13,13,630 Exterior Design Ideas

This residence, nestled into a clearing in a lush forested landscape, was designed to immerse its occupants in the full range of environments that the site offers. A winding drive brings visitors through the forest to arrive at an open hilltop court that is defined by the low, embracing form of the house. The house is built on a steep grade, with the entry on the second level, so as you move inside, the feeling of grounded horizontality becomes one of floating in the treetops. The tree canopy enfolds the interior space and creates a visual perimeter that changes with the seasons. A staircase tucked behind the free-standing fireplace leads down to the lower level of the house, which is carved into the earth and gives onto the forest floor. The cozy nature of the lower level provides an experiential contrast to the expansive and light-filled level above. Architect: Specht Harpman Interior Design: Carrier & Co. Photographer: Elizabeth Felicella Press and Awards AIA Design Award Residential Architect (RA) Award Architectural Digest New Canaan Modern Homes Tour

Amy A. Alper, Architect Landscape Design by Merge Studio Photos by John Merkl

Photo by Ed Gohlich

Chris Ermides

Landmark Photography

Stone Acorn Builders presents Houston's first Southern Living Showcase in 2012.

Ranch style house brick painted with a remodeled soffit and front porch. stained wood. -Blackstone Painters

Set on a steep & bushy site in the heights of Coonan’s Hill, Pascoe Vale South, our clients are bidding farewell to their tired sprawling suburban home to pursue a new and more environmentally considerate home within a smaller footprint. In the existing single storey home to date, city views have only been apparent from the occasional risqué ladder venture. A key part of our client’s brief was to bring this cityscape into their daily lives, where the fundamentals of eat, sleep & play can all be enjoyed from the first floor. Our clients, a young couple and their two beloved pooches, have a love for raw materials expressed in their truest form. With sustainable design integral to the brief, our clients “must-haves” include; on-site energy storage and provision for their future electric car. Key to our approach has also been to design a robust & low maintenance home. The home itself will be nestled in the centre of the site, with vast garden views to either side. Two robust and gently curving masonry structures occupy the ground plane, bridged together by a minimal first floor volume. This approach was adopted to free up the ground plane and to pay tribute to the established and emerging garden. Working alongside Amanda Oliver Gardens, the approach to architecture and landscape has been a holistic exercise. To the north, views of the terraced native garden are embraced, and to which a landscaped webforge bridge connects the first floor living to the upper garden plateau. City views towards the south are framed by elevated tree canopies, which softens the interface to the street.

Michael Hunter Photography

Clay Jones