6 minute read
Prefab
TEXT BY Vejay Nair
PHOTOS BY | @REINIS_HOFMANIS Reinis Hofmanis
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On ly the Essent ials
With nat ural materials and an unf ussy attit ude, a Lat vian prefab embraces the countr yside.
Thirty-seven miles north of the Latvian capital of Riga, in a coastal meadow fringed by apple trees, Laura Dislere, a production designer, and Maris Locmelis, a photographer, created a retreat for recharging after busy weeks in the city.
To minimize the hassle of on-site construction, they chose a 495-square-foot prefabricated carbon-negative home designed in Riga and constructed from locally sourced timber in Jelgava, a town less than 65 miles away from the site. The Ray, as the line of homes is named, is made by Manta North, a Latvian manufacturer of efficient prefabs that have proven popular in Nordic nations. The company recently expanded to Switzerland and Germany, and it plans to enter the U.S. market this year. As Raimonds Gusarevs, Manta North’s CEO, puts it, “People are catching on to this idea of having a small, minimalist, and sustainable dwelling.”
Laura and Maris were drawn to the design’s natural materials, like the oak parquet flooring and the oil-treated crosslaminated timber walls, as well as its massive 8.9-by-8.9-foot, floor-to-ceiling
L AU R A D I S L E R E , R E S I D E N T
On a tranquil site in Skulte Parish, Latvia, prefab manufacturer Manta North delivered a compact home for Laura Dislere and Maris Locmelis (opposite). The living room (above) is furnished with a Söderhamn sofa from Ikea, artwork by Latvianborn painter Vidvuds Zviedris, and a dining table and chairs from Mint Furniture. “They fit with the aesthetics of the house and the minimalistic feel of it,” says Laura. “Plus they are made locally, which is also important for us.” The bedroom (right) features a bed from Mint, a Selene bathtub from Aura, and a wooden side table made by Maris’s father, Henriks. The land (below) has been in Laura’s family for generations.
The Ray
DESIGNER Manta North LOCATION Skulte Parish, Latvia
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A Entrance B Living/Dining Area C Kitchen D Deck E Bedroom F Bathroom
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F window. “It allows you to feel connected to nature,” says Maris as he reminisces with Laura about standing barefoot on the heated floors while watching the snow fall on a freezing winter morning.
The front door opens to a compact kitchen and a living area the couple have outfitted with neutral textiles and locally made furnishings by the Latvian brand Mint Furniture. For Laura—whose grandfather bought the land where the home now sits—spending summers isolated in the countryside as a child felt like an obligation, but the new home makes her see the place in a different light. “When I am here, I have two different feelings: comfort and humbleness,” says Laura. “There’s only one table and bed, but it feels luxurious.”
The home is close enough to Riga that Laura and Maris can visit weekly, and they are planning on building their own little world around it. Maris intends to construct a traditional Latvian sauna, and Laura is laying the groundwork for a garden. For now, Laura says they are taking it easy: “We’re just enjoying the view and enjoying life.”
Wood features prominently in the home’s design—from the cross-laminated timber walls and oak floorboards to the pine deck, which Maris built. The couple, who live in Riga, enjoy connecting to a provincial lifestyle, which they have come to prefer over the city. “I think we have found our space. Our new energy is here,” says Laura.
Test Time of
A prairie-style Portland, Oregon, home’s unique brick facade was left untouched. Inside, the kitchen was relocated to the sunny side of the house. Avocado mattresses are incorporated into all the bedrooms as part of the residents’ commitment to healthy, sustainable living.
Lever Architecture infuses a century-old Oregon home with new life while honoring its quirks.
There’s no dearth of cute Craftsmans in Portland, but the prairie-style home with a clinker brick facade that Anyeley Hallová and Ed Halla discovered on a double corner lot was a rare find. “The home is straight-up magical,” Anyeley says. When they came across it, the couple scrapped plans to build from scratch and jumped at the chance to renovate something unique. They brought in Lever Architecture, which introduced more indoor/outdoor living spaces and opened up the interiors, ensuring that the residence will remain relevant into the next century. “The remodel was always about a dialogue between the old and the new,” says Ed.
The goal was to retrofit the home for Anyeley and Ed’s busy family of four, paying particular attention to incorporating nontoxic and sustainable materials. “We know that buildings contribute to around 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, so we wanted to be responsible,” says Anyeley, adding that they opted for quality insulation, low-VOC products, and energy-efficient infrastructure at every turn.
That attention to materials extends to certified organic, zero-waste mattresses from Avocado. The primary bedroom, after all, was designed with the feel of a “Scandinavian or spa-like environment,” says Ed. There are no distractions, no television, no overstimulation— just soft textures and calming shades of gray.
The couple enjoy the enduring, historical character of their prairie-style gem, but now the home better reflects their personalities. Anyeley reiterates the project’s guiding concept: “We wanted to focus on design choices, however small, that don’t contribute to any negative effects on the environment and create a healthy, resilient home for our family.”
Minimal Impact
“J Geiger shades are elegant, quiet, and high-performing,” says architect Damien Busillo of DLB Custom Home Design.
J Geiger’s Inception Shades deliver sleek design and smart-home capabilities.
As transparent canvases, windows have adaptable personalities: They keep a low profile or demand a lot of attention. When it comes to the former approach, it’s safe to say that shade maker J Geiger—known for its spare, streamlined aesthetic—is the embodiment of elegant simplicity. “Minimalist principles apply to all our products, and this is especially true for the Inception line,” says James Geiger of his latest collection, which marries contemporary design, smart functionality, and quick installation.
“Before Inception, we built all of our shading systems on-site to achieve the cleanest aesthetic possible, but labor-intensive installations come with a significant cost,” Geiger says. “Inception Shades arrive ready to install, delivering the same industry-leading look with 10 percent of the labor investment.” When paired with high-performance wireless technology and voice-control options, such as Google Home and Alexa, Inception delivers huge returns on an accelerated timeline. Geiger adds, “A decade ago, it would have been unimaginable to think we could upgrade a home to motorized shades that are voice controlled in a single day. Today, it is not only possible—it’s easy.”
A minimalist aesthetic that complements, not competes with, your home’s architecture and uncomplicated controls make Inception Shades a go-to solution for many designers, including architect Damien Busillo of DLB Custom Home Design. He appreciates their lean profile and versatility: “The shades virtually disappear, but when needed during different times of the day, they feel as if they had always been a part of the window design,” Busillo says. Geiger agrees, describing Inception Shades as “agnostic enough to blend into any style of home.”
