Coastal Comfort

Silo Point is a luxury condominium building in Baltimore, MD USA that was transformed from an old 1920's Grain elevator. www.SiloPoint.com Photo Credit: John Lucia Pictures

Sited on a runway with sweeping views of the Colorado Rockies, the residence with attached hangar is designed to reflect the convergence of earth and sky. Stone, masonry and wood living spaces rise to a glass and aluminum hanger structure that is linked by a linear monolithic wall. The spatial orientations of the primary spaces mirror the aeronautical layout of the runway infrastructure. The owners are passionate pilots and wanted their home to reflect the high-tech nature of their plane as well as their love for contemporary and sustainable design, utilizing natural materials in an open and warm environment. Defining the orientation of the house, the striking monolithic masonry wall with the steel framework and all-glass atrium bisect the hangar and the living quarters and allow natural light to flood the open living spaces. Sited around an open courtyard with a reflecting pool and outdoor kitchen, the master suite and main living spaces form two ‘wood box’ wings. Mature landscaping and natural materials including masonry block, wood panels, bamboo floor and ceilings, travertine tile, stained wood doors, windows and trim ground the home into its environment, while two-sided fireplaces, large glass doors and windows open the house to the spectacular western views. Designed with high-tech and sustainable features, this home received a LEED silver certification. LaCasse Photography

Contemporary second floor den Photo by Stephani Buchman

Photolux Studios (Christian Lalonde)

Bridge floating over a 48 linear feet long pond connecting main entrance to driveway

Willoughby Way Great Room with Massive Stone Fireplace by Charles Cunniffe Architects http://cunniffe.com/projects/willoughby-way/ Photo by David O. Marlow

The Lake Forest Park Renovation is a top-to-bottom renovation of a 50's Northwest Contemporary house located 25 miles north of Seattle. Photo: Benjamin Benschneider

Aaron Leitz Photography

5 beds, 5 ½ baths, and approximately 4,289 square feet. VISION House - Los Angeles '12 by Structure Home...a collaboration with Green Builder Media to build a new and sustainable showcase home, the first of its kind on the West Coast. This custom home demonstrated current products, materials and construction methods on the leading edge of sustainability, within communities throughout Los Angeles. This home was an inspired, collaborative architectural home by KAA architects & P2 Design. The interior was done by Jill Wolff Interior Design. Upon a courtyard approach, a peaceful setting envelopes you. Sun-filled master bedroom w/oil-rubbed Walnut floors; huge walk-in closet; unsurpassed Kohler master bathroom. Superb open kitchen w/state of the art Gaggenau appliances, is linked to family/dining areas, accented w/Porcelain tile floors, voluminous stained cedar ceilings, leading you thru fold away glass doors, to outdoor living room with fireplace & private yard. This home combines Contemporary design, CA Mission style lines & Traditional influence, providing living conditions of ease & comfort for your specific lifestyle. Achieved LEED Silver Certification, offering energy efficiency; sustainability; and advancements in technology. Photo by: Latham Architectural

The new house sits back from the suburban road, a pipe-stem lot hidden in the trees. The owner/building had requested a modern, clean statement of his residence. A single rectangular volume houses the main program: living, dining, kitchen to the north, garage, private bedrooms and baths to the south. Secondary building blocks attached to the west and east faces contain special places: entry, stair, music room and master bath. The double height living room with full height corner windows erodes the solidity of the house, opening it to the outside. The porch, beyond the living room, stretches the house into the landscape, the transition anchored with the double-fronted fireplace. The modern vocabulary of the house is a careful delineation of the parts - cantilevering roofs lift and extend beyond the planar stucco, siding and glazed wall surfaces. Where the house meets ground, crushed stone along the perimeter base mimics the roof lines above, the sharply defined edges of lawn held away from the foundation. The open steel stair stands separate from adjacent walls. Kitchen and bathroom cabinets are objects in space - visually (and where possible, physically) disengaged from ceiling, wall and floor. It's the movement through the volumes of space, along surfaces, and out into the landscape, that unifies the house.

Full height anodized aluminum windows “bring the outside in” to this master bedroom. Designed by Architect Philetus Holt III, HMR Architects and built by Lasley Construction.

With a compact form and several integrated sustainable systems, the Capitol Hill Residence achieves the client’s goals to maximize the site’s views and resources while responding to its micro climate. Some of the sustainable systems are architectural in nature. For example, the roof rainwater collects into a steel entry water feature, day light from a typical overcast Seattle sky penetrates deep into the house through a central translucent slot, and exterior mounted mechanical shades prevent excessive heat gain without sacrificing the view. Hidden systems affect the energy consumption of the house such as the buried geothermal wells and heat pumps that aid in both heating and cooling, and a 30 panel photovoltaic system mounted on the roof feeds electricity back to the grid. The minimal foundation sits within the footprint of the previous house, while the upper floors cantilever off the foundation as if to float above the front entry water feature and surrounding landscape. The house is divided by a sloped translucent ceiling that contains the main circulation space and stair allowing daylight deep into the core. Acrylic cantilevered treads with glazed guards and railings keep the visual appearance of the stair light and airy allowing the living and dining spaces to flow together. While the footprint and overall form of the Capitol Hill Residence were shaped by the restrictions of the site, the architectural and mechanical systems at work define the aesthetic. Working closely with a team of engineers, landscape architects, and solar designers we were able to arrive at an elegant, environmentally sustainable home that achieves the needs of the clients, and fits within the context of the site and surrounding community. (c) Steve Keating Photography

Ryan Siemers