For this house “contextual” means focusing the good view and taking the bad view out of focus. In order to accomplish this, the form of the house was inspired by horse blinders. Conceived as two tubes with directed views, one tube is for entertaining and the other one for sleeping. Directly across the street from the house is a lake, “the good view.” On all other sides of the house are neighbors of very close proximity which cause privacy issues and unpleasant views – “the bad view.” Thus the sides and rear are mostly solid in order to block out the less desirable views and the front is completely transparent in order to frame and capture the lake – “horse blinders.” There are several sustainable features in the house’s detailing. The entire structure is made of pre-fabricated recycled steel and concrete. Through the extensive use of high tech and super efficient glass, both as windows and clerestories, there is no need for artificial light during the day. The heating for the building is provided by a radiant system composed of several hundred feet of tubes filled with hot water embedded into the concrete floors. The façade is made up of composite board that is held away from the skin in order to create ventilated façade. This ventilation helps to control the temperature of the building envelope and a more stable temperature indoors. Photo Credit: Alistair Tutton

Bruce Damonte

Foto Kai Schlender, www.bugks.com

The owners of this small duplex located in Greenwich Village wanted to live in an apartment with minimal obstacles and furniture. Working with a small budget, StudioLAB aimed for a fluid open-plan layout in an existing space that had been covered in darker wood floors with various walls sub-diving rooms and a steep narrow staircase. The use of white and light blue throughout the apartment helps keep the space bright and creates a calming atmosphere, perfect for raising their newly born child. An open kitchen with integrated appliances and ample storage sits over the location of an existing bathroom. When privacy is necessary the living room can be closed off from the rest of the upper floor through a set of custom pivot-sliding doors to create a separate space used for a guest room or for some quiet reading. The kitchen, dining room, living room and a full bathroom can be found on the upper floor. Connecting the upper and lower floors is an open staircase with glass rails and stainless steel hand rails. An intimate area with a bed, changing room, walk-in closet, desk and bathroom is located on the lower floor. A light blue accent wall behind the bed adds a touch of calming warmth that contrasts with the white walls and floor.

Abstract Expressionist art by Anita Lewis in a W. Cunningham design modern architectural home in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. Photos by Anita Lewis

Photographer: Frank Oudeman

BiglarKinyan Design Partnership 2012

Open living space with bedroom upstairs. Glass roof is equipped with a sunshield controlled by the intelligent home system Photo: Lipski

Architektin: Ute Piroeth

Miami Interior Design - Detailed Minimalism Kids Bathroom www.dkorinteriors.com Photography by Alexia Fodere

Costas Picadas/DLux Images

Interior Design by Bruce Bierman Photo by Dan Forer

Timmerman Photography, Inc.

The owners of this small duplex located in Greenwich Village wanted to live in an apartment with minimal obstacles and furniture. Working with a small budget, StudioLAB aimed for a fluid open-plan layout in an existing space that had been covered in darker wood floors with various walls sub-diving rooms and a steep narrow staircase. The use of white and light blue throughout the apartment helps keep the space bright and creates a calming atmosphere, perfect for raising their newly born child. An open kitchen with integrated appliances and ample storage sits over the location of an existing bathroom. When privacy is necessary the living room can be closed off from the rest of the upper floor through a set of custom pivot-sliding doors to create a separate space used for a guest room or for some quiet reading. The kitchen, dining room, living room and a full bathroom can be found on the upper floor. Connecting the upper and lower floors is an open staircase with glass rails and stainless steel hand rails. An intimate area with a bed, changing room, walk-in closet, desk and bathroom is located on the lower floor. A light blue accent wall behind the bed adds a touch of calming warmth that contrasts with the white walls and floor.