of Architecture degree from M.I.T. and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Bennington College. Desai is a registered architect in the state of New York and an active member of the AIA NY.
CONTACT
Desai Chia Architecture
115 West 27th Street, Suite 901
New York, NY 10001
The site is a single storey terrace on a small 5m wide block in the inner city of Melbourne.
The brief was to create new Living and Dining spaces, relocate the existing kitchen and bathrooms and improve access to natural light in the main living and main bedroom areas.
The existing Victorian eastern end of the house containing 2 bedrooms was to remain and be refurbished.
Fiona Dunin established FMD Architects in 2005 with a focus on design intensive projects of varying scales and types.
Fiona merges the two disciplines of interior design and architecture. Her experience is diverse, with a range of projects including residential, major retail and institutional projects over the last 20 years. The detailed nature of her work, coupled with her extensive research into materials and product development is reflected in the rich interiors and architecture produced. more
Over looking Bass Straight, this large residential project sits quietly in the landscape, barely visible.
The landscape was the driver for the design, with a stand of iron bark trees defining the form, scale, views, vista’s and materialality.
Six years in the making, completed in late 2013, with the landscape evolution a life long project for the owners, experimenting and trialling native species. The house sits simply and successfully as a component of this landscape.
Stephan Fuchs and Thomas Wacker build houses it is intended to arouse a certain sense of life among its inhabitants: satisfied serenity. Whether it is the villa on the outskirts or a holiday residence, whether the award winning architect duo from Stuttgart is building in Berlin or in Berne, in the vineyards along the Neckar or in Cape Town with a view of the sea – the declared aim of its architecture and its characteristic feature is precisely this atmosphere of relaxation. Are houses that translate the success of their residents into everyday life.
The openness to the environment, proximity to nature, clarity and light. To that, honesty in the material and uncompromising perfection to the last detail: The furniture, the facilities, if it is to be, even the art on the walls. The architects are confess to the aesthetics and tradition a noble, classical modernity – but only in a constant dialogue can spaces and perspectives succeed, in which generosity and security keep each other’s balance. At the end, the client sits in a comfortable armchair, stands in an elegant established kitchen, receives friends to eat, looks over a beautifully landscaped garden and says: My house!
2014 AIA Victorian Architecture Awards Shortlist Residential Alterations and Additions
2014 Houses Awards Shortlist House in a Heritage Context
2014 Houses Awards Shortlist House Alteration and Addition over 200 m²
This house, on a deep site near the top of Richmond Hill contains the unexpected. A large roof deck is hidden behind the heritage protected Victorian roofline, like a secret lookout over the Melbourne skyline. The deck which extends from the upper-level master bedroom, bridges the two fundamental aspects of the house. It links the restored early Victorian heritage building with a separate contemporary but contextually responsive extension designed for a downsizing couple with regularly visiting family and grandchildren.
The scheme involved demolition of the lean-to at the rear, complete restoration of the existing front four rooms (including a new bathroom, which took the space of an existing room without disturbing the heritage fabric) and the addition of a rear contemporary structure with living space, carport, upper-level master bedroom and roof deck.
The existing Victorian detailing was stripped back to highlight the elegant fireplace arches, Baltic pine flooring and timber mouldings. Freestanding (not built in) bespoke joinery neatly fits into the existing fireplace recesses to clearly define the old and new.
The east-west site orientation cleverly turns an apparent design detriment into a major design feature. The long rear extension abuts the south boundary to achieve a delightful rear northern orientation, much longer than possible from a north-south site of similar size.
The new structure is visually separated from the heritage building by a glass link, with hidden utility spaces behind. A series of glazed connections, incorporating a large sliding glass door, a fixed door, a picture window and a frameless section, provide each space its own special interaction with the immediately adjacent garden.
To reduce its mass, the upper storey is constructed as a timber framed setback pop-up, out of the triangular masonry form. The bedroom receives filtered northern and western light through batten shutters, which control the heat in warmer months.
Externally, the addition is constructed out of recycled pressed red bricks with rough natural sand and cement render. This sits comfortably with the aged bluestone and other materials of the original early Victorian house.
Internally, the new living, dining and kitchen areas are associated by the consistent use of solid oak flooring, walls and joinery. The tight oak grain brings natural warmth to the space. The fine detailing of the junctions, joinery doors, recesses and fittings provoke an appreciation of the considered way in which the space has been crafted. Further, the changing volumes, lighting and varied glazed connections to the garden differentiate the various functional spaces.
Rob established the practice, Rob Kennon Architects, in 2011 after years of experiences working with two of Melbourne’s most influential and respected design practices, Bates Smart and Jackson Clements Burrows. Prior to that, Rob worked with Bochsler & Partners.
Rob graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Planning and Design (First Class Honours) and a Master of Architecture. He was awarded the Ernest Fooks Memorial Award for Design and was selected in the Dean’s Honours List. more
The design is driven by home’s extraordinary context connecting the users with the spectacular ocean views surrounding the property. The house was conceived as a vacation oasis and provides every amenity one could possibly desire; the main living and dining room opens his glass walls that unify with the pool and terrace area, creating strong interior-exterior integration in the main area of the home.
The use of natural stone and concrete walls create fresh spaces that dually provide passive cooling during hot seasons, besides this, the home’s striking green walls and rooftops insulate the house from heat and dually serve to integrate the house with the landscape.
Furniture and decorative elements were exclusively chosen and designed to integrate with the architecture.
Ezequiel Farca + Cristina Grappin
All images courtesy of Ezequiel Farca + Cristina Grappin
Ezequiel Farca + Cristina Grappin
Ezequiel Farca
Cristina Grappin
Ezequiel Farca + Cristina Grappin a multi-disciplinary design studio with an integrated approach, successfully working holistically across all scales. The studio was established in 1995, and in 2016 Cristina Grappin joined as business and design partner.
The studio designs details that connect people to the spaces they inhabit. From luxury yacht design to small and large hospitality and residential spaces, they consider all functions simultaneously to ensure the design is coherent, integrated and effortlessly inhabitable.
Drawing inspiration from their Mexican heritage, the firm collaborates with traditional artisans to create a palette of natural materials that fit the local culture and context. Comfort and warmth go into all of their projects.
In 2017, the firm’s restaurant project Lucca was awarded by Architectural Digest Mexico for Best Gastronomic Design as part of the annual Design Icons Awards. Additionally, they have been awarded by the IDA International Interior Design Awards and the PCA Design Awards Program and in 2015 the studio received the Visionarios Award by Obras Magazine.
Notable projects include a luxury-lifestyle theatre complex in San Diego, a Mezcal bar located in a landmark building in Oaxaca, a luxury yacht for Benetti and over 80 additional residential and commercial projects to date.
Ezequiel Farca + Cristina Grappinhave offices in Los Angeles, Milan and Mexico City with over thirty inter-disciplinary employees.
A gentle three-story sloping site offers significant connections to grade on all levels of the house: a putting green on the upper floor, pool and entertainment on the middle level and more intimate views to natural bedrock al the lower level.
A wide footprint and generous building area allows the central living portions of the house to expand into double-height spaces. These tall spaces interact with a large roof plane with a shaped underside. This roof acts to bind the house together and create diverse, deep covered exterior spaces at all levels.
All images courtesy of Mcleod Bovell Modern Houses
PLANS
Mcleod Bovell Modern Houses
McLeod Bovell is a collaborative design partnership specializing in complete residential architecture. Since 2008, firm has grown to include a group of 10 designers with diverse backgrounds in architecture, interior and landscape design.
The Oak Pass Road guesthouse uses its height and a small footprint to maximize panoramic canyon views and strengthen its connection to the surrounding tree-filled site. The lower level consists of a rehabbed and enlarged barn and newly constructed living spaces. The upper floor is clad in wood and has bedrooms at opposite corners of the floating volume.
Noah Walker is an American Architect and the founder of Walker Workshop, a design-build firm based in Los Angeles CA that is known for creating modern structures that are warmly minimal and deeply rooted in the context of their location. One of Walker’s first projects, the Oak Pass House went on to gain international acclaim including winning “Home of the Year” in 2016 as well as inclusion in the Arch Daily 100, a list of the 100 most important works of Architecture in the United States. Walker received his Master in Architecture from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in the Growth and Structure of Cities from Haverford College, in Philadelphia PA. He has over fifteen years of experience with a specific focus on design-build methods of project delivery. Noah is both a Registered Architect and a licensed general contractor in the state of California.
CONTACT
Walker Workshop
5574 W Washington Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90016
Bluff House is a three level house designed for a steeply sloping site backing onto the Barwon Heads golf course. The house is designed as a series of stepped interior and exterior spaces meandering upward from the street towards seclusion and views at the rear of the block.
A pair of gnarled and twisted Moonah trees at the rear of the site are a gift the project – their generous canopy enveloping the living zones and their sculptural trunks creating a focal point at the end of the entry axis.
The house and landscape are fully integrated, providing a series of fluid living zones and a continuous dialogue between the internal spaces and surrounding environment. The tapered, curved studio space, landscape entry stair and roof planters evoke the local bluff landscape, drawing you up and into the heart of the house.
Auhaus Architecture
All images courtesy of Auhaus Architecture
AUHAUS ARCHITECTURE
BENJAMIN STIBBARD – DIRECTOR
KATE FITZPATRICK – DIRECTOR
Auhaus is an architecture and design studio operating out of Melbourne and Barwon Heads, Australia. The studio was founded by Architects Benjamin Stibbard and Kate Fitzpatrick, both of whom worked in larger residential firms before establishing Auhaus in 2011. With a different set of priorities in mind that went beyond the bottom line, Auhaus have made a name for themselves creating bespoke homes along Victoria’s surf coast and in Melbourne’s leafy suburbs. Avoiding the shopping list approach, each design is inspired by site context, landscape and importantly, the way in which their clients live. Kate and Ben are drawn to the complexities and intricacies inherent in every project and revel in the initial broad brush pen strokes down to the in-house fabrication of joinery hardware and lighting, ensuring that every project is rigorous, engaging and highly tailored to the end user.
Kate and Ben are both Registered Architects with the ARBV, and Auhaus Architecture is an A+ member of the Australian Institute of Architects.
Achieving a balance of airy openness and privacy, this 2,700 sf beachfront property slips neatly into a wedge on California’s striking Monterey coast. The open floor plan with master bedroom loft allows unrestricted views of the Pacific Ocean throughout. Large sliding and bi-folding glass doors open interior living areas directly onto the sand.
All images courtesy of Sagan Piechota Architecture
Sagan Piechota Architecture
Daniel Piechota earned a Bachelor of Architecture in 1987 from the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. While in college he spent a year studying in Denmark and upon graduation worked as a carpenter for Bart Prince. An apprenticeship with Mickey Muennig followed where he participated in several projects including the design and construction of the iconic Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California.
Prior to forming SPA, Daniel owned a practice in Los Angeles where he established a reputation for design that conveys a modern sensibility without sacrificing warmth and livability.
“We are not bound by any style or architectural movement. We are committed to discovering the most elegant and authentic solution within every challenge.”
Loring Sagan grew up in both the Bay Area and Japan. His exposure to the cultures and lifestyles of these two environments formed the basis for a particular point of view and a dedication to the pursuit of fine art and design.
Ceramics, painting, and sculpture were the original path with architecture following organically and naturally. For twenty years his Sagan Design Group in Tahoe designed and built homes in resort and mountain locales.
In 1999 Loring began working with Daniel and together they formed Sagan Piechota Architecture to collaboratively pursue the art of architecture based on their compatible aesthetic and shared collaborative principles.
Set within a small clearing of California old growth oaks, this ‘L’ shaped residence settles naturally into the contours of the rolling hills of Carmel Valley. Concrete, weathered steel and natural cedar mimics the colors and textures of the surrounding hills. Framed perspectives carefully selected throughout the property capture the verdant landscape and distant views beyond.
All images courtesy of Sagan Piechota Architecture
Sagan Piechota Architecture
Located in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, Sagan Piechota Architecture was formed in 1999 by Architect, Daniel Piechota and Designer/Developer, Loring Sagan.
SPA commercial and residential projects can be found in some of Northern California’s most spectacular settings – urban, coastal and rural.
Daniel Piechota
Daniel Piechota earned a Bachelor of Architecture in 1987 from the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. While in college he spent a year studying in Denmark and upon graduation worked as a carpenter for Bart Prince. An apprenticeship with Mickey Muennig followed where he participated in several projects including the design and construction of the iconic Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California.Prior to forming SPA, Daniel owned a practice in Los Angeles where he established a reputation for design that conveys a modern sensibility without sacrificing warmth and livability.
“We are not bound by any style or architectural movement. We are committed to discovering the most elegant and authentic solution within every challenge.”
Loring Saga
Loring Sagan grew up in both the Bay Area and Japan. His exposure to the cultures and lifestyles of these two environments formed the basis for a particular point of view and a dedication to the pursuit of fine art and design.Ceramics, painting, and sculpture were the original path with architecture following organically and naturally. For twenty years his Sagan Design Group in Tahoe designed and built homes in resort and mountain locales.
In 1999 Loring began working with Daniel and together they formed Sagan Piechota Architecture to collaboratively pursue the art of architecture based on their compatible aesthetic and shared collaborative principles.
Daniel Piechota earned a Bachelor of Architecture in 1987 from the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. While in college he spent a year studying in Denmark and upon graduation worked as a carpenter for Bart Prince. An apprenticeship with Mickey Muennig followed where he participated in several projects including the design and construction of the iconic Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California.
Loring Sagan grew up in both the Bay Area and Japan. His exposure to the cultures and lifestyles of these two environments formed the basis for a particular point of view and a dedication to the pursuit of fine art and design.
