Graham Syed

This waterfront home features an open, carefully day lit interior in a very compact shell. The openness to the beach guided the process of the design and selection of materials and finishes. A concern for the permanence and maintenance of the house led to a careful selection of ground-face concrete block, natural concrete floors, and metal windows and door systems and to the raising of the house on a solid base formed of stepping concrete terraces.

headquarters of building Lab created with shipping containers.

Diego Robelledo Flores

Built from the ground up on 80 acres outside Dallas, Oregon, this new modern ranch house is a balanced blend of natural and industrial elements. The custom home beautifully combines various materials, unique lines and angles, and attractive finishes throughout. The property owners wanted to create a living space with a strong indoor-outdoor connection. We integrated built-in sky lights, floor-to-ceiling windows and vaulted ceilings to attract ample, natural lighting. The master bathroom is spacious and features an open shower room with soaking tub and natural pebble tiling. There is custom-built cabinetry throughout the home, including extensive closet space, library shelving, and floating side tables in the master bedroom. The home flows easily from one room to the next and features a covered walkway between the garage and house. One of our favorite features in the home is the two-sided fireplace – one side facing the living room and the other facing the outdoor space. In addition to the fireplace, the homeowners can enjoy an outdoor living space including a seating area, in-ground fire pit and soaking tub.

© Josh Partee 2013

Steve Keating - http://www.steve-keating.com/

Matt Waclo

Image © Sharon Risedorph

Randy Colwell

Kaplan Architects, AIA Location: Redwood City , CA, USA Front entry deck creating an outdoor room for the main living area. The exterior siding is natural cedar and the roof is a standing seam metal roofing system with custom design integral gutters.

Modersohn & Freiesleben

conception d'une cuisine aménagée équipée sur pignon - toute hauteur

Green roof in full sun is harder than in the shade. Sterilized shale is used here over slightly sloped rubber membrane with sedum plants plugged into shale and then watered with drip irrigation for first two summers depending on rain amount. Garden fence holds back deer, rabbits and ground hogs. Roof scuppers provide water to the butterfly garden. Raised beds mean less bending over and better weed control. tkd

Photos by Kaity Interiors by Ashley Cole Design Architecture by David Maxam

M.I.R. Phase 3 denotes the third phase of the transformation of a 1950’s daylight rambler on Mercer Island, Washington into a contemporary family dwelling in tune with the Northwest environment. Phase one modified the front half of the structure which included expanding the Entry and converting a Carport into a Garage and Shop. Phase two involved the renovation of the Basement level. Phase three involves the renovation and expansion of the Upper Level of the structure which was designed to take advantage of views to the "Green-Belt" to the rear of the property. Existing interior walls were removed in the Main Living Area spaces were enlarged slightly to allow for a more open floor plan for the Dining, Kitchen and Living Rooms. The Living Room now reorients itself to a new deck at the rear of the property. At the other end of the Residence the existing Master Bedroom was converted into the Master Bathroom and a Walk-in-closet. A new Master Bedroom wing projects from here out into a grouping of cedar trees and a stand of bamboo to the rear of the lot giving the impression of a tree-house. A new semi-detached multi-purpose space is located below the projection of the Master Bedroom and serves as a Recreation Room for the family's children. As the children mature the Room is than envisioned as an In-home Office with the distant possibility of having it evolve into a Mother-in-law Suite. Hydronic floor heat featuring a tankless water heater, rain-screen façade technology, “cool roof” with standing seam sheet metal panels, Energy Star appliances and generous amounts of natural light provided by insulated glass windows, transoms and skylights are some of the sustainable features incorporated into the design. “Green” materials such as recycled glass countertops, salvaging and refinishing the existing hardwood flooring, cementitous wall panels and "rusty metal" wall panels have been used throughout the Project. However, the most compelling element that exemplifies the project's sustainability is that it was not torn down and replaced wholesale as so many of the homes in the neighborhood have.