LHQ AUGUST 2011
LUXURY HOME quarterly
AUGUST 2011
A Comprehensive Look at the Custom-Home Industry
PREFAB, OUTSIDE
THE BOX
VOL. 2 NO. 12
HUF HAUS & dotGreen Inc. REDEFINE PREFAB LIVING IN AMERICA
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CONTENTS FEATURES
p72
HUF HAUS Revisited After a year, German firm HUF HAUS and its American counterpart, dotGreen, have gained a foothold in the United States.
WARMTH OF WOOD This structure is one of many open-air buildings designed by San Francisco-based Zak Architecture on the tropical islands of Hawaii.
page 44
River Retreat British prefab specialists Hudson Architects have built a cedarshingle home on the Wensum River in Norfolk county, England.
page 52
Mythbusters Seattle-based Method Homes is redefining prefab construction.
page 56
Flipped Houses Collaborative Designworks has created a pair of similar yet opposing structures on Houston’s Hyde Park Boulevard.
page 62
Jersey Gem Fisher Development Associates’ Crystal Point sits 25 feet from the west bank of the Hudson River.
page 66
Island in the Sun California-based Zak Architecture has designed more than 30 projects in Hawaii.
PHOTO: MATTHEW MILLMAN
page 72
ON THE COVER The cover portrays the living room of an Art 9 Grey home, just one of the HUF HAUS prefab designs available in the United States through the firm’s American counterpart, dotGreen.
page 44
CONTENTS
ACCLAIM Custom-home projects of note 18
BERKSHIRE HOUSE
19
DWELL HOME
BUILDERS Construction firms specializing in peerless residences 20
B.W. WILLIAMS BUILDER INC.
23
LEONARD UNANDER ASSOCIATES, INC.
26
J. TALLMAN BUILDERS
28
MCNEIL COMPANY BUILDERS
32
LA CASA BUILDERS INC.
DESIGNERS Creative minds in interiors, landscapes, and furnishings 37
FOX-NAHEM ASSOCIATES
DESIGNER SHOWCASE An in-depth look at some of the industry’s most unique designers 38
p 23 Leonard Unander is a thirdgeneration designer and builder whose eponymous company is carrying on the family legacy.
KEN GEMES INTERIORS
THE PLANS
ARCHITECTS
A showcase of sleek, modern architecture— and the blueprints that started it all
Providing concepts and programs for deluxe homes
82
CGA PARTNERS
105
CARVER + SCHICKETANZ
84
WELCH ARCHITECTURE
108
FLEISCHMANGARCIA ARCHITECTURE
88
SUTTON SUZUKI ARCHITECTS
112
D’ALESSIO INSPIRED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS
116
JAMES HANN DESIGN, AIA
120
LEVIN/BROWN & ASSOCIATES, INC.
122
MARTIN ARCHITECTS PC
126
MERLE THORPE ARCHITECTS
129
RICK O’DONNELL ARCHITECT
THE TEAMS Partnerships and collaborations between architecture pros 92
PORTUONDO PEROTTI ARCHITECTS
96
SHARIF & MUNIR CUSTOM HOMES, INC.
102
MORE DESIGN + BUILD, LLC
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CONTENTS
PLUS Editor’s Note
page 10
What’s New Industry news, awards, and product innovations page 12
Calendar Trade shows and special events in the coming months page 14
Behind the Lines featuring Poet Furniture page 15
On the Rise Spotlighting designs for illumination and relaxation page 16
Directory
page 142
Products+Services Spotlight page 144 At Home With Zeke Fernandez
p17 VACATION HOMES Second homes and getaways across the globe 132
FLORIDA COAST LUXURY BY DAILEY JANSSEN ARCHITECTS
DISTINCTION
PHOTO: JIM BARTSCH
Serving a unique niche in the custom-home industry 136
STUDIO H LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, INC.
139
CGN DESIGNS
This uniquely stackable Mosquito chair is an angular cantilever design by Michael Bihain.
page 146
LUXURY HOME quarterly Publishing
Advertising
Editorial
Research
GUERRERO HOWE, LLC Pedro Guerrero, PRESIDENT Christopher Howe, CEO & PUBLISHER
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EDITOR’S NOTE FREE FLOWING Zak Arhitecture’s Cloister House project showcases the Hawaiian landscape through pocket doors that connect the inside and outside when open. Learn more on p.72.
This will be the last issue of Luxury Home Quarterly published by Guerrero Howe Custom Media. LHQ will continue its coverage of the custom-home industry under Bowen Enterprises, and we wish its editorial team all the best in its endeavors. It has been quite an adventure working on LHQ , exploring luxury homes all over the world and bringing valuable industry resources to our glossy pages. The homes we’ve featured, the designers we’ve profiled, and the products we’ve presented have all come together in amazing ways, each issue better than the next. That strong base has given our editorial team a foothold in the luxury market, and it is with that experience, knowledge, and passion that we introduce our newest publication, New American Luxury. I am honored to be at the helm of this new title, and I will utilize my experience editing LHQ to bring you the most informative and alluring content in the luxury trade market. For the past year and a half, LHQ has brought you the most innovative architecture, stunning interiors, and fascinating executives that North America has to offer. Guerrero Howe Custom Media will continue that tradition proudly
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as we present our most comprehensive title yet. New American Luxury will take a candid look at the fastest-growing niches in the North American luxury market in its inaugural issue premiering next month. This new title will provide us the opportunity to bring fresher, more informative, more in-depth content directly to you, our readers. Not only will we continue to explore the luxury residential market, but we will also delve deep into the hospitality, retail, and commercial sectors. We will take you inside the most luxurious spaces in the world and sit down with the creative minds shaping the luxury marketplace. New American Luxury will showcase the best of the best in an industry-specific magazine that is looking to the future of design. We are proud to present you with the last installment of LHQ under the Guerrero Howe banner, and we are even prouder to present the newest name in the luxury trade market. As always, I hope that our content will motivate, inform, and inspire your work, and I look forward to presenting what’s new and fresh in American luxury this fall.
Moll y Soat , features editor
luxur yhomequarterly.com
PHOTO: MATTHEW MILLMAN
T
he only sure thing is change—a truth well known in the luxury building and design industries. You embrace change, run with it, create something new out of something established, and the result is inevitably better than what came before.
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WHAT’S NEW
INDUSTRY NEWS, AWARDS, AND PRODUCT INNOVATIONS
KITCHEN PRODUCT
SieMatic showcases tech-savvy kitchen Luxury cabinet manufacturer SieMatic first unveiled its high-tech, handle-free, SieMatic S2 kitchen design in Löhne, Germany, in 2009. Recently the company put the product on display in New York City’s A&D Building. The S2 looks traditional—the show model has a light-oak finish with touches of white porcelain; the kitchen is also available in lacquer, glass, stone, and wood, among other materials. The highlight of the unit, though, is its high-tech multimedia center, called the SieMaticGrid, which allows users to access the Internet, watch television, listen to the radio, play DVDs and CDs, or store photos and recipes via a graphic user interface or remote control. The SieMaticGrid’s monitor can be pulled out and turned in any direction. An area behind the monitor and a second storage spot in a nearby pullout drawer provide storage for a wireless keyboard and mouse. Soon, the company hopes to roll out a line of appliances that are compatible with the multimedia center, so that various household tasks can be recorded and tracked. New innovations for the cabinetry include pullouts for additional storage space, a lower-cabinet extendable shelving system, and GripDeck anti-slip strips in the lower drawers to keep utensils in place. Source: SieMatic
TEXTILE LINE
Création Baumann releases fresh new fabrics From the Swiss textile firm Création Baumann comes a new collection of curtain and upholstery fabrics. The collection, called Inspired, is part of the company’s Living Line, which is based on nature and natural colors. The line includes patterns such as “Cosmea” and “Ava,” floral and check designs hand-painted on silk taffeta cloth; “Maurice,” a jacquard-weave curtain fabric made of wool that shrinks and expands dramatically with the temperature to create a distinctive texture; “Rosalie,” a wool cloth with cutout portions that create unique patterns when light shines through; and “Amethyst Fleur,” which has hand-embroidered floral imagery on ultra-fine, sheer Trevera CS leno weave cloth. All of the fabrics are carefully made in the company’s hometown of Langenthal, and the many CS fabrics in the collection are tough, easy to care for, and flame retardant, helping them to fit almost any living space. Source: Création Baumann 12
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WHAT’S NEW
LUXURY REAL ESTATE
Half of Montage homes already sold Despite the sluggish economy, almost half of the Montage Beverly Hills residences—a set of 20 homes located on the top two and a half floors of the LEED Gold-certified Montage Beverly Hills hotel—are now sold. (The homes went on the market in 2009.) In early 2011, a four-bedroom home went for $10 million; it was the second Montage property to sell for more than $10 million, and the ninth property sold overall. A tenth residence is currently under contract. The property’s two- to five-bedroom penthouse spaces range from 1,900 to 5,700 square feet, and from $4.6 to $16.8 million in price. Each offers a breathtaking long-range view of the surrounding cityscape. Residents have access to all the amenities and services provided to the luxury hotel’s guests, including the 20,000-square-foot spa, a fitness center, and assistance from residential concierge staff. Montage Beverly Hills is located in the city’s Golden Triangle region, and is connected to multiple restaurants, including the newly opened Scarpetta, overseen by award-winning chef Scott Conant. Joy Denton of Sotheby’s International Realty is handling the available Montage properties; visit montagebeverlyhills. com/residences for more information. Source: Montage Hotels & Resorts
REAL-ESTATE COMMUNITY
Martis Camp continues to grow and sell After announcing 62 property sales totaling $53.7 million in 2010, the developers of Martis Camp, a 2,177-acre private golf and ski community in North Lake Tahoe, have declared their site one of the most popular real-estate buys in the United States. Plenty of units are still available: 54 homes are under construction, and another 25 are completed and ready for purchase, with prices ranging from $1.7 million to $10 million. In addition to golfing and skiing, community members can enjoy concerts at the Martis Camp Ampitheater; take classes year-round at the Martis Camp Folk School; or entertain themselves at The Family Barn, a recreation center with swimming, bowling, basketball, a movie theater, and a soda fountain. Martis Camp’s developers are also building the Camp Lodge, which will offer indoor and outdoor dining and relaxation with commanding views of the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains. Source: Martis Camp
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CALENDAR
TRADE SHOWS AND SPECIAL EVENTS IN THE COMING MONTHS
International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market SEPT 12 - 15
Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL, Sept. 12-15
POOLSIDE This Edwin Blue chair-andtable set was one of many products shown at the 2010 International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market.
Home décor retailers from around the globe will show off their wares—which range from outdoor wicker furniture to fireplaces to pools and spas—at this four-day trade show, located in one of Chicago’s largest exhibition halls. Those in the landscape design and patio construction industries should take note of the Garden Accessories Courtyard, a special 10,000-square-foot section of the showroom floor dedicated to lawn and deck products. casualmarket.com
CEDIA Trade Show
CONSTRUCT 2011
Indianapolis Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN, Sept. 7-10
McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, Sept. 14-16
Technology hounds should head to this trade show, dedicated completely to the residential electronic systems industry. Professionals in home theater and audio systems, security systems, lighting and environmental controls, and energy management controls will be on hand to discuss the latest in in-home gadgetry and offer free training on how to use it. Attendees also gain access to exclusive CEDIA University courses. cedia.net
This expo, devoted to many facets of the design-build industry, has been around for more than 50 years, offering architects, engineers, and other professionals a chance to network with hundreds of exhibitors showcasing trends and new practices in the construction field. Attendees will also have the opportunity to take AIA- and CSI-accredited courses on design, small-business management, construction codes and standards, and sustainable building practices. constructshow.com
HD Boutique
21st Century Building Expo
Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami, FL, Sept. 13-14
Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, NC, Sept. 14-16
One of the largest hospitality and design trade shows in the United States, this swankier affair draws many vendors from the luxury furniture and interior décor industries. In addition to the displays in the exhibition hall, attendees will be able to check out the products and services in a number of upscale hotels in the Miami area, and a number of VIP parties will provide additional networking opportunities. hdboutique.com
This three-day fair concentrates on construction and design professionals and building-material retailers in the Southeastern United States. Ticket holders can attend courses and seminars provided by the NCBI and NAHB, and a ceremony will recognize the winners of the annual STARS Awards. In addition to the networking opportunities provided by a scheduled golf outing and a trip to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, attendees are sure to meet and greet on the showroom floor. 21buildingexpo.com
SEPT 7 - 10
SEPT 13 - 14
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SEPT 14 - 16
SEPT 14 - 16
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BEHIND THE LINES
CUSTOM COLLECTIONS FOR LUXURY HOMES—AND THE DESIGNERS BEHIND THEM
UNIQUE FEATURES The Grant Nightstand and Cubist Ottoman are both multiuse pieces done in macassar ebony. The ottoman works as a simple footrest, but it also contains a pull-out drawer and flat writing surface.
Poet Furniture A few years ago, renowned Los Angeles-based interior designer Carol Poet decided to take a leap of faith and launch a furniture line, designed to complement to her two-decade-old interior-design business, Poet Design. “After years of designing custom furniture for clients, a furniture line seemed like a natural step in the progression of my firm,” Poet says. She adds that, over the years, designing a piece of furniture to meet the exact needs of a client became easier than trying to find the right ready-made piece. However, she found herself drawn again and again to creating the same pieces—with slight modifications. These perennial favorites became the base designs for her furniture line, which is available exclusively to those in the design trade. While the classic lines and structures of Poet Furniture remain unchanged, each piece in the line can be tailored to a designer’s specifications. Choices include more than 20 finish options and a variety of fine and exotic woods, allowing designers to create completely customized looks. “My intent was to create a collection of furniture that was very usable for designers, regardless of the style of their work,” Poet says. “As a result, all the pieces have the same timeless essence and were designed so that they would meld into either a traditional home or a more contemporary setting.” Out of more than 40 wood and upholstered designs, the Cubist Ottoman is one of Poet’s favorites. A perfect marriage of beauty and function, the exquisitely designed wooden cube features a leather-cushioned top, pull-out trays, a deep drawer, and hidden casters. On the drawing board for Poet Furniture’s future is a selection of beds, but Poet says her focus for now is less on expanding the line’s offerings and more on expanding its exposure. She adds, “I am thrilled to be able to offer this line to designers because, with a change to the upholstery or finish, you can give the designs a completely different look and a new life.” —Julie Edwards
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ON THE RISE
POPULAR TRENDS AND RISING STARS IN THE LUXURY-HOME MARKET
Hot seat Unfortunately, most office-furniture designers don’t think beyond the standard-issue swivel chair. Those looking to up the design ante or banish bad posture will prefer these clever chair designs. They take seating to new levels ofONcomfort and style. õAERIS .%5
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healthful
MUVMAN Don’t be a slouch: this seat’s single-post base is connected to a tilted spring strut, which allows a measure of all-around movement and prevents unhealthy posture, keeps muscles active, and promotes increased concentration through improved breathing. It can be ergonomically adjusted to fit any height. The unit also has an adjustment range between 51 and 93 centimeters, the widest of any such product on the market. aeris.de
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geometric
MOSQUITO Each of these Michael Bihain-designed chairs are made from wood leaf, then painted in white or black gloss or finished in whitened oak. The sleek, stackable design suits a number of environments (they’d work in a playroom, kitchen, or dining room). When not in use, the chairs can be piled vertically or at an angle. bihain.com
ACCLAIM
CUSTOM-HOME PROJECTS OF NOTE
BERKSHIRE HOUSE Just outside of West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, is a distinctive wooden box of a home that both blends and contrasts with the surrounding forest landscape. Built using prefab modules from Resolution 4 Architecture, the 2,227-square-foot Berkshire House is a notable example of a pre-planned structure customized to fit its site and owner. Back in 2007, architects Joseph Tanney and Robert Luntz began with Resolution 4’s basic L Series model and added six box modules and a butterfly roof to create the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house. Highlights of the home include a media room, a roof deck with an outdoor fireplace, and a lower screen porch. An additional L-shaped porch provides extra outdoor entertaining space in the summer months, and the warmth of the cedar-siding exterior complements the landscape during the snowy season.
The Berkshire House was constructed from prefabricated pieces, but the creativity of the architects and the variation of Resolution 4’s modules have made it a home of distinction.
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Credits ARCHITECTURAL FIRM: Resolution 4 Architecture (re4a.com)
CONTRACTOR: Small Building Company (thesmallbuildingcompany.com)
ENGINEERS: Lynne Walshaw P.E., Greg Sloditskie
MANUFACTURER: Simplex Industries (simplexhomes.com)
PHOTOS: RES4
Moving the home to the site in pieces limited its impact on the environment. The home also boasts sustainable features, such as bamboo flooring and a geothermal heating and cooling system.
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ACCLAIM
DWELL HOME
TOP PHOTO: JERRY MARKATOS / BOTTOM PHOTO: ROGER DAVIES
Situated on seven wooded acres among the rolling hills of Pittsboro, North Carolina, the winning entry of the Dwell Home Design Invitational makes good use of outdoor space. Architect Michael MacDonald took the general plan of Resolution 4 Architecture’s L series home and used it to create a prefab structure that is spacious and open.
Credits ARCHITECTURAL FIRM: Resolution 4 Architecture (re4a.com)
The 2,396-square-foot house incorporates five box modules to create two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a guest room and office space, a garage, and a media room. The first floor is made from one large single-space module that contains a kitchen, dining area, living area, and environmentally friendly materials such as bamboo flooring. The structure has been oriented to take advantage of the sun’s rays, with a fair number of windows to ensure ample daylight. Outside, the home has two patios, with decking made from a recycled wood composite.
MANUFACTURER: Carolina Building Solutions (cbsmods.com) CONTRACTOR: Mount Vernon Homes
Because approximately 80 percent of the house was built on a factory floor, manpower and transportation of materials for the project was greatly diminished, and so was the amount of waste typically created at the site. True, prefabricated homes are traditionally seen as quick and easy construction jobs, but the Dwell Home shows that such structures can still maintain a measure of class and elegance.
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BUILDERS
CONSTRUCTION FIRMS SPECIALIZING IN PEERLESS RESIDENCES
REINFORCED ENTRY The house is supported by a foundation of steel piles that meet the engineering requirements of the area’s flood zone and 120-mph wind rating. The entry design incorporates boulders and scarlet oaks, both of which are indigenous to the site.
The Hybrid House
B.W. Williams Builder Inc. RENOWNED AND RESPECTED SPEC-HOME BUILDER SHIFTS FOCUS TO SATISFY ECO-CONSCIOUS CUSTOMERS by Amy Meadows When Manhattanites and Bostonians are looking for the perfect spot for a vacation home, they head to the small waterside towns of Mystic and Stonington, Connecticut, and the reasons are as plentiful as they are clear. For starters, only a two-hour drive from the Big Apple and Beantown, the charming locales offer picturesque properties ideal for showing off the region’s coveted classic Colonial and coastal architecture. And what makes the towns even more attractive is that many homes are being built or renovated on the lots by B.W. Williams Builder, Inc., one of New England’s most well-known and respected custom-home builders.
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“The majority of home buyers who come to this area ask for high-quality materials and craftsmanship,” says Bruce Williams, who founded the award-winning company in 2001. “And in a world of uncertainty, our customers enjoy a worry-free experience by receiving informed answers to their questions, best-in-class craftsmanship, and noticeable high-performance standards.”
From the earliest stages of the project, Bruce Williams and his team knew that this 9,000-square-foot Watch Hill, Rhode Island, home would blend West Coast Arts & Crafts characteristics with New England beachcottage standards, as requested by the client. It was B.W. Williams Builder’s first collaboration with Epoch Homes (epochhomes.com) as well as its first opportunity to work with modular construction, and the result is a one-of-a-kind waterfront home that features an additional 3,700 square feet of deck and porch space. It was completed in eight months and constructed by blending steel framing, conventional framing and carpentry, and modular construction.
When Williams started B.W. Williams Builder, which also works in Rhode Island and Suffolk County, New York, he specialized in building spec homes for a burgeoning local housing market. However, by 2006, as the market’s growth
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KEEPING IT SIMPLE The minimalist bathroom balances the home’s traditional design. Lisa Maxwell of Granite Marble & Tile Design Center (860-599-3700) chose the tiles and marble.
“We make house calls...”
MASCULINE RETREAT In the gentleman’s bedroom, a bookshelf stands next to the entry, and deep-red paint graces the walls. The Frank Lloyd Wright reproduction bed was made from rich American cherry wood.
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BUILDERS
LIGHT AND AIRY DINING Architect Duke Beeson blended his appreciation for Arts and Crafts design with the clients’ desire for an airy beach house. The dining room includes antique French Art Deco light fixtures collected by the homeowners.
Since the company’s inception, Williams and his highly skilled team have strived to develop solid relationships with architects throughout the area. “We bring projects to and receive projects from designers, so we see them as partners,” he says. “Additionally, we know that a good designer can be a mentor, providing insight with regard to aesthetics and technical specifications.” But B.W. Williams Builder brings quite a bit to the table as well, including the use of eco-conscious building methods in every project. “Building green quite simply is a manifestation of our core values,” Williams says. “As I see it, if one
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values the earth, then one considers the impact his or her choices will have on it. Only five years ago, it seemed far more difficult to get the green concepts to resonate with homeowners. Today, though, green alternatives—particularly with regard to energy consumption—are simply part of the zeitgeist.” One innovative way that B.W. Williams Builder keeps its projects eco-friendly is by employing systems-built technology, which involves using systems to build aspects of a home off-site and then transporting them to the build location for assembly. One of the first projects the company did this with was the Hybrid House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, which was completed in eight months and constructed with steel framing, conventional framing and carpentry, and modular construction. “For the custom-home building process, we ask which system options might bring value to the project and meet the owner’s goals,” Williams says. “Will panels or modules help, for instance? And if it does not make sense to use a manufacturing vendor, we still consider what can be built in our shop and brought out to the site.” In addition to being inherently greener
than conventional on-site construction, the systems-built approach provides “greater control in terms of cost, timeline, and quality,” he adds. Wanting to offer exceptional value for every project also motivated the company to open its own custom millwork shop, which allows the B.W. Williams Builder team to provide custom cabinetry, trim, and more, including mock-ups so clients can get a true understanding of their design options. It is that type of effort that has endeared the company to everyone involved in the homebuilding process—from architects to homeowners—and allowed it to thrive during the current economic recession. “We provide a service rather than a product,” Williams says. “Building a fine home is not the same as building a piece of fine furniture. To be leaders in our field, we must focus on the fact that we must provide both the project management and technical expertise to build aesthetically pleasing, energy-efficient homes with high standards for craftsmanship. And in the end, B.W. Williams Builder Inc. will provide customers with peace of mind. This is our true product.”
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ALL PHOTOS: NAT REA
began to slow, he decided to focus exclusively on custom home building, inspired by the opportunity he had to influence the design of the early spec homes his firm completed. It was a perfect fit. “I appreciate things that endure, and I appreciate great design,” he says. “Custom home building and renovation provide the benefits of participating in projects in which we consider the enduring value that the material and equipment selections will provide over years to come, both aesthetically and functionally.”
BUILDERS
PARTY IN THE BACK The sprawling rear deck of the Hope Ranch residence includes an upper patio with a dining area, a lower patio with a fire pit, and a pool with an extended infinity edge.
Leonard Unander Associates, Inc. DESIGN-BUILD CONTRACTOR TAKES HIS FAMILY’S LEGACY AND MAKES IT HIS OWN
PHOTO: JIM BARTSCH
by Kaleena Thompson Leonard Unander was born into construction. His Swedish grandfather was a builder, and his father worked as a developer and architect. So, it is not surprising that Unander continued the tradition with his own construction firm, Leonard Unander Associates, Inc. (LUA), which the third-generation contractor established in 1977 to focus on building homes.
tionist who is patient and very organized, which qualities he says lend themselves to high-end residential work. Through exemplary construction techniques and meticulous attention to detail, LUA has earned a lasting reputation in Santa Barbara, Montecito, and other surrounding areas of California, and the family business’s presence looks to be assured long into the future.
when they all each graduated from Westmont College. “Leonard Jr. and Clint worked for me during the summers in high school doing labor and carpentry on various job sites,” Unander says. “My wife and I didn’t push them in any direction, but Leonard Jr. graduated from college first and wanted to work for me. Then Clint graduated two years later and followed suit.”
“Once I got out of school, I worked as a carpenter, then became a general contractor,” he says. “However, I leaned toward residential rather than commercial.” He describes himself as a perfec-
Over the past 34 years, the business has grown into a legacy. Unander’s sons, Clint and Leonard Jr., and son-in-law, Brandon Friggione, have been working for LUA since the early 2000s,
“Schedule, budget, and management are key components with how we do business,” Unander says of his family firm. And he adds that his two sons and son-in-law, with college degrees includ-
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“We want to be better tomorrow than we are today.” LEONARD UNANDER, PRESIDENT
Hope Ranch Residence
PHOTOS:
Leonard Unander Associates, Inc. worked alongside DesignARC (designarc.net) and Chris Moore Interior Design (805-845-7788) to sculpt this stylish, sophisticated Spanish Mediterranean home. The 7,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, five-bathroom home’s interior design takes on a Euromodern feel with spaces that are clean and inviting for large crowds. A comfortable yet chic combination of delicate furnishings and artwork complement the modern architecture, and automatic double pocket doors allow either openness or privacy while giving the whole a unified voice.
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ing business, art, and communications, are very enthusiastic in taking LUA to a new and creative levels in management. “It’s been a fun journey watching the young, smart guys come out of college with so much enthusiasm for this industry.” From concept to creation, LUA employs its diverse talents and expertise to create homes and relationships that last. And as a hands-on builder, Unander enjoys all aspects of the building process. “I’m at design-team meetings, landscape meetings, and there during the furniture and artwork placement,” he says. From the initial ground-breaking to the smallest final detail of the home, Unander is on-site.
L E O N A R D U N A N D E R A S S O C I AT E S , I N C .
His approach provides homeowners the quality, customization, and customer service that sets LUA apart from other builders. Unander applies a personal and professional passion for building design and a practical eye for must-have comfort and entertainment. “We have a great reputation for providing real service,” he says. “We try to form a large team where everyone knows what their job is, and the objective is to serve the client.” His homes, ranging from 6,000 to 17,000 square feet, also take advantage of the California climate with loggias and expansive outdoor living spaces for sunset gazing. “Open floor plans and wine rooms also lend [themselves] to the Santa Barbara lifestyle,” Unander adds.
ALL PHOTOS: JIM BARTSCH
The results can be seen in a home tucked away in Hope Ranch. The architecture of the 7,000-square-foot house is Spanish Mediterranean with a Euro-modern contemporary floor plan. A Spanish tile roof accentuates the stucco base, and Santa Barbara sandstone encompasses the outdoor grounds. The home boasts highquality finishes throughout, such as the exposed concrete fireplace that ascends to the ceiling of the great room, leather-paneled walls inside the elevator, and the his and hers bathroom covered in marble slab. Also, huge, distressed wood beams, a mixture of vein-cut Roman travertinehoned finish and hickory wide-plank pecan flooring, and simple accents make the house extremely inviting, livable, and long-lasting. “The clients wanted an open floor plan with attention to detail,” Unander says. Thus, the kitchen, for example, blends with the family room, where large lift-and-slide doors open to the loggia. Collaborating with DesignARC and Chris Moore Interior Design, LUA created a haven that soaks in the landscape.
Meticulous Attention to Detail Since 1977.
“I build for longevity,” Unander says, explaining that part of that longevity is understanding the client’s desires and perfecting the firm’s craft with each project. “We don’t judge our homes by how many we’ve built, but [by] the quality. We want to be better tomorrow than we were today.” GENERAL CONTRACTORS | 718 GROVE LANE | SANTA BARBARA, CA 93105 T 805.682.5685 | F 805.687.3971 | WWW.UNANDERCONSTRUCTION.COM
J. Tallman Builders FIRM STAYS AHEAD BY UTILIZING CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY by Susan Flowers
That extensive planning is done through a sophisticated computer system that allows for a nearly paperless building process. Homeowners, project managers, architects, subcontractors, and others stay on the same page and avoid mistakes with password-protected, real-time access at all times to project documents such as contracts, plans, materials, records, and daily scheduling. Software converts documents to PDFs to eliminate unwanted alterations, and efficiency has reached the point that Tallman says the company has effectively eliminated duplications. “We know of no other building company with a system like ours,” project coordinator Michelle Smith says. The company also takes advantage of the latest technology when conducting meetings. Done in a conference room with a large-screen TV acting as a common monitor, “the meetings are very efficient, and more enjoyable,” Tallman says. “It’s
very subtle, but people really like to come in. Everyone’s on the same page.” Adopting and continuously improving high-tech systems has been standard procedure for the Connecticut-based firm since its founding more than 35 years ago, when Tallman used a decade of experience in the industry to start his own company. “I trained the old-fashioned way,” he says. “I became a laborer and then a carpenter.” Tallman adds that his two partners in the firm, brothers John and Steve Segerson, also learned building from real-world training, the both of them having about 15 years of hands-on experience. Consequently, this firm’s success in custom residential building is based on much more than high-tech know-how: Excellent work and a total commitment to the client go hand-in-hand with the cutting edge systems. “The job is always finished to the customer’s satisfaction,” Tallman says. “We always take care of the property afterwards.” Dealing with customers is the most enjoyable aspect of their work, according to both Tallman and Smith. The firm handles both renovation and new construction in the residential sector, which accounts for about 95 percent of its work, and the team members pride themselves on building rapport with clients. “I think of a renovation job as a high-anxiety project,” Smith says. “I can’t tell you the number of times that customers have told us
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PHOTO: DAVID CHOATE
Even the most talented builders can’t succeed without effective communication and efficient processes—and J. Tallman Builders has found the key to both by embracing a business-management system that maximizes productivity and minimizes stress for everyone involved. “The building business is a crisis-management business, which is an awful way to run a business,” owner Jeff Tallman says. “Everything we do is planned, and that’s the way it should be.”
BUILDERS
after a project that they miss us and miss the activity.” Tallman notes also that the firm has not been a week late on a project in at least five years. A recently completed Colonial spec project illustrates the meticulous quality of J. Tallman’s work. With five bedrooms, six baths, and two half-baths, the home contains 6,300 square feet plus a 1,500-square-foot basement. The ten-acre home uses an 80-year-old formal walled garden as a focal point and also boasts a pool, spa, and pool pavilion with a kitchen. For entertaining, owners can use the party barn constructed by a post-andbeam company J. Tallman brought in from Vermont. The main house also offers antique flooring as well as custom cabinetry created by J. Tallman’s in-house cabinetry shop, Weston Mill.
PHOTOS: NEIL A. LANDINO
Tallman calls his cabinetry work the firm’s bestkept secret, and it has been a part of the company since its founding. “For 35 years, woodworking was a love of mine,” he says. Now run by his son Josh, the shop does work that has captured highend clients, including Robert Redford. While the firm is based in Connecticut, Tallman says that much of its work is now out-of-state. The computer system allows employees to work nearly any location, and it is a natural fit for the firm’s multioffice environment and helps employees easily work in partnership with other builders. As the firm works on geographic expansion, Tallman says, it is focused on maintaining its place in an industry hit hard by the economic turmoil of the past few years, and it continues to develop better systems and processes: “Every week,” Tallman says, “there’s something we think about and say, ‘We can make it better.’”
Colonial Spec Residence J. Tallman’s Colonial spec home, completed in 2009, is a point of pride for the firm. Featuring antique flooring as well as custom cabinetry created by the company’s in-house artisans, the 6,300-square-foot home has five bedrooms, six baths, and two half baths. Set on an expansive ten acres, the estate also boasts a pool and spa and a custom-built party barn that is ideal for entertaining. The property’s size also allowed the firm to keep the three-bedroom, three-bath caretaker’s residence as a guest house.
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McNeil Company Builders THIS FIRM’S HOMES—AND ITS BUSINESS PRACTICES—ARE DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND THE TEST OF TIME by Susan Flowers At McNeil Company Builders, creating beautiful homes isn’t enough. The firm isn’t satisfied unless a residence will provide decades of comfortable living. “We strive to build products that will stand the test of time,â€? says Pat McNeil, president and CEO of the Omaha, Nebraska-based building firm. “We use ‌ tried and true materials. We wouldn’t use faux stone; we focus on longevity and quality.â€? Those high standards have allowed the company to survive and thrive for the past 30 years, including during the recent economic downturn. The company specializes in synthesizing classic and contemporary styles, and it excels at bringing its customers’ visions to life. “Part of our challenge is to interpret the taste of our customers and surpass their vision with exceptional results and a truly timeless look,â€? McNeil says. Along with his building know-how, the firm brings considerable design expertise to the table in the
form of president of design Deb Zandt and her design staff of four. “We’re full-service,� Zandt says. “Pat works with them to find the land, and then I come in.� In maintaining the company’s resilience, McNeil and Zandt count on a team of staffers with unusual longevity: McNeil Company employees boast an average tenure of 15 years with the firm. The design staff works alongside three project managers, who tackle the eight or so projects the firm typically has in various stages of development. Among their key challenges, according to Zandt, is integrating modern necessities with historically accurate styles. As builders and designers, the team members are also tasked with studying and interpreting a variety of newly popular architectural styles. As an example, McNeil cites the recent popularity of Tuscan-inspired design. When the craze hit, the firm’s team became familiar not
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The Fahey Residence This recent McNeil Company project serves as an example of the firm’s high-quality, highly focused work. The homeowners can view and access their pool from the kitchen, breakfast area, great room, and master bedroom, and the outdoor entertainment space also features a fireplace and Lanai. In addition, the lakeside home has a private front courtyard, and the home’s interior and exterior feature a custom stone blend.
<lifnff[ :XY`e\kj Jg\Z`Xc`q\j `e :ljkfd%%% BEACON OF LIGHT At night, strategically placed accent lights bring the exterior to life and illuminate a path through the courtyard to the arched formal entry.
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only with what was crowd-pleasing but with the intricacies of the original architecture. The degree of sophistication that results from all of this careful study sets the firm apart, according to McNeil. “We have a true sense of the customer’s expectations, and they come to us because of our reputation for quality,” he says. “I think if you consistently keep producing and keep showing up, the word gets out.” The Fahey residence is a recent project displaying the McNeil Company’s diligent focus. The custom home features around 4,000 square feet of living space, including three bedrooms and four baths. The home is situated on a lake and has an
outdoor living space with a pool, a fireplace, and a lanai that are hidden from any passersby on a nearby walking trail. The pool is seen and accessed from the kitchen, the breakfast area, the great room, and the master bedroom. The Tuscan-style home also features a private front courtyard and a custom stone blend, both in the interior and on the exterior. The residence was well received within the industry, garnering awards including a regional Best in American Living Award from Professional Builder magazine. A focus on planning is another of the firm’s key differentiators, which McNeil says leads to a smoother creation process than that of many others in the industry. “You only get to put the brush
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You Dream It. We Build It. Custom design and construction of one-ofa-kind pools, spas,waterfalls and fountains !"#$%&#'()%#*++,-#.#/0(-1#+23# 4(56-#+5#+&5%3-#&7,,#&+38#&7"4# \RX IURP WKH LQLWLDO FRQFHSW WR ¿ QDO 6%-795#(56#"43+294+2"#"4%#:+5-"32:"7+5# 03+:%--;#'%#&7,,#:3%("%#<+23#0++,1#-0(1# &("%3=(,,#+3#=+25"(75#:2-"+>7?%6#"+#<+23# +&5#-0(:%#(56#)7-7+5;#@+2#A3%(>#B";# '%#C27,6#B";#D23#%E0%3"7-%#&7,,#"3(5-=+3># <+23#F(:8<(36#+3#-0(:%#75#<+23#4+>%# 75"+#(#-0%:7(,#0,(:%#=+3#=251#3%,(E("7+5# (56#%5"%3"(75>%5";#'%#:(5#:3%("%#"4("# 257G2%#(">+-04%3%#<+2H)%#63%(>%6# (F+2"#(56#>(8%#7"#(#3%(,7"<;
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SCRENING ROOM The elegant arches of the Lanai are outfitted with phantom screens, which can be raised and lowered with the push of a button. Thanks to cove heating, this inviting space can be enjoyed three seasons out of the year. CUSTOM TOUCHES Stone columns, designed to match the exterior stonework, separate the great room and bar from the kitchen and dining area. A custom arched window offers views of the pool and outdoor living space. FORTIFYING FIREPLACE The outdoor fireplace adds a measure of class to the outdoor living space and provides privacy from the lake and surrounding jogging trail without sacrificing the wonderful view.
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stroke on the canvas on the front end,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very difficult once construction has started. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take that much more thought to plan.â&#x20AC;? Normally included in planning for any project is the use of green materials and technology, an ongoing priority for the company. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We use renewables and Energy Star products,â&#x20AC;? McNeil says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Customers like the concept, and we try to foster that kind of responsibility.â&#x20AC;? And, he adds, the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standard ROI analysis for customers normally shows eco-friendly practices to be a sound investment. While much of its work happens around its Omaha home base, the firm also takes on projects everywhere from Washington state to Florida. This geographic diversity, McNeil says, has the added benefit of letting the company know what is going on in its field around the country. Also crucial to its awareness of industry developments are the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memberships in the NAHB and the construction and real-estate arm of the Young Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Organization. For the future, McNeil says continuing to offer opportunities to both clients and employees is a major priority, along with remaining diversified. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to make sure that every design is getting better,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;and that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re more structured and more efficientâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all while remaining profitable.â&#x20AC;?
A MESSAGE FROM EUROWOOD Over the past 26 years, Eurowood Cabinets has been a regional leader in high-end custom cabinetry, furniture, and woodworking. Our stateof-the-art production facility successfully melds modern technology with centuries-old methods, creating what are arguably the finest custom works in the Midwest. By drawing heavily from a collaborative relationship between builders such as McNeil, the client, and the designer, Eurowood is able to create fine woodworking that will exceed your every expectation. With a constant emphasis on customer service, our highly experienced artisans will create the finest pieces tailored to your specific needs. Visit www.Eurowood.net today!
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A MESSAGE FROM THE SCREEN GUYS The Screen Guys is proud of our working relationship with McNeil Builders. We provide screens for all of their needs. We carry a wide range of solutions, from Phantom Door Screens to Phantoms Executive Motorized Screens for oversized areas. We also manufacture stationary screen systems for porches and carry the Breezy Living Screen for garage doors. Please visit our website at www. screen-guys.com for further information.
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BUILDERS
La Casa Builders Inc. BUILDING WELL-CRAFTED HOMES WITH SUBSTANCE AND STYLE by Julie Edwards
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www.DialComfort.com
From its inception, La Casa Builders Inc.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partners, Ron Steege and Tim Larson, have been drawn to artisanal and artistic projects in the design-build business rather than those meant simply for visibility or profit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many of our early residential projects were small remodels with little or no architectural or interior design support,â&#x20AC;? Steege says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But these projects paid the bills and opened the doors to meeting additional clients who were looking for very personalized design-build services.â&#x20AC;? Steege and Larson founded La Casa Builders in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1991 after Steege, who already owned a design-build firm, hired Larson, a master carpenter specializing in custom residential cabinetry, to complete some custom trim work for a home he was building. Impressed by Larsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s honesty, work ethic, and attention to
detail, Steege asked him to join forces, and the duo now exclusively builds one-of-a-kind luxury residences that are highly personalized and complexly detailed in their artisanship. In the early years of the firm, Larson coordinated the field operations while Steege concentrated his efforts on administration, design, and client development. Over the years, La Casa has more than tripled its staff by adding multiple full-time superintendents overseeing more than 100 subcontractors who work in the field. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our portfolio includes highly detailed projects in a wide range of styles, including contemporary, ranch, French country, and Mediterranean, which is not common with other builders,â&#x20AC;? Larson says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;While itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to understand how the materials used in different styles of homes work
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PHOTO: DINO TONN PHOTOGRAPHY
Bringing Geothermal Air Conditioning and Heating to the Arizona Desert!
BUILDERS
Desert Contemporary Residence
BOTTOM PHOTOS: DINO TONN PHOTOGRAPHY / TOP PHOTO: MARK BOISCLAIR PHOTOGRAPHY, INC.
RIGHT ANGLES The dynamic L-shaped residence wraps around a rear garden and reflective pool. The angular designs are repeated in the home’s interior (pictured, opposite page).
OPEN WATER The 40-foot indoor lap pool is flooded with light from the clerestory. Electronic doors disappear into the block wall, connecting the room to the outdoor patio.
Mirroring the classic style of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, this dramatic 7,810-square-foot, five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath residence in Paradise Valley, AZ, was designed around the homeowners’ desire for privacy as well as their love of water. Designed in the contemporary regional style, the home has four water features, including two indoor pools, and almost every room has a refreshing oasis of water and a view of the desert. Larson and Steege’s favorite element of the home is the field of geometric triangles over the fireplace; they appear to float off the wall like kites.
LET THERE BE LIGHT Inlayed glass blocks in the guest bedroom and work space help balance the natural light of the cozy sleeping and conversation area.
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“For their Arizona home, they wanted a low-profile home that was very tranquil and private.” RON STEEGE, CO-OWNER AND FOUNDER
Formal Mediterranean Residence Nestled on a hillside in the McDowell Mountains in North Scottsdale, AZ, this 9,717-square-foot, five-bedroom Mediterranean home brings the rustic elegance of the Spanish countryside to Arizona. Each room overlooks views of the city, mountains, and the Silverleaf Golf Course, and each bedroom has its own private balcony to further enhance the enjoyment of the outdoors.
together, basic, quality construction remains the same. So rather than feeling limited by it, we love the variety and the challenge it brings.” One La Casa project of note is the Desert Contemporary, a home built for clients who split their time between Chicago and Paradise Valley. “In Chicago, they live in a high-rise overlooking Lake Michigan,” Steege says. “For their Arizona home, they wanted a low-profile home that was very tranquil and private.” The residence possesses many remarkable features, including a 60-foot indoor lap pool, but the most striking features are the recurring triangle forms that shape the residence and appear throughout the home—from the chimney caps to the fascia details to the inlays in the terrazzo floors.
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4HE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE LUXURY HOME BUILDER AND THE NEXT
ALL PHOTOS: MARK BOISCLAIR PHOTOGRAPHY, INC.
can be seemingly Another favorite project is the Formal Mediterranean, which was built on a spectacular hillside lot in north Scottsdale. Despite its size, the project meets the strict qualifications of the Scottsdale Green Building Certification Program through a combination of elements such as high-efficiency glass, soy-based spray-foam insulation, and use of 8260 East Gelding reclaimed materials. Drive, Suite 104, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 The firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more recent projects include a 19,000-square-foot contemporary residence on a steep, rocky site on the north face of Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley. Cut into large granite boulders, the entire structure is built of CMU blocks, concrete, and steel, with many other unusual and exotic features. And the company also is working on a 7,000-square-foot contemporary
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OFFICE 480.922.2101
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LIVING ON A GRID Timber ceiling beams make a quiet statement and subtly divide the living room into sections.
home, which will be both heated and cooled using geothermal technology and will be one of the first warm-climate geothermal homes in Arizona.
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Even though La Casa is now known for its large-scale luxury projects, the owners remain grounded by their roots and still take on smaller remodel work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe our work is about finding a solution to each clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique situation, be it updating a home built four decades ago or constructing a vacation home for a large family,â&#x20AC;? Steege says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some projects have spanned up to five years, yet weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always enjoyed the unique relationships and friendships that have come from working with our clients from the conception stage of their homes to [each oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] completion.â&#x20AC;?
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every client is different, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crucial to find out what is important to them, be it the style of the home or a unique finish or detail,â&#x20AC;? Larson adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After all, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not just building a homeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re building peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dreams.â&#x20AC;?
A MESSAGE FROM CLASSIC LIGHTNING PROTECTION Classic Lightning Protection has had the pleasure of providing lightning and surge protection systems for La Casaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fine customers. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to be associated with a custom builder such as La Casa and appreciate their attention to detail and concern for their customers. Congratulations! Kevin W. Morris, President CLP, Inc.
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ALL PHOTOS: MARK BOISCLAIR PHOTOGRAPHY, INC.
WARM WORDS Handmade tiles, carved cabinets, and a butcher-block island are constructed in warm wood tones. They surround the range hood, which is scripted with a sentiment by poet Ralph Waldo Emerson.
DESIGNERS
CREATIVE MINDS IN INTERIORS, LANDSCAPES, AND FURNISHINGS
Fox-Nahem Associates COFOUNDER AND DESIGNER OVERCOMES TRAGEDY TO UPHOLD THE FOUNDING SPIRIT OF THIS FIRM By Ruth E. Dávila When Joe Nahem met Tom Fox in the early 1980s, Nahem had just enrolled in the interior design program at New York City’s Parsons School of Design. Fox was nearing graduation, and he clicked with Nahem in that synergistic, hurricane-on-fire way that only great partners can understand. It was an explosion of creativity.
Among his favorites are weavers of fabrics and metallics and people working work with metal, bronze, and resin. “There’s a whole new world of artisan work here in the States, in London, and in Paris,” he says. “It has a really big effect on what we’re doing, knowing that there are people who can execute on that scale of craftsmanship.”
“We got published in the New York Times in the Home section for our first real job together,” says Nahem, who was only 19 when he and Fox were spotted for the project. That early injection of acclaim was jolting, albeit reaffirming. It inspired Fox and Nahem to make a pact: to grow unfailingly, to push each other’s limits, to become the best at their profession. And they aimed to do it together in their co-owned firm, Fox-Nahem Associates.
In 2008, with architect Ira Granberg, Nahem helped renovate a two-story spec home in Purchase, New York, bringing its style into the new century. “Ira Granberg completely transformed the house from a very personality-less, nocharacter spec house into a beautiful recreation,” Nahem says.
When Fox later died in a plane crash in 2003, along with assistant Michael Campanelli, Nahem says he felt like half of his limbs had been severed off. The wound still has not healed, he says, and it probably never will. “When you always had someone to bounce things off of—we very often didn’t agree on things, and clients sometimes liked to see our difference of opinion—it’s just not the same anymore,” Nahem says. “Having Tom’s input was an input I didn’t even know existed until it was gone.” Since the tragedy, Nahem has pushed forward with the company on his own, though Fox’s influence is still apparent. As often as they disagreed, the duo still shared many stylistic preferences. They took to custom making at least one design piece on each job. “To this day, we use very little showroom furniture,” Nahem says. “It’s either vintage pieces from whatever period we’re working within or from the periods we’re mixing, or we design it ourselves.” To bring their ideas to life, Fox and Nahem sought out artisans, and these days Nahem turns to them more and more. He says the rise in knowledgeable, talented specialists is the industry’s biggest boon in the past few decades.
Inside, Nahem did not reign in any bold ideas. “I could tell by the art they own, the way the wife dresses, that they like color,” he says. “I didn’t need to convince them. They weren’t the ‘laidback, beige’ type of people; they weren’t looking for that.” Artwise, though the owners had several abstract works, Nahem avoided designing the space to match them, understanding that avid collectors can sometimes switch out their pieces periodically. Instead, he focused on broad roomscapes and small details. “In the house, almost everywhere where there were surfacemounted fixtures, we used vintage pieces almost exclusively,” he says. The hub is the family room. It contains one of the most eye-catching pieces, a gamble table from the late 1940s or early 1950s, surrounded by playing-card-themed vintage chairs from France. Nahem clad the walls with knotty pine, designed an oversize fireplace mantle, and donned the floor with a custom-made rug of greens and blues. For lounging, he took a green English library sofa and “updated it, exaggerated the scale, and changed the legs around but maintained the comfort appeal.” Other newly renovated features of the home include plaid-stone flooring in the kitchen; a den redone in vintage furniture; a handcrafted rug of
“Every time I finish a project and I look at it, I can see Tom’s imprint.” JOE NAHEM, DESIGNER
wool and silk in the formal living room; a master suite with a custom-made bed and vintage sofa; a powder room with a new sink and an antique Italian mirror outlined in glass flowers; and finally a master bathroom with antique marble flooring and walls with a new gray, white, and black mosaic pattern. Fox might be gone, but his presence is still felt in the firm’s careful, considerate work. “Every time I finish a project and I look at it, I can see Tom’s imprint in it,” Nahem says. What’s more, the designer often finds himself wondering whether Fox would like his company’s latest creations. In the case of the Purchase residence, every corner and handcrafted piece seems to whisper, “yes.”
A MESSAGE FROM PARIS CERAMICS Since 1982, Paris Ceramics imports and fabricates the highest quality stone, tile, mosaics, and now wood from around the world. Designer Joe Nahem, with the Fox-Nahem Design team in New York City, sought out the finest reclaimed and restored marble for a unique one-off installation. Paris Ceramics offers an antique white and grey marble from Andalusia, Spain, that beautifully enhances interior design of the building for an elegant finish. Paris Ceramics has showrooms in New York, Boston, Chicago, Naples, and Palm Beach. To discover more about our sustainable products, call 1-888-8453487, or visit www.parisceramicsusa.com.
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DESIGNER SHOWCASE
PORCH PARTY The Watch Hill residenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s screened-in porch is ideal for outdoor entertaining.
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Ken Gemes Interiors Ken Gemes—once a business manager, now an interior designer—creates spaces that offer simplistic, understated elegance with a nod to British Colonial style. “Instead of strewing things everywhere, I prefer to place them in groups,” he says. “I think objects have more impact that way.” TEXT BY FREDERICK JERANT PHOTOS BY NAT REA
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DESIGNER SHOWCASE
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efore founding his own firm in 1999, Ken Gemes was known only as a successful businessman. He had spent years in management positions for a major retail chain and as the senior vice president of merchandising and design for a sportswear company before starting to conceptualize, import, and sell British Colonial-style furniture as a sideline. “Some of my early customers bought my furniture only after I agreed to arrange it, showing them how seamlessly it combined with their other furnishings,” he says.
Gemes approached this initial practice arranging furniture with a cue from the fashion world. “When you’re dressing a model for a photo shoot,” he says, “you often remove the last accessory you put on. My spaces have a balanced, Zen-like quality, so my clients feel relaxed when they enter.” He later brought this philosophy to a number of specialized, high-end residential projects, and his opportunities began to compound. “They liked my work, and I got more design projects from their referrals,” he says. “I gave up the furniture end in 2001 and solely focused on interior design.”
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DESIGNER SHOWCASE
Watch Hill Residence The Watch Hill residence project involved a major renovation of a former carriage house built at the turn of the century in Watch Hill, RI. Awkwardly expanded by previous owners, it sat on a 1.4-acre lot, but tight lot lines and an adjacent wetland precluded any construction beyond renovations. Ken Gemes Interiors, working with Clifford M. Renshaw Architects (renshawarchitects.com), completely revamped the property. This Shinglestyle, 3,036-square foot second home now includes five bedrooms and four baths, a finished basement that can sleep 10, a screened-in porch ideal for outdoor entertaining and relaxing, and a sense of openness and lightnessâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all ideal qualities for a seaside getaway.
Westchester County Family Home This 1930s Colonial-style residence in Lower Westchester County, NY, is home to a family of four. The 4,325-square-foot home includes five bedrooms and five baths. It originally held heavy, large-scale furniture that contrasted jarringly with the owners’ extensive art collection. Ken Gemes Interiors reupholstered several of the family’s heirloom pieces while also introducing new furnishings, designed to be at once less imposing and more modern. New LED lights replace the former recessed cans, and glasstopped tables contribute to an airier appearance. The renovations achieve a style that better resonates with the home’s abstract artwork.
Gemes’ firm, Ken Gemes Interiors, has worked in River Oaks, Texas; Watch Hill, Rhode Island; Pinehurst, North Carolina; Boca Grande, Florida; The Plains, Virginia; and other states. But, its primary market area is Bronxville, New York, a village within easy reach of Manhattan that brings its own challenges. “Often, the homes are rather large, but their small lots prohibit large additions,” Gemes says. “I have to make sure that every room in the house draws you in and functions as well as possible, and I encourage my clients to repurpose existing spaces—turning a former nursery into a library, for example.”
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“I have to make sure that every room in the house draws you in and functions as well as possible.” KEN GEMES, OWNER.
A beach house project in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, illustrates how Gemes achieves marvelous results within restricted spaces. Previous owners had awkwardly expanded the former carriage house, and “it was very linear,” Gemes says. “Each room led straight into the next.” The results of the complete renovation are dramatic. On the first floor, delicate muted blues, greens, sea-foams, and grays reflect the nearby beach, and pewter and khaki accents complement the home’s touches of stainless steel and antique pewter hardware. The large living room’s three-cushion sofa is covered in sea-glass chenille. Four club chairs— in an indigo-blue and bottle-green batik pattern in hemp fabric—can easily be rolled into place to enjoy the 50-inch flat-screen TV above the fireplace. Black granite surrounds the fireplace, and other black furniture punctuates the room, contrasting with the softer furnishings, wall color, and rugs. Mother of Pearl lamps and framed sea fans provide gentle nods to the sea.
The large kitchen serves as a command center, with computer and phone. There is plenty of cabinet space, a bar area with a beverage refrigerator and icemaker, an island with bar stools, and even a 10-seat zinc-top dining table originally intended for the living room. The kitchen and living room open onto a screened porch with an additional dining area, haze-grey wicker furniture, and a blue-gray bead-board ceiling. A series of electrified hanging lanterns, used in tandem with tall pillar candles, provide ambient lighting in the evenings. The master bedroom’s soft blues echo those on the first floor, and tropical-print linen-cotton window treatments and a dark tobacco-caned bed continue the island vibe. A chaise longue in a spot checked pattern from GP&J Baker offers another space for unwinding or napping. Sometimes Gemes must resolve a bit of culture clash—a situation that results when owners’ tastes and existing décor simply don’t mesh. “One client in Lower West Chester County, New
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York, had planned the complete makeover of a 1930s vintage Colonial home but—after living through extensive construction work, new furniture, carpet and window treatments for certain rooms—never fully completed the interior spaces,” Gemes says. The biggest challenge of the job was finding a way to feature the owner’s extensive (and impressive) art collection while replacing oversize sofas and club chairs that crowded and dated the rooms. After extensive consultations, Gemes hit on several satisfactory approaches, and two rooms serve as prime examples: the living room and dining room. “In the living room, we used light taupe on the walls to highlight the collection of American abstract paintings in black-and-white,” Gemes says. “We replaced the large recessed canned lights that checkered the ceiling with tiny LED lights around the periphery,” he says. “They wash the walls with light for a more robust but less intrusive appearance.” Smaller-scale furniture with clean lines provided a more tailored look and permitted easier navigation around the room. And, pale aqua accents, contrasted with upholstery in shades of mushroom, tobacco, and off-white, eliminated the previous “precious and untouchable” look. The dining room features window treatments in an Asian-inspired bamboo floral pattern, a chinastorage console with an antique mirror front, a stronger wall color to complement paintings, and raffia-covered dining chairs with nail-head trim that blends with the sisal carpet. Gemes thinks the days of “McMansions” are ending as homeowners realize they really do not need and must spend too much to maintain all that space. Now, he says, people are thinking less about adding on and more about maximizing every square inch and making their spaces as aesthetically pleasing and as functional as possible. Gemes says that sometimes even first homes can benefit from an immediate makeover. “The owners often want a grown-up look, but they choose the same dark oriental carpets and the burgundies, blues, and golds found in their parents’ or grandparents’ homes,” he says. “Sometimes they even use their old furniture. It gives the home an old-fashioned look right at the start.” When this happens, Gemes and his team are prepared to turn the home around with a design aesthetic based on simplification.
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HUF HAUS REVISITED AFTER A YEAR IN THE AMERICAN MARKET, GERMAN COMPANY HUF HAUS HAS A FOOTHOLD HU F 912 EST. 1
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t might seem strange that Old World-based HUF HAUS is now in a Cleveland suburb, but the successful prefab housing giant has made no secret of its intent to expand. Over the past several years, the German company has brazenly pushed across many parts of Europe and also into China. Then, in 2007, HUF HAUS discovered a way to ship their panels by water. The breakthrough opened still newer markets across the ocean, and dotGreen Inc.—HUF HAUS’ US sales and marketing office in Cleveland Heights—was born. Luxury Home Quarterly featured dotGreen in the spring of 2010, and since then president Alexander Kolbe has been hard at work to crack the US market and prove that HUF HAUS homes are set apart from traditional American prefabricated products. Next year marks HUF HAUS’ centennial, and the current HUF house model is similar to the company’s hallmark design developed in the 1970s. Although business grew at healthy rates for many years, shipping methods prevented HUF HAUS from expanding beyond Europe. “England accounted for almost half of our revenue in 2007, and we wanted to come to the United States,” Kolbe says. Although expatriates, tourists, and members of the military who had seen a HUF house in Europe would often call from the US to make inquiries, water-based shipping would not work for the company’s wall panels. That all changed when HUF HAUS got involved in a luxury prefab project in China and found a way to manipulate their designs so panels would fit in a container of 40 feet in length. “This was a major breakthrough, and we became a global player,” Kolbe says. Just one year later, dotGreen opened to the public.
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“People in Germany build a home once in their lifetime and pass it on to their offspring. We are building homes that last.” ALEXANDER KOLBE, PRESIDENT
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Kolbe started actively marketing in January of 2010 by hiring a New York-based PR firm and placing ads in magazines. In just one year, he gained over 1,000 inquiries, and HUF HAUS recently completed its first US home near Seattle.
factor in views, sunlight, wind, neighborhood, client requirements, and other issues. When clients request more guidance, Kolbe uses HUF HAUS models ART 3, ART 6, ART 8, and ART 9 as starting points.
to solicit feedback and is now developing specific homes for his American customers. Because dotGreen homes are fully customized, the plans he’s developing will still be used only as inspiration— Kolbe wants to cater more to his new audience.
Unlike many of its American counterparts, dotGreen uses no specific floor plans. “When someone wants a HUF HAUS home, we meet them on their site and start with a blank piece of paper,” Kolbe says. The approach allows his designers to
Kolbe and staff have learned a lot in their early months. “American homes are usually larger with more bedrooms, bathrooms, and walk-in closets,” he says. “They are generous and grand when compared to European homes.” Kolbe has made sure
This year, dotGreen will continue to roll out classic American floor plans. Examples include a 12,000-square-foot mountain lodge, a sprawling subtropical Florida cabana, and a single-story ranch house. “We plan to offer a broad portfolio
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H AUS Top Design Elements of HUF HAUS Homes 1. German engineering is known for its admirable qualities, including reliability, precision, and longevity. 2. Homes are preconstructed in a controlled environment to produce the best possible structure available窶馬ot the cheapest. 3. The design is manipulable. All homes are fully customizable, from their floor plans and technical specifications to the selection of materials. 4. Expansive glass allows for frameless floor-to-ceiling glazing, bringing nature indoors while giving each home a timeless, modern appearance. 5. HUF HAUS makes a minimal environmental impact. Due to the extensive amount of work completed in the factory, the firm can put up prefab luxury homes with limited disturbance to the surrounding landscape.
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HUF HAUS HUF HAUS is underway on an American project that will use European passive-house methods to dramatically reduce energy dependency and ideally achieve LEED Gold status. The company strives to demonstrate how far it can push today’s technologies, and common sustainable elements of a HUF HAUS home include the following: š insulated roofs and walls with R-Values of 32.4 and 34.5 respectively š triple-glazed windows with R-values of 9.5 š passive-solar design elements (large overhangs, etc) š air- or ground-source heat pumps š tandem heat pumps for water and home š underfloor radiant heating š programmable thermostats š LED lights š Energy Star appliances š cross ventilation š proper shading of window and doors š dual-flush toilets š gray-water systems š rain-water harvesting; š photovoltaic modules for electricity.
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of homes, specifically designed for US customers, that we will then customize,” Kolbe says. Kolbe has discovered one strategy that helps Americans embrace the idea of the luxury prefab. “I avoid the word ‘modular,’” he says. His product comes from Germany, which can help overcome negative stereotypes associated with factory homes. “DotGreen provides proper German engineering,” he says. “The way we build has nothing in common with a typical prefab home.” Modular homes are cells of rooms, often limited to the width of the truck in which they are shipped. HUF HAUS uses panel construction that creates single wall sections up to forty feet in length. The walls are not limited to forty feet because they can be placed in a row. “Our method gives us maximum flexibility, and we can be absolutely unique,” Kolbe says. At dotGreen and HUF HAUS, the idea of luxury is in the details. “Stick-build homes have luxuries on the surface but use hollow walls with no
thermal mass,” Kolbe says. “Our products are made of solid wood panels with amazing insulation. They are eleven inches thick and incredibly sturdy.” A HUF house, therefore, offers certain advantages over a conventional home, two of them being peace and quiet. Second-floor footsteps and mechanical noise are both eliminated through the use of concrete ceiling panels with a floating screed pad and additional sound insulation. The homes also boast massive thermal properties and are fitted with exterior blinds. The electric shades are adjustable to any height and angle to block the sun and cool the house, and, in combination with the clerestory windows, they create a natural airflow throughout each home. Other extras include upscale products, and dotGreen uses an internal kitchen and furniture company for built-ins, kitchens, and walk-in closets comparable to full dressing rooms. Door frames are perfectly flush with walls and invisible when shut thanks to hidden hinges. Even the homes’ posts and frames are glue-laminated from
spruce so they do not warp or rip. Everything is meticulously detailed, designed, and constructed in the HUF HAUS factory. Naturally, HUF HAUS and dotGreen are introducing some standard European features. All glass panels are frameless, and exterior doors are heavy-duty. The windows have a distinctive European mechanism enabling them to either open inward like a door or tilt inside vertically to capture fresh air. Waterproof exterior balconies use gorgeous frameless railings, and roofs feature durable concrete tiles in place of shingles. Prefab and durability do not always go hand in hand, but that is an American perception Kolbe looks to challenge. “People in Germany build a home once in their lifetime and pass it on to their offspring,” Kolbe says. “We are building homes that will last.” On all continents, HUF HAUS maintains its high level of quality, and soon Americans too could be handing down the company’s home’s from generation to generation.
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“I’m a complete prefab convert. My worries about prefabs not being imaginative are gone.” ANTHONY HUDSON, DIRECTOR
RIVER RETREAT TEXT BY ZACH BALIVA PHOTOS BY STEVE TOWNSEND
HUDSON ARCHITECTS PUSHES THE LIMITS OF SITE-SPECIFIC DESIGN THROUGH PREFABRICATION
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riton Anthony Hudson has a history of innovation that began during his seven years as partner in a firm that built new homes in the mid-1990s. For Americans, this may seem insignificant, but at the time, few new homes were built in the United Kingdom. Hudson’s firm was one of the few providing them with consistency. Not long afterward, new construction became en vogue again, and locals clamored to build. Today, as director of Hudson Architects, founded in 2002, Hudson often has at least a few contemporary houses in the works. The firm serves public and commercial clients.
While Hudson Architects avoids specialization, one thing characterizes each project—the site. “Our interest in architecture is very specific to a locale and a place,” Hudson says. “England has a local agenda in the way one operates within the community. We have always believed in making a building very particular to a spot.” And that is
exactly what Hudson did with Cedar House, his first residential prefab project. Hudson and his colleagues have earned a reputation for providing interesting solutions in difficult situations. Complex sites—like that at Cedar House—provide ample opportunity to blur the boundaries between location and structure. The home was designed and fabricated for a photographer who fell in love with a plot of land near the Wensum River in North Elmham, Norfolk, in England. Initially, he wanted to convert a dilapidated chicken shack, but it was too decayed and too far from the river. Moving Cedar House closer to the river actually created additional obstacles because the best views are to the north. “We wanted to frame the views with large windows but also have an area to the south where one can open the doors and step onto an exterior deck,” Hudson says. There,
he took a cue from US architecture and provided a veranda that connects to the front entry, creating an ideal outdoor sanctuary. The home’s opposite corner features a frameless window with views to the river. “Some worry prefab systems might restrict interesting design, but I worked closely with a structural engineer and found a way to remove the structure and create the north view,” Hudson says. In fact, aspects of the prefab method, including its low costs, allowed Hudson to take risks at the unusual site and push his design in ways not normally possible. “Conventional methods would have used steel posts and beams,” Hudson says. Instead, factory-made panels created clean lines. Cedar House is matched to its location, and it fits the historical context of Norfolk. “I love the region’s barns because of the feeling the spaces cre-
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SOUTH FACE The homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s southern elevation includes a single-door garage and a raised entrance. Glass breaks the uniformity of the cedar shingles.
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WIDE OPEN The window-filled living room and adjacent kitchen take in significant daylight.
SIMPLE EXTERIOR A small porch, accessible from an elevated kitchen entry, provides a small, minimally designed space for outdoor entertaining.
Top Elements of a Hudson Architects Prefab 1. Creative deviations exploit the prefab construction system, allowing for distinctive architecture. 2. Structural strength is significantly higher than an in situ building. 3. Architectural distinction is possible because builders are not restricted by the architectural treatments normally used in traditionally constructed homes. 4. Resource consciousness goes handin-hand with prefabs. They reduce waste and energy consumption in both construction and use. 5. Open spaces are important. The home should have a lightness of touch.
Cedar House Words such as “modern,” “resourceful,” “inventive,” “effortless,” and “elegant” all describe Hudson Architects’s Cedar House, but perhaps the most appropriate is “harmonious.” Nestled along the banks of the Wensum River sits the unassuming prefab structure of wood and glass. While the north-facing, frameless window remains an architectural highlight, glass is used effectively throughout to connect nature and occupant. Skylights add warmth while expansive sliding doors to the exterior deck provide additional uninterrupted views. Hudson built Cedar House for a photographer and included two special rooms, a studio and a darkroom.
ate,” Hudson says. Like those barns, Cedar House features one large living space and a pitched roof because Hudson felt something simple seemed natural in the wooded plain. Cedar shingles—15,000 of them on four sides and on the roof—help the house disappear into the site. Hudson also removed all gutters so the sides run into the roof without a visible horizontal line. Inside, the kitchen, living, and dining rooms surround a wood-burning stove that emits enough heat for the whole house during most months. Again, the prefab method was advantageous here, allowing for even packing of the preinsulated panels for excellent insulation. On-site construction often misses spaces and corners and threatens envelope tightness.
Cedar House was Hudson’s first prefab project, but it certainly won’t be his last. “I’m a complete prefab convert,” he says. “My worries about prefabs not being imaginative are gone. You can still get something special for an individual location. It’s about manipulating whatever system you decide to use and making the most of a system instead of just seeing it as a means to building.” Although Hudson is happy with his prefabricated Cedar House, the more important opinion is that of the client. But good design integrated with the site has brought success: although the client envisioned Cedar House only as a holiday retreat, he spends much more of his time there. And Hudson now is using his experience to persuade other clients to look at prefabrication as a viable building option.
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PHOTOS:
WELL CONNECTED The Method Cabinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interior hall connects the living and dining module to the den module, and provides a staircase to the garage and storage areas below.
PHOTOS:
MYTHBUSTERS
TEXT BY ZACH BALIVA HOW METHOD PHOTOS BY LANNIE BOESIGER HOMES IS REINVENTING PREFAB
MYTHBUSTERS
“T
here’s a pretty wide public misconception regarding prefab homes,” says Brian Abramson, cofounder of Seattle-based Method Homes. He goes on to suggest the problem is the term’s 1960s connotation of flimsy, cookie-cutter housing. “The very word ‘prefab’ conjures up an image of something very basic,” he says. Abramson’s homes, however, are far from shoddy or simple. He and business partner Mark Rylant started Method Homes in 2008 to offer homes built off-site that are still high-end, custom-designed, and architecturally sound.
Off-site building offers two key benefits: lower cost and increased efficiencies. Abramson and Rylant wanted to innovate the way homes are built and sold by streamlining the process to minimize waste. “Building the way we do is more efficient in many ways,” he says. “It provides a fixed timeline and fixed costs.” He adds that it also minimizes concern about weather damage to the exposed structure during construction. Method Homes are factory-built by master craftsmen and assembled 60 percent faster than standard homes. Although its prefab structures are shipped to and assembled on a lot, Method Homes is out to prove the products are just as lavish as standard homes. The company has five series— Cabin, SML, M, Option, and Elemental—all designed by respected architects. Additionally, Method Homes opens its custom prefab facility to architects, developers, homeowners, and businesses for custom work. “We can build anything for anyone as long as it can be built in our facility and transported to the site,” Abramson says.
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Top Design Elements of the Method Cabin Unlike the stereotypical 1960s prefab customer, today’s clients require something more. “Our clients all want a bit of customization,” Abramson says. “We’ve never built two identical Method Homes. We view our floor plans as starting points and then alter them to suit each homeowner.” The Method Cabin is one of many models developed for Method Homes by Balance Associates, Architects. Its prototype is located in the woods of Glacier, Washington, and rents to potential buyers and vacationers alike. With three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,800 square feet, the Method Cabin boasts a functional floor plan unconfined by usual prefab parameters. “Our products ship as a kit of parts for modules and are interchangeable to allow different floor plans,” Abramson says. The cabin’s seven-footwide center module provides good circulation and acts as a connector for two abutting modules. “The interior walls of the hallway are the exterior walls for the two other pieces,” Abramson says. The unusual strategy helps the Method Cabin look like a traditional home. Like traditional homes, Method Homes are built to a high level of finish and specification. The Method Cabin features radiant heat, aluminumclad wooden windows, custom cabinetry, en-
hanced insulation, and custom siding. The cedar wall in the hallway continues onto the exterior siding, which matches the home’s custom barn door. The move, combined with large overhangs, fits the Northwest contemporary aesthetic perfectly and helps the beautiful Method Cabin blend into the woods. While the floor plan is relatively compact, Abramson’s designers maintained sightlines so the home is still a great place to entertain. “It easily accommodates twice the number of people as a house double in size,” he says. Outside, a bridge joining two of the five on-site modules leads downstairs to a hot tub, which itself connects to a back bunk house with two more bedrooms and one bathroom. And the stylish cabin with memorable forest views boasts an additional subtle selling point— it is eco-friendly. Low VOC paints, radiant heat, locally-harvested FSC wood, efficient appliances, and recycled materials work in concert to lower Method Cabin’s earthly impact, and the project is now under review by the USGBC’s LEED program. Method Home’s prototype cabin is truly the next step in the high-end prefab market—a factory-built home that is solidly built, aesthetically beautiful, and environmentally conscious.
1. Elegant furnishings were provided by Gus* Design Group Inc. of Canada (gusdesigngroup.com). 2. The kitchen’s live-edge maple bar top is from local artisans Smith and Vallee (smithandvallee.com). 3. Large, double-slide glass doors capture the view, and the awning windows provide natural cross ventilation to keep the house cool in summer. All windows came from Sierra Pacific Windows (sierrapacificwindows.com). 4. The kitchen’s countertops and backsplash are EcoTop, which has recycled bamboo and paper pulp content. 5. Distinctive surfaces. such as tongueand-groove pine ceilings and strandwoven bamboo floors, can be found throughout the home.
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MYTHBUSTERS
ROUGH EXTERIOR The exterior of the Method Cabin features FSC-certified, boardand-batten cedar siding above a slag-cement foundation with a deliberately rough finish. The roof boasts 7-inch cantilevered eaves, which protect the home from the elements. The deck is supported by 45-degree steel braces.
METHOD CABIN Building on the flood plain of Glacier, WA, presented many challenges for Method Homes. A full-height, lower-level concrete garage and rec room meets local flood safety requirements and serves as a perch for the elegant cedar structure above. Builtin wardrobes, a custom cedar barn door, an exterior deck with a hot tub, a pebble shower floor, and other luxe touches make the cabin feel unique. The high-end features are complemented by an array of sustainable elements including no- and low-VOC products, slag concrete, hydronic radiant heat, reused cedar siding, marmoleum floors, dual-flush toilets, bamboo floors and cabinets, EcoTop countertops, and FSCcertified wood from a local source.
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MYTHBUSTERS
“WE’VE NEVER BUILT TWO IDENTICAL METHOD HOMES. WE VIEW OUR FLOOR PLANS AS STARTING POINTS AND THEN ALTER THEM TO SUIT EACH HOMEOWNER.” BRIAN ABRAMSON, COFOUNDER MAINTAINING FLOW The home’s bridge is a continuation of the interior hall and connects the rear bunkhouse to the living areas of the main house, while keeping the sleeping quarters separate and private. AGED MATERIALS The house is clad in board-and-batten cedar siding and sealed with a water-based stain, which creates a weathered patina. There are also aluminum-clad windows—with hardy panel accents beneath—and a standing seam roof.
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DEPPILF SESUOH
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DUAL DECKS On each side of the dining room, large sliding glass doors from Fleetwood (fleetwoodusa.com) can be opened to combine the site’s flanking outdoor areas.
FLIPPED HOUSES
COLLABORATIVE DESIGNWORKS BUILDS MIRRORED HOMES ON HOUSTON’S HYDE PARK BOULEVARD
TEXT BY ZACH BALIVA PHOTOS BY JOHN LEECH
J
ames Evans launched Collaborative Designworks with a project known as House 2045. Designed for a client who wanted all necessities at ground-level, the modern stucco-and-glass structure utilizes simple intersecting rectangles—and the lower level holds an open living area, kitchen, and master bedroom while the top level is filled with guest bedrooms. House 2045 succeeds because it is both simple and striking. With it, Evans won a 2006 AIA Houston award and defined his fledgling firm. Five years later, Collaborative Designworks continues to provide designs similar to the 2045 floorplan as modern and minimal choices are increasingly embraced. “The Houston area has an audience that is looking for contemporary projects combined with sustainability,” Evans says. “Those two elements are quite a force here.” Evans has placed himself at the forefront of both green and modern design. He completed one of the area’s first LEEDcertified homes and is responsible for several of Houston’s LEED for Homes projects. “Basic green features are desired by today’s educated clients, and those features are usually paired with a real sense of quality,” Evans says. On custom residential projects and spec-homes, Evans works with clients to find out exactly what they are looking for and how to translate their ideas into a total project. Although he completes designs ranging from 1,500 to 9,000 square feet, Evans has noticed a trend in the marketplace. “Many people want the best-designed home but don’t have the means or time to hire an architect for a fully custom experience,” he says. The epiphany led Evans to partner with three other architects and two owners to form Hometta.com, a business that sells modern and sustainable blueprints for homes under 2,500 square feet. Currently, Hometta carries 30 designs from various award-winning architects. Evans’ talent for combining green concepts with modern simplicity is personified in a project on Houston’s Hyde Park Boulevard. The Hyde Park project features two similar yet distinct houses on adjacent lots. Both homes, built as the first residential projects for a green developer, are seeking LEED certification.
Similar materials and design elements help bridge the two properties while key differences help them retain their individuality. While both houses use stucco, glass, and wood, their layouts are essentially flipped—the corner house has its bedrooms and private spaces on the first floor with a second floor surrounding an outdoor courtyard above the garage, and the other house swaps this layout with bedrooms on the second floor and common spaces on the first floor around a private courtyard. Hyde Park Boulevard sits in an established neighborhood that defines part of each home’s layout. “Many nearby homes have front porches that are rarely used,” Evans says. “We wanted to maintain the front-porch element to pull in the fabric of the street but give it a bit more privacy.” Evans accomplished this through raised second-floor porches that offer a connection to the street without sacrificing solitude. The choice, he believes, introduces an outdoor space that will actually see use. Both homes on Hyde Park Boulevard are almost entirely stucco, but Evans also introduced a unique glass mosaic tile
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Top Design Elements of the Hyde Park Boulevard Residences 1. The glass mosaic tiled â&#x20AC;&#x153;snakeâ&#x20AC;? wall adds color and texture while working as an identifiable element that harmonizes the interior and exterior of the home. 2. Elevated decks of strand-woven bamboo, supplied by Cali Bamboo (calibamboo. com), allow for a seamless transition from interior to exterior. 3. Similar materials and finishes identify the two houses as a linked pair while interior layouts keep each home distinctive.
SIMPLE, NATURAL FINISHES BRING SUBTLE TEXTURE AND COLOR INTO THE GROUND LEVEL AT 1212 HYDE PARK.
4. Motion-sensing and hands-free devices, including automatic bathroom lights, fans, and hands-free faucets, contribute to the conservation of resources. 5. Anodized aluminum trim at the stair nosings is common in many projects by Collaborative Designworks. Made by Schluter (schluter.com), the trim is intended for tile applications, but it is a great way to have a durable, clean, crisp look that is also highly visible for safety.
MIDDLE GROUND Public living areas at 1216 Hyde Park are located on the second floor and wrap around a central outdoor terrace. This design tactic allowed for the use of several glass doors and windows without sacrificing privacy.
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The Hyde Park Boulevard Residences Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic Hyde Park neighborhood contains some of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most significant structuresâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including Collaborative Designworkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hyde Park Boulevard project, a set of two neighboring residencesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; one at 1212 Hyde Park, another at 1216 Hyde Park. The adjacent 3,500-square-foot stucco-and-glass homes each hold three bedrooms and three and a half baths. While both dwellings boast two floors of living spaceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one public and one privateâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;their arrangements are opposite. The move provides alternative options for buyers with different preferences. Both floor plans offer uninterrupted common spaces that unfold throughout the house and expansive sliding glass doors that blur the line between inside and out. Raised decks create a traditional front-porch experience while offering more privacy, and green elements will help the homes achieve LEED certification.
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AMENABLE MATERIALS The private courtyard off the master suite at 1216 Hyde Park features an elevated deck of strand-woven bamboo. The warm wood of the deck and fence offsets the cooler grey of the stucco and mosaic tile.
that clads a single wall moving through the entire building. Termed â&#x20AC;&#x153;the snake wall,â&#x20AC;? the partition undulates from floor to floor, working to organize the public, private, interior, and exterior spaces in both large and open plans. Simple materials such as polished concrete and bamboo floors anchor the homes while bathrooms feature more luxurious tiles and cabinetry. Warm natural woods used in accents such as fences and decks create a serene and welcoming atmosphere. Evansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; simplicity extends to the way in which he incorporates green and sustainable principles. Instead of filling the Hyde Park homes with obvious and expensive elements such as water collectors and solar panels, he opted for cost-effective reducers including heat-pump systems, spray foam insulation, and efficient appliances. Expansive windows and sliding glass doors open to exterior spaces, allowing an occupant to control the extent of the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s connection to the outdoors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The orientation brings a lot of natural light and exposure to outdoor spaces without ruining privacy,â&#x20AC;? Evans says. Completed in October of 2010, the notable project is a credit to Evansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; philosophy. While his homes are always efficient and contemporary, no two are exactly alikeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even if they are built on adjacent lots. The architect completes up to 10 modern homes each year, and each one displays a measure of distinction.
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A Jersey Gem A WATERFRONT VIEW OF NEW YORK CITY AND EXQUISITE FINISHES MAKE CRYSTAL POINT SPARKLE Text by Zach Baliva Photos by Bill Taylor
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E very building becomes special to its development team, but Crystal Point’s site is so unique that Brian Fisher of Fisher Development Associates recalls when he first laid eyes upon the land. “I was up in an office that looked down on this perfect little piece of land surrounded by water. I loved it immediately and then found out it was available for development,” he says. Just months later, his firm began work on one of its grandest condo buildings—Crystal Point in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Fisher Development Associates is a familyowned firm with an unmatched reputation for quality buildings in and around New York and New Jersey. In the past seven years, the group has completed 648 luxury rental apartments at Liberty Towers and 119 luxury condos at Liberty Terrace—both also in Jersey City. “We’ve developed so many homes in the area because Jersey City is the New York market but is more economical,” Fisher says. “That means we can build bigger, better, more luxurious apartments than we could in Manhattan but with all the entertainment and lifestyle options available.”
Residents can cross to Manhattan by ferry in under 15 minutes or just enjoy Jersey City’s waterfront walkway with its nearby restaurant and nightlife scene. Fisher already has several successful developments in the region, but Crystal Point’s special piece of waterfront property persuaded him to develop again in the area. The project sits on one of the last developable waterfront sites available. Water surrounds the building on three sides and at many points is just 25 feet away, ensuring Manhattan views are never interrupted by new construction. Although the lot is less than an acre, the gymnastic construction strategies of Gruzen Samton Architects LLP created an impressive structure that allows water views from nearly all of its 269 homes, and floor-to-ceiling windows provide maximized vistas across the Hudson River to New York City. Moreover, Fisher and his colleagues concealed HVAC systems and used a unique Solarban glass to create clear and unobstructed views. The 42-story building’s development team worked tirelessly to find the perfect layout for one-, two-, and three-bedroom units that range between 800 and 1,817 square feet. Their work paid off, too, as Crystal Point is already 75 percent sold. “We’re very proud of the layouts because they creatively maximize views and add both quality and value,” Fisher says. “In each one, the extraordinary view hits you and draws you into the condo in a way that has great flow.” Potential buyers are undoubtedly drawn also to Crystal Point’s comprehensive package of worldclass finishes that includes wide-plank maple flooring, imported Italian cabinetry, quartzite counters, a Jenn-Air appliance suite, polished white-marble floors, a Kohler cast-iron tub, a glass enclosed shower, and a washer and dryer in every room. Perhaps Crystal Point’s most unusual amenity is its CrystaLife technology—a software pack that allows residents to control certain smart-home applications. As in the condo units, Fisher left no detail undone in Crystal Point’s public spaces. “Because we’ve done so much building in the area, we
really know what people use and what they don’t use,” he says. “We try to provide exactly what people want exactly how they use it.” The lobby of Crystal Point sets the tone for the entire building. There, an open space guides visitors to a smart, white reception desk from which concierge staff and valet attendants rush to wait on residents. Fisher is also interviewing tenants for an adjoining restaurant that will open onto Jersey City’s waterfront. Crystal Point’s sixth floor is home to an entire water-view amenity space, and the Crystal Spa pays homage to European retreats with thermal baths, a sauna, steam rooms, treatment rooms, locker rooms with showers, yoga rooms, and a fitness center. On the opposite side, the Crystal Club offers billiards and poker tables, conference and dining rooms, and a private screening room. The sixth floor was quickly embraced when Crystal Point opened in the summer of 2010. Fisher says that some residents have already hosted weddings in the space, and artists who live in the building have chosen to showcase their work there. “We love for residents to really be involved in the building,” Fisher says, adding that his company has enjoyed several referral and repeat customers. On the roof, an expansive terrace overlooks the Hudson. Adrienne Albert, CEO of The Marketing Directors,. Inc. (Crystal Point’s marketing and sales agent), describes the space as an idyllic spot where residents and guests can relax next to an enormous fire pit on inviting cabanas, dish up their favorite recipes from the barbecue grill, eat them on private covered tables, and finally move from the tranquil pool to the roaring hot tub or look out at New York City through installed telescopes. “It really feels like you’re on a boat in the river,” Albert says of the impressive views. In 2010, Crystal Point received the Project of the Year Award from the Urban Land Institute of Northern New Jersey. Located at 2 2nd street near many waterfront parks, restaurants, transportation hubs, and retail stores, the building stands tall and takes top billing in the Jersey City skyline, a worthy structure to take up such prime real estate.
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“WE’VE DEVELOPED SO MANY HOMES IN THE AREA BECAUSE JERSEY CITY IS MORE ECONOMICAL. WE CAN BUILD BIGGER, BETTER, MORE LUXURIOUS APARTMENTS THAN WE COULD IN MANHATTAN.” BRIAN FISHER, PRINCIPAL
Crystal Point CrystaLife High-tech services help make life at Crystal Point a bit more manageable. Fisher Development Associates created an exceptional software application, referred to as CrystaLife, that allows homeowners to communicate directly with concierge services and valet staff. Other smart-home applications run each unit’s electrical and HVAC systems via a connected computer or cell phone. With the push of a button, homeowners can power certain devices or change a unit’s temperature.
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Veteran and family-owned Fisher Development Associates drew on its vast experience to complete Crystal Point on such a distinctive waterfront lot. Located just 25 feet from the edge of the Hudson River in Jersey City, the structure offers some of the best views available to luxury condo residents. Because no other building can be built between Crystal Point and the water, owners on two sides are guaranteed uninterrupted skyline views for life. The tower’s 269 units are available in one-, two-, and three-bedroom plans ranging from 800 to 1,817 square feet, and a sixth-floor amenity space provides plenty of options for entertainment while individual condos feature exquisite details such as maple and marble floors and imported European cabinets.
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Major Amenities at Crystal Point The Crystal Spa: The fullservice center includes thermal baths, a sauna, a steam room, treatment rooms, locker rooms with showers, yoga, aerobics, and a fitness center. The Crystal Club: Located opposite the spa, the space includes billiards and poker tables, a catered lounge, a flatscreen TV, a screening room, a conference room, and a dining room.
Manhattan Parking congratulates the Fisher Family and Fisher Development Associates on their project on the Jersey City Waterfront, Crystal Point. We are proud to be a member of the team at Crystal Point.
The Rooftop Terrace: Guests have access to a pool, a hot tub, cabanas, a barbecue area, covered seating, and telescopes to look out toward New York City.
Sound. Stable. Solid. MetLife Home Loans is a division of MetLIfe Bank—a Metlife company—and MetLife has been relied on for more than 140 years. MetLife is a name you know and trust —and MetLife Home Loans stands ready to respond to your home financing needs by offering a wide range of fixed-and adjustable-rate loans, FHA and VA loans and refinance products. Plus, you can expect: > Personalized service fromour dedicated Mortgage Consultants,who will work with you throughout the loan process > Competitive rates > A fast and efficient loan process Feel secure with MetLife Home Loans:
Michelle Campbell 400 Atrium Drive, 2nd Floor Somerset, NJ 08873 Cell: 908-507-9545 E-Fax: 800-240-6170
Manhattan Parking Group, 545 Fifth Avenue, Suite 600, New York, NY 10017, (212) 490-3460
All loans subject to approval. Certain conditions and fees apply. Mortgage financing provided by MetLife Home Loans, a division of MetLife Bank, N.A. Equal Housing Lender. ©2010 METLIFE, INC. L0910130145[exp0911][All States][DC] 12933
ISLAND IN THE SUN
Zak Architecture seeks an authentic simplicity in its Hawaiian designs TEXT BY DAVID HUDNALL PHOTOS BY MATTHEW MILLMAN
ONE OF MANY The living room of the Assembly House is contained in one of 18 separate smaller structures that dot the property. Wicker furniture and open-air living reflect the tropical setting.
ISLAND IN THE SUN
perusal of Shay Zakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resume seems to indicate a fairly traditional track to success. The architect studied at Syracuse University, the No. 2 undergraduate architecture program in the country, and he subsequently acquired a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Afterward he moved back to his hometown of San Francisco and worked for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP, one of the largest and most prestigious architecture firms in the world, and things could easily have stopped there. But Zak eventually left Skidmore to found his own firm, Eklund and Zak, a successful venture that focused on housing developments, low-rise offices, and a variety of commercial projects, and it would not be his last surprise decision, either.
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Assembly House Designed for a London-based couple that holidays in Hawaii, this home is a remarkable experiment in dividing a property’s space. The owner sought the tropical experience of continually walking through a garden. “We really pulled it apart and took the idea of multiple buildings to an extreme,” Zak says. The estate is made up of 18 separate buildings, small structures placed across 20,000 square feet that add up to a larger whole. “It’s more of a garden with pavilions,” Zak says. “It’s all about outdoor living and intimacy with the Hawaiian landscape and the tropical climate.” The entry courtyard leads to a guest courtyard, which leads to another courtyard off the tennis pavilion, and so on. Everything is connected via a variety of paths that wind throughout. All sides of each guest pavilion are outfitted with doors and windows that allow for views to the garden, but “it’s good for not just views but natural light and, most importantly, the flow of air—there’s no need for airconditioning,” Zak says.
Zak gradually found himself disinterested in the world of large-scale development architecture, so in 1996 he founded a new firm, Zak Architecture, to focus exclusively on private residential designs. “Commercial projects are so cost-driven, and I was burned out on that aspect of it,” Zak says. “I was more interested in quality designs and materials, and you can do that much easier on residential jobs. Plus, there’s the idea of stewardship—you’re involved from beginning to end. Custom residential is the area
where I can accomplish everything I’m interested in, and I’ve been doing it for 15 years now.” Early on, the firm landed a job designing a home at a resort on the Kona Coast in Hawaii. Zak had never been to Hawaii, and while visiting he made a point to explore the island and get a feel for the architecture and cultural lifestyle. “Hawaii has a little bit of a reputation for unattractive architecture—this bad ’80s-resort design aesthetic,” he says. But as Zak traveled
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Cloister House Aptly named, the Cloister House has a layout informed by a centralized garden cloister. “Main rooms were arranged to take in big ocean views while the rest of the rooms flow around the back,” Zak says. “We were left with this lovely cloister space in the middle.” The result is an 8,000-square-foot space that often looks as though it sprouted right from the ground. Basalt stone and ironwood were used for much of the flooring, and pocket doors connect the inside and outside when open. A copper shingled roof—a hallmark of Zak Architecture’s designs—was decided for the exterior. The firm also worked with interior designers to incorporate the owners’ contemporary art collection. “It was the second home we’d done for the owner,” Zak says. “There was no big-idea approach to it, just a very organic process.”
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Top Design Elements of a Zak Hawaiian Home 1. Copper-shingled roofs “hold up forever, and look great,” Zak says. “And the side that faces the ocean will eventually turn green.” 2. Locally grown plants and vegetation blend the home even further with the surrounding environment. 3. Color plaster on outside walls is another reoccurring element. “We tend to decide colors on-site, matching [them] to the surrounding natural elements, like tree bark or the color of the ocean,” Zak says. 4. Indoor-outdoor flow is maintained with terraces, foldable doors, and gardens, which create smoother transitions between interior and exterior spaces.
around Hawaii, he found he was impressed by the simple nature of many of the structures— “these gabled sheds and one-room schoolhouses,” he says. “Mission architecture that was shipped over in kits in the middle 1800s—I really connected with it.”
unmarked by paint. “It was a hit,” Zak says. “The locals said it looked like a home that had always been there, which is as good a compliment as you can ask for. We really pride ourselves on creating designs that look like they belong where they are.”
His ensuing design was based on this simplicity. Working off the concept of a primitive hut, the home features large double-hung windows, natural wood, stone floors, and plastered interiors
With the momentum of that first project, Zak Architecture has been able to develop significant business in Hawaii, working all over the island on more than 30 projects since. The firm has
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“The [Hawaiian] locals said it looked like a home that had always been there. We really pride ourselves on creating designs that look like they belong where they are.” SHAY ZAK, FOUNDER
Descend House There are no direct flights from the mainland to the island of Lanai; short of a private or chartered plane, it is only accessible by ferry. The 8,000-square-foot Descend House, positioned on a cliff overlooking Manele Bay, embraces this sense of seclusion in its design. The lot slopes at a 20-percent decline, offering room for a descending series of separate areas (hence the name). “You get a very nice progression of various views framed as you move down to the ocean,” Zak says. The views near Manele Bay are ideal for spotting dolphins and whales as well as observing picturesque sunrises—as opposed to many other areas of Hawaii, where the sunsets are the real draw. “The views are framed very symmetrically from the home,” Zak says. “There’s a very nice sense of balance, and nothing gets in the way too much.” Other features include a slate roof, cut volcanic rock for flooring, and a 20-foot-high vaulted ceiling above the kitchen and living and dining rooms. “The main living area is one big rectangle,” Zak says. “We try to design with as few lines as we can.”
grown to include five full-time employees and takes on three to four projects a year, split 80 and 20 percent respectively between the island and the firm’s home base in San Francisco. “Working in Hawaii has set us apart in a lot of ways because we’ve gotten good at incorporating outdoor living into a lot of our homes,” Zak says. An eye for smart simplicity has also been key. Zak says the firm tends to pick a few details per house and stick with them throughout the
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course of the design, which fosters consistency, symmetry, and clarity. “We do not enjoy unbalanced spaces,” Zak says. “We like classic designs, timelessness—but rendered in modern details and materials.” “To me, our architecture is at its best when we get out of the way,” he adds. “Especially on vacation homes, where the view is the most important aspect of the design. We certainly do not mind being secondary to a view of a Hawaiian coast.”
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THE PLANS A showcase of sleek, modern architecture —and the blueprints that started it all
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1. Limestone is used for the floors, wrapped columns, and even a pingpong table. All limestone was mined from a local quarry. 2. The disappearing pool is a one-of-a-kind design that seems to blend into the lake. It also features a 30-foot-long built-in beach 3. Sliding doors with huge 32-foot-wide openings bring the outside in. 4. Extensive use of glass allows for a view of the lake from every room in the house.
Building Stone Veneer & Thin Veneer Oversized Slabs Tile & Flagstone Coping Dimensional Pavers Smooth Cut & Tumbled 14 Colors Mill Stone Columns
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Lueders Architectural Limestone: Nothing Else Stacks up
For Austin, Texas-based architectural firm CGA Partners, the initial approach to designing a home is all about the interior and the landscapeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;where clients really spend their time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start to polish the exterior until we get a good floor plan and site plan,â&#x20AC;? founding partner Mark Carlson says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We take our direction from the client and look to them for what their vision of a home is and should be.â&#x20AC;? Carlson and fellow architect Bob Wetmore founded Cornerstone Group Architects, or CGA Partners, in 1987. Its 12-person staff works on
Top Design Elements of the Horseshoe Bay Residence 1. Limestone is used for the floors, wrapped columns, and even a pingpong table. All limestone was mined from a local quarry. 2. A one-of-a-kind disappearing pool seems to blend into the lake. 3. Sliding doors with huge 32-footwide openings bring the outside in. 4. Extensive use of glass allows for a view of the lake from every room in the house.
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an afterthought in design,” Carlson says. “We look to function first—it has to work, and then we can make it look nice.” Carlson and Wetmore also do a lot of experimentation—many times on their own homes—before presenting options to a client. To accommodate, for example, the increased demand for more lavish al fresco dining and entertaining spaces, Carlson will often stage seating in his own home or another model setting first to make sure there’s no wasted space and that the design the client wants can handle the necessary seating. “We both have large outdoor spaces, and we know what can go where,” Carlson says. “We experiment a lot at our own homes to help understand client needs and trends.” about 80 residential projects each year, most of them in the $1.5-3 million range. Since its founding, the residential architecture firm has designed custom homes throughout Texas—as well as in Florida, Colorado, Virginia, and Louisiana—that are both stunning and sustainable. “We’ve designed sustainable homes with passive solar designs that are specifically tailored to the region, the climate, natural elements, and vegetation,” Carlson says. “We take a progressive look at the client’s needs, but we really look at the site first.” The firm’s attention to detail and adherence to the natural elements of a site has earned it a reputation as a “builder’s architect,” designing many personal homes for custom builders who appreciate the firm’s dedication to craft. This builder compatibility is no surprise: Carlson used to frame houses while still in high school and understands the intrinsic structural elements and overall building science that results in a solidly structured home. “Builders often get frustrated
with architects because some designs just aren’t buildable,” Carlson says. “We focus on the structure and the framing and also have good, practical knowledge that results in homes that are not only buildable but also affordable.” CGA Partners emphasis is first and foremost on the site: how the driveway comes in, where the quietest part of the house is for the master bedroom, and what the best approach is to access the front door. “We look at all aspects to get the most out of the property given,” Carlson says. “A lot of people start with the house on the lot, not with the lot first, but it’s worth doing because the value of the home is going to be more when you have a house that takes advantage of a site.” Functional space is another CGA Partners tenet. Carlson says that if a space is inherently functional, then correcting and balancing only takes some slight tweaks rather than starting from scratch. “We battle all the time where the TV should go or where the fireplace should be because that’s often
The homes that CGA Partners designs for its clients are also very livable, and one recent project that exemplifies the firm’s approach is a house on Horseshoe Bay, just outside Austin. The structure juts straight out of the water with a deck and pool area that seems to transition uninterrupted into the lake, making the 7,500 square-foot dwelling a stunning model of what’s possible. Because it doesn’t specialize, the firm has the flexibility to design a range of styles for different clients’ needs. For Carlson, it all goes back to what he and Wetmore learned in architectural school about using solid tools to solve problems and put buildings together effectively for beautiful, sustainable results. “Clients are spending a lot of money on their dream homes, and they want to get it right—they’re not making any mistakes,” Carlson says. “They want to see how we got to certain points, and we enjoy the problem-solving part of things. Once they understand, we move on, and we make it work for them.”
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WELCH ARCHITECTURE UNIQUE INSPIRATIONS GUIDE THIS FIRM’S HIGH-CONCEPT DESIGNS By David Hudnall Writing about music is like dancing about architecture, goes the famous maxim. The premise of this phrase is that applying one form of art to discuss another form of art is, at its core, something of a fruitless endeavor. To really understand the music, you have to hear it for yourself, and the best choreography on the planet couldn’t fully convey the beauty of a Frank Lloyd Wright design. But certainly there is nobility in the attempt, and in a Dallas home, Clifford Welch of Welch Architecture has created a remarkably progressive and detailed fusion of jazz music and residential architecture. Welch’s clients, avid fans of 1950s Blue Note jazz, sought a design that reflected their interests. “They gave me a CD with a favorite jazz song, ‘Harbor Freeway 5 P.M.,’” Welch says. “We listened to it and used the syncopation of the song as inspiration for the design.” The song is based on a three-five-nine rhythm pattern, so the home’s design includes nine overlaid square grids, five linear zones, and three forms—a lower house you enter near the street, a glass bridge and courtyard you pass through, and a back house with space for entertaining guests.
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The exterior was inspired by the early modernism of the 1940s and 1950s: clean lines, flat roofs, and a slight slope to the back of the site that allows for two stories of all glass. “The roof lines bounce a little bit, shifting in level, reminiscent of the playful, bouncing sounds of jazz,” Welch says. Interior accent colors were pooled from the graphics of early Blue Note albums, and a room for listening to music is adjacent to the master bedroom. The architect says, “We sought a real timelessness.”
That timelessness is apparent throughout the portfolio for Welch’s firm, which he founded in Dallas in 2000. In the 1980s, Welch had designed a number of custom homes, but he spent much of the 1990s as a partner with a larger firm doing overseas retail projects. Over time, he found that he missed smaller residential projects and founded his firm as a result. “I enjoy dealing with people more directly,” he says. “It’s about the clients for me; we typically don’t pursue speculative projects unless it’s a unique opportunity.”
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Chapel Hill Road Residence Welch planned the 4,700-square-foot, four-bedroom, five-bathroom home on Chapel Hill Road in Dallas for jazz-fanatic clients and even based his design on the jazz aesthetics of the song “Harbor Freeway 5 P.M.” by Jack Wilson. The song has a three-five-nine rhythm pattern, so the home’s design includes nine overlaid square grids, five linear zones, and three forms—a lower house you enter near the street, a glass bridge and courtyard you pass through, and a back house with space for entertaining guests. On the exterior, there are clean lines, flat roofs, and a slight slope to the back of the site that allows for two stories of all glass.
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9657 Camp Bowie West Fort Worth, TX 76116
Phone: 817.334.0707
A boutique operation with a staff of three, the firm designs primary residences and, increasingly, second homes. Much of Welch Architecture’s work comes from around the Dallas area, where its modern designs are well embraced. Welch, who is a former president of the Dallas Architectural Foundation and a board member of the Dallas AIA, has been a leader and major proponent of the restoration and preservation of post-war modernism in Dallas. “Some firms out there are great with more traditional work—stone carving and woodworkers—but we tend to steer away from that because we like a cleaner, crisper feel that embraces modern technology,” he says. The firm’s scope is increasingly national; it has lined up a project in Colorado, and it recently completed a home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. That project—a second home for a Dallas client—is located high up in the Grand Tetons. “The views are breathtaking; it’s almost magical, like The Sound of Music,” Welch says. Being up so high means the wind can be brutal, so to combat this, the outdoor spaces were tucked underneath the roof, protecting them from the intense wind and snow on three sides. “On most homes, the decks and outdoor areas are built as something of an afterthought,” Welch says. “We had to consider the elements early on and throughout the design. In the end, being there feels very much like being nestled into the hillside.” Skylining, which is very strictly regulated in Jackson Hole, also posed problems. Not wanting to alter the views from the valley below, they elected to cap the height of the home at 20 feet. Welch brought the garage into the hillside and is restoring the natural vegetation on top of it. “The form follows the natural slope of the hill,” Welch says. “Everything’s tucked away.” Inside, a blend of modern form and natural materials abounds. Western red cedar was used for the cladding, and a rocky mountain quartzite
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ledgestone—an area stone noted for its great variety of colors ranging from white and silver to browns, yellows, and golds—is found throughout. The outcroppings of the stone usually lie parallel to the ground and occur in large plates that can be easily split into thin veneers. “But the rest is predominately glass,” Welch says. A goal was for every room to have views of the valley and the Grand Tetons, but finding an expansive window system that met all of the windloading requirements proved to be a challenge. “Ominview proposed the Fineline System by Unilux, which resolved these issues, and we ended up
with a gorgeous 48-foot glass window,” Welch says. To guard against the harsh western sun, the roofline was designed with an extensive cantilever, lowering down to only roughly seven feet off the finished floor. “You get less direct sun—it’s more panoramic than a full sky view,” Welch says. Welch says he enjoys projects such as these and hopes to make vacation and second homes more of a focus moving forward. “We’ve found that you have some flexibility with second homes that you tend not to get with primary homes,” Welch says. “The clients tend to enjoy the process more because it’s a home designed for a more relaxing lifestyle.”
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This 3,500-square-foot, three-bedroom, four-bathroom home is located high up in the Grand Tetons. The extreme elevation means high winds, so the outdoor spaces are tucked underneath the roof, protecting them on three sides. Finding an expansive window system that could meet all of the wind-loading requirements also proved to be a challenge, but in the end the firm found a 48-foot glass window that provides a panoramic view. The home is capped at 20 feet high to meet Jackson Hole skyline regulations, and natural materials such as Western red cedar and Rocky Mountain quartzite ledgestone are incorporated extensively.
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THE PLANS
GOOD NEIGHBOR The lower level—which includes an entry, a garage, and a guest suite — is built into the hillside, so the home doesn’t block the view of its uphill neighbors.
SUTTON SUZUKI ARCHITECTS MAJESTIC BAY AREA VIEWS INFLUENCED THIS FIRM’S DESIGN By David Hudnall “The best projects are the ones where the client has a clear vision of what he or she wants but is also interested in our vision as architects,” says Ron Sutton, founding principal of Mill Valley, California-based Sutton Suzuki Architects. “Having an open dialogue on both sides is what gets the best results.” As a successful result of this dynamic, Sutton cites a project his firm undertook last year in Tiburon, California. A 4,500-square-foot secondary residence, the home’s aesthetic was derived in large part from its location’s magnificent view—a 270-degree panorama of the Bay Area featuring downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Berkeley, the East Bay, and more.
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Capitalizing on the view involved a variety of design approaches. A low profile was required, so as not to intrude upon uphill neighbors. So, to bolster the property, the garage was positioned underneath the house, allowing the main living spaces above an unencumbered view, and many of the outer walls are actually large doors that open the space up to fresh air. (Motorized shades allow for sun control, and the home also features sophisticated, energy-efficient LED lighting.) Naturally, the home incorporates a lot of glasswork, but it is offset throughout by stone. “The walls are a Texas limestone, both on the exterior and interior,” Sutton says. “In many rooms, two sides are solid stone, and two sides are glass,
which provides a nice balance. The stone becomes a solid grounding element to balance the glass and views.” In addition to the stonework, the home’s contemporary theme is warmed by extensive mahogany cabinetry and French limestone in the hallway, kitchen, and entry. The home’s main living space has hardwood floors crafted from Brazilian cherry wood. The four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath structure is also divided by function. The main living space (living room, dining room, kitchen, and family room) includes views to San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Then a gallery walkway connects to the second block of the building, where the bedrooms are located. A
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“We appreciate a variety of styles, and we’re based in a region where both contemporary and traditional designs are popular, so we get to work within both aesthetics, often on the same project.” RON SUTTON, FOUNDING PRINCIPAL master suite on the far end of the home—featuring a bedroom, a large closet, a bathroom, a steam shower, and a private outdoor spa outside the bathroom—is connected to the rest of the home by a glass wall. The client’s desire for a seamlessness between indoor and outdoor living was achieved by including a number of terraces. “There’s an outdoor garden terrace off the family room, an outdoor dining terrace off the kitchen, and then the private spa terrace off the master bedroom,” Sutton says. The guest suite allows access to a living roof, which is part of another aspect of Sutton Suzuki’s design approach: sustainability. “Since Elizabeth (Suzuki) and I founded the firm 21 years ago, we’ve been creating sustainable designs in one way or another,” Sutton says. “Siting, orientation, natural ventilation—it’s always a part of our process.” The firm frequently recycles its construction waste and uses photovoltaic panels, low-emission
products, and energy-efficient windows on projects. On homes with pools, Sutton Suzuki Architects typically will use the pool as a heat sink, transferring heat from the air-conditioning instead of through mechanical equipment. The fact that the firm works primarily in the greater Bay Area—a mecca of green design— makes incorporating these sustainable ideas into projects easier, though Sutton Suzuki is increasingly taking on projects outside the San Francisco area, including in Hawaii, Wyoming, Nevada, Washington, and Malibu, California. The firm also will design the occasional winery or small theater, but it has chiefly focused on 10-20 residential properties a year—new homes as well as remodels. “A garage here, a 20,000-square-foot estate there,” Sutton says. “Custom residential design is why we founded the firm in the first place, and it’s what we enjoy the most.”
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MOOD LIGHTING Glass walls make the connecting hallway feel like part of the main living space, and the atmosphere of the reflecting pool changes with the LED lighting.
THE PLANS
Still in the same office and growing steadily, Sutton credits his firm’s success to two simple ideas. The first idea is that “We are here to service our clients, to respond to them and give them what they’re looking for,” he says. “We appreciate a variety of styles, and we’re based in a region where both contemporary and traditional designs are popular, so we get to work within both aesthetics, often on the same project. But the focus is always on what the client wants.” The other idea, one informed by the fact that Sutton’s father is a contractor, is to provide contractors with every aspect of the design they need. “It sounds simple, but [getting] well-detailed, thorough drawings and documents to the builders efficiently and on time is really important for the best possible end product.” “We have been lucky enough to work on some great projects with terrific clients since 1990,” Sutton adds. “And we’re still going.”
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The Tiburon Residence The four-bedroom, 4,500-square-foot secondary home enjoys a high Bay Area perch that offers dazzling views of San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkley. To avoid blocking the views of neighbors farther up the hillside, the entire structure was built low, and the garage was tucked underneath. The homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main living space is finished with Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, and many of its windowed outer walls are actually sliding doors that connect to terraces and allow the homeowners to open up much of the space to temperate Frisco air. The master suite contains a closet, a bathroom, a steam shower, and an outdoor spa, and the guest suite offers access to a living roof for an added eco-friendly touch.
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THE TEAMS
PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN ARCHITECTURE PROS
PORTUONDO PEROTTI ARCHITECTS A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE By Susan Flowers At Portuondo Perotti Architects, teamwork is key, and checking egos at all times leads to winning designs. “One of the things that makes us really strong as a team is that we understand and respect each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” project manager Jordi Esteban says. “We never find ourselves in-house in that competitive mode with one another.” Rafael Portuondo, co-owner of the company with fellow architect Jose Luis Gonzalez-Perotti, agrees. “If someone comes up with a better idea, we go with it,” he says. That collaborative approach has led to a wildly successful 25 years in business for the Miami-based company, which focuses on classical architecture. “We’re big believers in urbanism, and we feel that context is a really important part of it,” Portuondo says. “A modern house might be more individualized, but classical architecture tends to be more contextual in philosophy. When we look at it in terms of a downtown environment, modern buildings tend to be more singular. We’re
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also big believers in the idea that when someone is asked to do a custom house, that house should be unique.” Basically, for Portuondo Perotti Architects, a design encompasses not just the house but its surrounding exterior space, too, and the firm works to ensure they mesh. A recent project, the Roberts Point residence, provides an example of the firm’s attention to context. The home’s 8,200 square feet of airconditioned living space includes four bedrooms, a study, a library, a wine cellar, a four-car garage, a master bedroom suite with sitting area, and his-and-her closets for the client couple. But, the home also has 4,400 feet of un-air-conditioned space, including a two-story loggia, bringing the total area to more than 12,000 square feet. Also, the house is designed to fit aesthetically with the home’s other outdoor amenities, including a detached guesthouse and boathouse. With the Roberts Point home, as with all their projects, Portuondo Perotti tries to use natural materials as much as possible, including Chicago
brick, coral stone, and lime-based paints. “We tend to push the clients in that direction,” Portuondo says. “Natural materials tend to age differently, like an old Tuscan villa, and imitations start to get dirty and gray.” Esteban agrees, adding that the ability to age well sets the firm’s projects apart. “You see a lot of houses that are built that look like they should be torn down,” she says. “One of the nicest compliments we get is how nice our projects look after 10 or 15 years. They’re aging really well, and they’re taking on character.” Selection of natural materials is also in line with the firm’s sustainable approach, which Portuondo says has been a priority since the firm’s founding, increasing in importance as the years have passed. “From the beginning, we were always very efficient,” he says. Portuondo Perotti uses that efficiency primarily on residential projects, but the versatile firm takes on commercial and municipal assignments as well. “We consider ourselves kind of a boutique office,” Portuondo says, citing a diverse set
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The Roberts Point Residence
ALL PHOTOS: KIM SARGENT
The Roberts Point project showcases both the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skill and its knowledge of classical architecture. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also informed by the context of the surrounding tropical landscape. The home was made for a husband and wife, and its four bedrooms include a stunning master suite with a sitting area and his-and-her closets. A twostory loggia adds an element of openness, and the home also incorporates a four-car garage, a study, a library, a wine cellar, a detached guest house, and a boat house. The main residence has been designed to fit with the surrounding landscape seamlessly through the use of natural materials such as Chicago brick, coral stone, and lime-based paints..
PRIVATE GARDEN Garden spaces surrounding the house create separation between the residence and the nearby street.
“We’re big believers in urbanism, and context is an important part of it. A modern house might be more individualized, but classical architecture tends to be more contextual in philosophy.” RAFAEL PORTUONDO, CO-OWNER
of nonresidential projects completed by the company, including warehouses, bridges, Miami’s Venetian Causeway toll, and an addition to a fire station. He estimates that such projects make up around 30 percent of the firm’s overall workload. Client relationships are a special source of satisfaction for the entire team, and Portuondo
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views getting to know his customers as another means of providing context for his designs. “I like research, looking to do things that are architecturally correct, but I also enjoy dealing with what makes a family unique,” he says. “One of the compliments that we also get is ‘This is exactly what I thought I was getting.’ At the end of the day, we enjoy being with the owner in
their home.” And Esteban adds that the firm’s relationships with customers do not necessarily end with a project’s completion. “We like to stay involved after construction, and sometimes even after clients move in,” she says. Moving into the future, Portuondo Perotti is ready to evolve. Whether the next stage in their
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PHOTO: KIM SARGENT
GREAT HEIGHTS The home’s simple but elegant white kitchen was designed according to historical precedent. A library rail allows cabinetry to reach the ceiling, which emphasizes the height of the space.
development is expanding beyond their Miami base to jobs in the Bahamas or Belize or creating projects in a more contemporary style, Portuondo says the firm is up to the challenge. Ultimately, the simple knowledge that they have enhanced customers’ lives is always the most gratifying, as when a recent client told them “This house has made us a better family.”
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3649 Conflans Rd, Irving , TX 75061
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Mickey and Michael Munir, the father-and-son team behind Dallas, Texas-based design-build firm Sharif & Munir Custom Homes, Inc., possess complementary design backgrounds—Mickey in architecture, Michael in interior design—and the combination only adds to the firm’s distinction. “[It’s] definitely something we use to our advantage,”
Mickey says. “We’re not just realtors or stockbrokers or athletes or somebody else who’s just jumped into the construction business. We’re design-educated people working construction.” Since its founding in 1978, Sharif & Munir— Sharif passed away years ago—has made good on
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PHOTO: DAN PIASSICK PHOTOGRAPHY
FATHER-AND-SON TEAM CONCENTRATE ON THE EMPTY-NEST MARKET BY EMPHASIZING ENTERTAINMENT AND SPACE
FIT FOR A QUEEN The immaculate “ladies only” master bath includes a marble-encircled tub and gold fixtures throughout. An adjacent cavernous walk-in closet has a makeup vanity, built-in bureaus, a packing table, and enclosed glass-fronted clothing racks.
Top Features of the Kelsey Road Residence 1. The media room is a sizeable space, with seating for 12. 2. His-and-hers master bathrooms are completely separate to maximize privacy. 3. The wine room, a two-level, climate-controlled space, holds 1,200 bottles and includes a wine-tasting stone bench.
PHOTOS: DAN PIASSICK PHOTOGRAPHY
4. A veranda functions as a fully stocked outdoor entertaining area, with an outdoor kitchen, serving bar, and fireplace
and it is currently on the market for $6.5 million. developing a reputation consistent with that expertise: The 16-person firm works in and around “It’s the most interesting Mediterranean home we’ve ever built,” Mickey says. the Dallas metro area, building mostly custom homes and some speculative homes spanning a wide spectrum of architectural styles, including The design was inspired by the idea that the priMediterranean, French, Georgian, and contemmary buyers for homes in such a range tend to be porary. “We’re delighted to work on any design empty-nesters who do a lot of entertaining. Curstyle,” Mickey says. “We’re very diversified in rently, the most interested buyer is the CEO of that regard, though we specialize in high-end a large public company who frequently brings in and even ultra-high-end properties—$175 per out-of-town business clients and associates. The foot to $600 per foot and everything in between.” home is well equipped for such occasions. The guest quarters is just removed enough from the main structure to provide simultaneous privacy Toward the ultra-high-end side of the spectrum and connectivity. The media room, which seats is Sharif & Munir’s recent project at 5107 Kelsey 12, is connected to a serving bar, which is in turn Road, a prime piece of real estate in Dallas’ presconnected to a club room; an adjacent veranda tigious Preston Hollow neighborhood. A spec features an outdoor living area and a six-foot home with a stone exterior, the Kelsey Road opening with sliding doors. The design creates home is 10,805 square feet on 1.3 acres of land,
5. Integrated technology, such as Lutron lighting (lutron.com), Crestron audio equipment (crestron.com), and high-definition video-distribution systems, makes life a little easier for the homeowners.
a festive, indoor-outdoor flow ideal for parties. “Several charity events have been held there, and the house flows very well with even 150 people in it,” Mickey says. “There’re two serving bars and a large sunken wine cellar, which also lend themselves well to entertaining.” The Kelsey Road home includes five full bedrooms, but only the master suite and an attached guesthouse are on the main level. (“Most emptynest types don’t want to stare at empty bedrooms all day,” Michael says.) There are four indoor
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THE TEAMS
A STUDY IN WOOD The study incorporates hand-scraped hardwood parquet flooring with inlaid marble keys and dark mahogany paneling. Wire-fronted bookshelves flank a cast-stone fireplace; French doors exit onto a private courtyard at the front of the home.
fireplaces, five full bathrooms, and three half bathrooms. “The interior reflects the exterior, in that there’s a lot of high-quality finishes that are casual-looking,” Mickey says. Because it’s a spec home, Sharif & Munir elected to demonstrate a variety of finishes. There are three kinds of wooden flooring: marble-inserted wood, handscraped wood, and a travertine-marble-wood mélange. And above, the wine cellar’s ceiling
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has a triple-groined vault, the kitchen features a brick ceiling, and the dining room incorporates a Venetian plaster finish.
alert the audio-video system when residents or guests enter a room. “We treat each room as a zone,” Michael says.
The firm also emphasized integration in the home. The house is equipped with a Lutron lighting system, and high-definition video distribution is available throughout the entertainment areas via a Creston integration system. Sensors
The Kelsey Road home also doubles as a benchmark for Sharif & Munir’s other clients, who can browse the options for their own custom homes by visiting the project. “We’ve been able to build our entire reputation on luxury homes
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like these,” Mickey says. “Most of our clients are doctors, lawyers, CEOs, entrepreneurs—it’s a pretty interesting who’s who of Dallas.” The firm expects this momentum to continue, though the market for its work is increasingly diversified. Michael says, “Some empty-nest folks are seeking a very large home, like the Kelsey Road project, but there is another segment that
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DISTINGUISHED DINING The formal dining room has a cross-vaulted ceiling finished in Italian plaster. Handscraped hardwood floors are laid in a herringbone pattern.
Kelsey Road Residence
PHOTO: DAN PIASSICK PHOTOGRAPHY
wants a very similar house that’s half the size,” he says. “They still want the high-end finishes, but they just don’t need all the space—they don’t want to pay taxes on rooms that nobody ever goes into. So we’re launching new designs and products for that strain of clients, which also bleeds into us doing luxury high-rise work.” The firm is also currently taking larger steps toward incorporating sustainable practices and materials into homes. Achieving LEED certification on, say, an 8,000-square-foot house is particularly challenging, but Sharif & Munir did exactly that on a recent Preston Hollow home. “We recaptured water into underground cisterns and encapsulated the attics, among other things,” Michael says. Sharif & Munir’s work was recently celebrated in a 200-page coffee table book. Large and full of vibrant photographs of the firm’s designs, it doubles as a brochure of reference material for clients, and the number and quality of the projects within is sure to impress. Mickey says, “It’s who we are, and clients find it helpful to look through and see what we’ve done, what we can do.”
A spec home, this 10,805-square-foot house in the prominent Dallas neighborhood of Preston Hollow is a flagship Sharif & Munir home. Valued at $6.5 million, it is a Mediterranean-style villa built with an empty-nest couple in mind. It is also a prime venue for entertaining: a media room seats 12 and is adjacent to one of two serving bars in the home. Additionally, a club room opens onto a veranda featuring what is essentially an outdoor living room and kitchen with a fireplace. “These are the types of projects that we’ve become experts at,” Michael Munir says.
A MESSAGE FROM WILSON PLYWOOD & DOOR Offering quality building materials and a high level of service, Wilson Plywood & Door is a well-respected leader among high-end custom homebuilders and remodelers. Since 1948, builders, contractors, architects, and homeowners have turned to Wilson Plywood & Door for quality materials and exceptional customer service. Wilson Plywood & Door offers a broad line of moldings, plywood, stair parts, and interior and exterior doors. We have long-standing relationships with a number of leading high-end builders including Sharif & Munir. We value our relationship with Sharif & Munir and are proud to be one of their preferred suppliers.
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THE TEAMS
The Lakewood Residence
MIXING TRADITIONAL DALLAS STYLE WITH UNIQUE MODERN ELEMENTS
by Laura Judy In a competitive market, Chad Dorsey and Kurt Bielawski, principals of MORE design + build, LLC, know the importance of providing something special for their clients. “There are plenty of builders in our area, and being a design and build company has been an important point of difference,” Dorsey says. “Our clients love having us take them through the entire process, from start to finish.” The Texas-based company, which the pair founded in 2005, does everything from the initial site evaluation and construction drawings to the interior design and décor selections, and they have managed to create a name for themselves in the state of Texas.
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MORE design + build specializes in high-end, custom residential and luxury retail projects. “We do a mix of new builds, renovations, and store finish-outs, which definitely keeps things interesting,” Bielawski says. With eight employees and a reliable base of subcontractors, the company takes on roughly 15 to 20 projects each year, and each varies from the last. “Because we do so many different projects, we’re able to understand style and what fits in with the area,” Dorsey says. “We try to bring to each project a very clear and well-thought-out aesthetic.” While they don’t limit their work to one style, the common thread is clean-lined spaces. For residential
work, they often draw inspiration from old European styles and mix in more contemporary elements. “A lot of the details in our work feel very modern,” Bielawski says. “This appeals to many of our clients ... they love the traditional elements that so many of the great Dallas neighborhoods offer but want a chic, modern interior.” One of the company’s recent projects, a twostory penthouse in Dallas, is a perfect example
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PHOTO: TERRI GLANGER PHOTOGRAPHY
MORE DESIGN + BUILD, LLC
The goal of this design-build project was to renovate and build an addition onto a 3,000-square-foot 1960s colonial home. The company added approximately 2,500 square feet, and the place now has four bedrooms and five and a half baths. The style of the newly renovated Dallas home is based on Santa Barbara architecture. While the design of the home may look very simple in some ways, details such as big windows, a Spanish-style roof, hand-painted tiles, and fireplaces that are flush with the walls mix a traditional feel with more modern elements.
“A lot of the details in our work feel very modern. This appeals to many of our clients ... they love the traditional elements that so many of the great Dallas neighborhoods offer, but [they] want a chic, modern interior.”
PHOTO: TERRI GLANGER PHOTOGRAPHY
KURT BIELAWSKI, PRINCIPAL of modern elements in a stunning, high-end space. Located on the 27th and 28th floors of The House, a luxury condo building in the city, this two-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home includes about 4,000 square feet of interior space and another 4,000 square feet of outdoor space. “The penthouse overlooks Dallas and has amazing views of the city and the Trinity River,” Dorsey says. “The space as a whole has a very warm, modern aesthetic and a very clean design.” Some of the home’s details include Venetian plaster,
Hansgrohe plumbing, a master bathroom that overlooks the city, and a luxury game room that opens out onto one of the condo’s outdoor terraces. “There’s [a] fantastic outdoor living space, including a pool and spa,” Bielawski says. “This was our third luxury high-rise project, and we want to do more.” Another of MORE design + build’s recently completed projects involved an addition and renovation to a 1960s colonial home. The company
added about 2,500 square feet and created a distinctive, Californian and Spanish-eclectic home. “All the details, inside and outside, are based on studies from Santa Barbara,” Bielawski says. They added a Spanishstyle roof, large windows, hand-painted terra-cotta tiles, and other details to create a traditional feel but incorporated more modern fixtures and finishes to create spaces for today. “It’s all about the details here,” Dorsey says. “It’s very simple in many ways, but there are a lot of intricate, sophisticated textures that add interest.” One of the best compliments the firm ever received came from neighbors who thought the home looked like it had been there for 100 years. “Our goal is to make things look like they’ve been there all along,” Dorsey says. While virtually no construction company has been immune to the difficult economy, MORE design + build has been fortunate to stay successful. “We’ve actually
had quite a lot of growth in a short amount of time,” Bielawski says. “We’ve been lucky, and it helps a lot that we deal with more of an affluent clientele.” And, as the business has grown over the past few years, many new clients have come from word-of-mouth advertising. “So much of our business comes from referrals, and it’s great to have people say that they love our work and would recommend us to others,” Dorsey says. “We love to see our designs come to fruition.”
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PHOTOS: TERRI GLANGER PHOTOGRAPHY
STRAIGHT-EDGED Located on two floors of The House, a downtown condo building, this penthouse features clean lines, modern furnishings, and an outdoor space with a pool and spa.
ARCHITECTS
PROVIDING CONCEPTS AND PROGRAMS FOR DELUXE HOMES
CARVER + SCHICKETANZ CREATING MODERN HOMES THAT BLEND FLAWLESSLY WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENTS by Laura Judy The architects at Carver + Schicketanz know that designing a beautiful home is only one part of the process—they believe everything begins with the site, then they take the project from there, working meticulously to ensure the home is harmonious with its surroundings. “We do every detail of every project,” principal architect Mary Ann Schicketanz says. “I love it all, from start to finish.” The company offers services in site selection and evaluation, programming and planning, and exterior and interior architectural design, and it has been doing so for more than three decades. Carver + Schicketanz has 10 employees and is based in Carmel, California, and while the company has done work all over the country, the bulk of their projects are on the West Coast. “Right now, we mostly do residential work,” Schicketanz says. “Often, the commercial work we’ve done has been for clients whose homes we designed in the past.” The company’s high-end,
custom projects range from $500,000 remodels to $35 million residences. Robert Carver founded the company in 1979 after studying architecture at the University of California–Berkeley, and Schicketanz, a native of Austria, joined the firm in 1987 after going to school and working as an architect in Europe. Both principals came to the company with experience in historic preservation, so restoration projects, including work on the Point Sur Lighthouse, are important to them and also provide inspiration for new residential projects. “Our style is mostly contemporary, but we also love being involved with historic structures and giving them new life,” Schicketanz says. “We try to apply Old World textures and finishes to more modern projects. We always want things to be authentic; we don’t like to be fake.” Overall, the firm’s style varies from project to project because the designers draw inspiration
from multiple sources. “I have a background in theater and travel, and much of that translates to our work,” Schicketanz says. They also listen carefully to their clients’ requests and strive to incorporate them into projects in the best way possible. The company’s ultimate goal is to combine architecture with fitting interior design and landscaping to create homes with natural elegance and smooth transitions. One of Carver + Schicketanz’s recent projects, the Coastlands House, combines all three of these elements in a gorgeous second home built for California clients. The home is situated above the Pacific Ocean, with one wing of the house cantilevered over the side of the cliff. Also, an accompanying underground yoga studio is covered with native grasses to help it blend in. “There used to be six or seven individual structures on this site, and it was kind of junked up,” Schicketanz says. “The biggest satisfaction for us was restoring the native landscape and creating
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Top Design Elements of the Coastlands House 1. Native landscaping was restored when the home was built. Previously, a jumble of small buildings and haphazard landscaping dominated the site. 2. Site placement is significant. Building the home at the top of a cliff, with one wing cantilevered over the side, allows the structure to blend with the beautiful coastline.
BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE The homeowners can enjoy the view from Piet Boon (pietboon.com) all-leather chairs.
3. The homeowner’s art collection accents the interior. Carver + Schicketanz incorporated their pieces naturally into the modern interior design. 4. A 4.5 kW solar array produces about half of the home’s electricity, making it a lowimpact structure. 5. Sustainable materials, like reclaimed stone floors and reclaimed teak siding, are beautiful and eco-friendly. They also add to the modern yet earthy feel of the design
The Coastlands House This 5,600-square-foot home, completed in December 2009, is built on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean and features sweeping views of the California coastline. The house contains an elegant master suite, a guest suite, and open, luxurious living areas. With floor-to-ceiling windows, reclaimed stone floors, reclaimed teak siding, solar panels, and an underground yoga studio, the house stands in harmony with its natural surroundings. The furnishings and finishes create a warm, modern feel, and there is ample space throughout the house for displaying the homeowners’ art collection.
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190 Telegraph Road Dennisport, MA 02639 SET IN STONE The alcove houses a stove and blackened metal backing that hides the pantry door.
new site lines for an incredible view.” The homeowners can look out over the ocean and along the coastline through floor-to-ceiling windows that unite the home with its natural surroundings. The firm designs homes that mesh well with their environments, but its designers also care about persevering those environments through earth-friendly designs, and several of the firm’s architects are even LEED-accredited. They refer to the Coastlands House as a “high-tech, low-impact home.” It features reclaimed stone and wood, native plants, and a 4.5-kilowatt solar array that produces about half of the home’s electricity. As it moves forward, the company hopes to continue creating eco-friendly designs with ultramodern style. They also hope to grow the business in a variety of ways. “We’d like to branch back out into doing more in the hospitality industry; we really like doing that kind of work,” Schicketanz says. “We’re also engaged with some pro bono
P: 508.694.6050 www.osloamerica.com projects, and we’d love to do more of that.” In the meantime, Carver + Schicketanz will continue to work with new and repeat clients to create distinctive designs for homes that make the most of their surroundings.
A MESSAGE FROM OSLO WOOD WINDOWS Carver + Schicketanz is at the top of our list of favorite architects. The tempo and enthusiasm in our offices always peaks when we’re notified that Carver + Schicketanz is specifying OSLO-America into another of its jawdropping designs. Specifications always give sure signs the firm truly cares what lives after them. There’s an earnest, collaborative approach to ensure the resulting products reflect the client’s imagination and lifestyle, all the while insisting on durable, sustainable materials endemic to site-specific construction. Steve Hassell –OSLO-America
ARCHITECTS
FLEISCHMANGARCIA ARCHITECTURE WITH INSPIRATIONS RANGING FROM FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT TO GONE WITH THE WIND, THIS FIRM’S DESIGNS ARE DIVERSE AND DISTINCT by Julie Edwards A third-generation Tampa native, Sol Fleischman Jr., AIA, principle and CEO of FleischmanGarcia Architecture, says he was “born with natural drawing ability that my parents and teachers recognized early and encouraged. In fact, my third-grade teacher suggested I might be an architect due to my drawing ability and affinity for math.” At the University of Florida, Fleischman graduated at the top of his class and, following graduation, was hired by a Tampa architectural firm, where he met Eddie Garcia. After collaborating on numerous projects, Fleischman convinced Garcia to join him in forming a new firm, and, in 1972, FleischmanGarcia Architecture was born. Today, providing the expertise, resources, and attention necessary to ensure projects reach their highest potential, the firm offers superior architectural, planning, and interior-design services with an absolute commitment to ethics, integrity, and the best interest of the client. “Our firm’s goal is to deliver unique, creative, highly efficient, sustainable, and beautiful architecture on-budget and on-time,” Fleischman says. Sadly, Garcia died suddenly in 1984, but Fleischman carried the firm forward, expanding the company with two additional Florida offices and
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adding staff as business grew. Now backed by four decades of expertise, his Tampa, Florida-based firm provides architectural services for a staggering array of commercial, educational, and governmental clients as well as custom estate-home projects. In addition, FleischmanGarcia also offers sustainable-design and -feasibility studies as well as land-planning and interior-design services through an in-house interiors department. What sets FleischmanGarcia apart from most firms is the wide diversity of project types that they have successfully completed, including educational facilities from preschools to universities, governmental administration facilities, athletic facilities, manufacturing facilities, a variety of medical build-outs, religious facilities, and custom estate homes with complex additions and renovations. The firm also has cultivated a long-standing commitment to sustainable design. “Before sustainable became a buzzword, we were incorporating green design and materials in our buildings,” Fleischman says. “We’ve always been concerned about energy efficiency, natural light, proper building siting to
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ARCHITECTS
“We have been blessed to have some of the finest, most design sensitive clients imaginable. And I am continuously grateful to them for challenging us to create unique and spectacular architecture.” SOL FLEISCHMAN, JR., AIA, CEO
Taub Residence Located on one of Tampa’s premier waterfront lots with open bay and canal views, the threebedroom, four-bathroom, 5,560-square-foot Taub Residence was inspired by the work of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The home features 10-foot-high walls of glass while soaring 5-foot-deep roof overhangs shield the interior from the hot Florida sun and emphasize the horizontal lines of the Prairie style. Rustic stacked-stone column fins and linear slot reveals in the stucco walls further underscore the home’s horizontal lines.
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Muma Residence
minimize heat gain, deep overhangs to shade interiors, use of insulated, energy-efficient glass, and use of native plants.” The firm is known for its variety of commercial work, but the diversity among FleischmanGarcia’s opulent custom-designed luxury residences is equally impressive. Projects range from Arts & Crafts Prairie-style houses to Greek Revival plantation estate homes to sleek, urban, contemporary spaces. One notable project is the Taub residence, located in the exclusive gated Culbreath Isles enclave in Tampa, Florida. The 5,560-square-foot home was inspired by the designs of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright and features many Prairie-style elements including stacked, rustic stone
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columns and soaring roof overhangs. “The home was sited to take advantage of the panoramic water views, which were enhanced by 10-foot high walls of glass,” Fleischman says. “In addition to comprehensive architectural and engineering services, the firm also provided interior-design and furniture selections for the project, provided by head in-house interior designer, Kristin Petruccelli, ASID.” Fleischman also notes that all of the home’s materials and design elements, such as the standing-seam metal roof, low planters at the base of the home, and ornamental iron work, were chosen to comply with the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie-style architecture. On the opposite end of the design spectrum, the Muma Residence in Belleair, Florida, is a 17,000-square-foot homage to the literary and film classic
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PHOTOS: WILLIAM GARROW
The Belleair, FL, client’s dream was to have an authentic plantation-style home reminiscent of Tara in Gone with the Wind. To maintain the authenticity of the plantationstyle design, the six-bedroom, sevenbathroom, 17,000-square-foot home was designed and constructed with real brick and whitewashed with paint. The home also features two-story Doric columns in the front and rear, which add to the antebellum look. The three-acre, waterfront site houses the main residence and two “out buildings” positioned around a large deck with a swimming pool and spa. The arrangement forms a courtyard with one end open to water views.
PHOTOS: WILLIAM GARROW
ARCHITECTS
Gone with the Wind. “The owner’s dream was to have an authentic, plantation-style home reminiscent of Tara,” Fleischman says. To maintain the authenticity of the plantation style, the home was designed and constructed of real brick and white-washed with paint. Majestic, two-story Doric columns in the front and rear—as well as a classic, curved front rotunda and verandas—further add to the antebellum look.
For the future, Fleischman says he looks forward to increasing the firm’s client base, which he calls “the life blood of our business.” “We have been blessed to have some of the finest, most design-sensitive clients imaginable,” he says. “And I am continuously grateful to them for challenging us to create unique and, often, spectacular architecture.”
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ARCHITECTS
The Buck County Chateau
D’ALESSIO INSPIRED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS CREATING HISTORICALLY ACCURATE CASTLES, CHATEAUX, AND MANSIONS WITH OLD WORLD ARTISANSHIP By Frederick Jerant
Building castles is a specialty of D’Alessio Inspired Architectural Designs (DIAD) —an international residential building design and construction company. Nestled in the tiny borough of New Hope, Pennsylvania, the company creates elegant castles, European chateaux, mansions, and luxury town homes. “I had worked for years as a stone mason,” owner Andrea D’Alessio Jr. says. “And after completing work on a highrise project in Atlanta, Georgia, in ’96, I’d had enough and started my own company.” D’Alessio noticed that, after working on sumptuous mansions and other multimillion-dollar projects, he was often invited to client receptions and other events—the builders weren’t. “I had built strong personal relationships with those clients,” he says, “and realized that they valued the one-to-one contact. I decided that my company would be built on that kind of foundation.” D’Alessio prides himself on his continued personal involvement. He will visit proposed sites himself and make detailed sketches of every aspect of the property to understand fully what the site will allow, and what will look best.
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Those sketches are revised and sharpened in collaboration with the client, and then the firm finalizes them in 3-D renderings. D’Alessio thinks the renderings can communicate beautiful and abstract details better than flat drawings can. A project that demonstrated this perfectly is a 10,000-square-foot chateau in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, D’Alessio recently completed for an entrepreneur and his family. A key feature is the spiral grand staircase connecting the first and second floors; its gentle asymmetrical curves seem to float as they rise. A graceful and ornate black wrought-iron balustrade with a brass handrail offsets the stairs’ smooth whiteness, and the risers and stringers— encased in sleek imported Italian marble—are unseen. “It’s practically a piece of sculpture,” D’Alessio says, “and it would be impossible to depict accurately in 2-D.” Although they renderings are incredibly detailed, they still remain flexible, reflecting the company’s organic approach to design. “Ideas often evolve during the construction phase,” D’Alessio
This 10,000-square-foot residence features an asymmetrical staircase, handcrafted wrought-iron and brass railings, distinctively plastered walls, and hand-carved and -etched cherry-wood trusses that are in perfect proportion to the great room’s high ceiling. The D’Alessio team created a distinctive stone façade by shaping a variety of local boulders into facing stones; the random pattern simply can’t be reproduced. Three functioning chimneys, including one that tops out at 60 feet, echo Old World designs. And the wealth of customcast limestone detailing—including window surrounds, arches, and decorative panels—was itself a major task, taking a year and a half to design and install.
says. “This way, it’s easier to adapt to situations as they arise.” At the Buck’s County chateau, D’Alessio collected interesting scraps of limestone, travertine, and granite and fashioned them on-site into an elegant medallion for the foot of the back staircase. “When we see something that will work,” he says, “we just do it.” D’Alessio also stresses the use of natural, sustainable materials whenever possible, as in the building’s façade. It’s made from over 200 tons of fieldstone hand-chiseled by the firm—an activity that occupied a crew of five for about six months. The massive stones are broken and chiseled into their final shapes, then arranged to form a unique mix. “We don’t use quarry stones
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that have come from great distances,” D’Alessio says. “We prefer to explore the property and local quarries [for a lower carbon footprint], and use whatever boulders we can pull out of the ground. By using several types of fieldstone, we attain an appearance that no one else can match. It’s truly one-of-a-kind.”
Although other designers might take a “closeenough” approach to historical detail, the D’Alessio team is dedicated to providing authentic appearances. A perfect example of this is the firm’s New Canal Village in historic New Hope, Pennsylvania, a cluster of four 4,100-square foot, fourlevel townhomes surrounding a garden and central courtyard and overlooking the Delaware Canal. Using the nearby Parry Mansion (the family home of Benjamin Parry, “the father of New Hope”) as a template, DIAD created exteriors to match the original’s late 18th-century Federal style. The New Canal Village homes are made from more hand-chiseled stones, and the roofs are slate with cornice crown moldings, soffits, and dormers; copper snow guards and functioning wood shutters accented with finely crafted wrought-iron fittings complete the timeless look. In the end, D’Alessio’s dedication to accuracy paid off after all exterior work was reviewed and approved by New Hope’s Historical Architectural Review Board.
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The chateau’s exterior is dramatic with three functioning chimneys, the tallest of which tops out at 60 feet. They are formed from handmade clay bricks and hand-chiseled bluestone, accented by hand-molded limestone pots that stand over six and a half feet high. Window surrounds, arches, decorative panels, and other details were crafted from custom-cast limestone. D’Alessio says the design process alone took over six months, and a full year passed while the pieces were constructed and installed.
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Cote d’Azur This 6,500-square-foot residence for six includes handcrafted Austrian crystal chandeliers, handcarved marble sinks from Spain, an oak-paneled elevator, and a massive front door made from a 3-inch-thick slab of alder wood. The distinctive home office was finished with nearly 300 pieces of hand-sanded and hand-stained cherry wood. And the kitchen, great room, and master bedroom open onto a 40-foot-wide stone balcony with wrought-iron railings; it gives the family and their guests an unobstructed view of the lush landscape.
Another historically accurate space is Cote D’Azur, a 6,500-square-foot private residence for a family of six, also in New Hope. The romantic home is infused with the classic European elegance of centuries past. Take the structural walls, for instance. Made from hand-cut limestone, ordinary mortar just wouldn’t do. “Classical architecture styles are derived from Old Europe,” D’Alessio says, “and the mortared joints of those buildings are weathered and worn. To get the proper aged appearance, we add a special type of aggregate to the mortar. After curing, we wash the stone with a special solution;
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it exposes the aggregate and ages the color of the mortar. It’s a small thing, but it lends more authenticity to the overall appearance.” More European elements can be found throughout the home. There are handcrafted crystal chandeliers from Austria, a reproduction of a French movie theater with Corinthian capital columns, hand-carved marble sinks from Spain, Rumford fireplaces (a design dating to the 1790s) with Herringbone patterns, and a laboriously finished cherry-wood home office. “We brought in a craftsman from Ireland for that task,” D’Alessio says.
“He spent a full month just sanding and staining nearly 300 pieces of cherry wood for that room.” Taking such time and care with each project is how D’Alessio stands his firm apart from the crowd. In many projects, he says, if a problem emerges, it often leads to finger pointing, but D’Alessio circumvents this by keeping himself involved at all levels. “Everyone blames everyone else, and the project’s cost can continue to climb because no one person is in charge of the entire project,” he says. “That’s why I take charge of everything.”
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NEW AMERICAN LUXURY A comprehensive look at the North American luxury marketplace.
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NEWAMERICANLUXURY.COM AUGUST 2011
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JAMES HANN DESIGN, AIA PRO BALLPLAYER’S HOME IS A SYNTHESIS OF TUSCAN-INSPIRED ARCHITECTURE AND CONTEMPORARY DESIGN
A TASTE OF ITALY The vision for this home was to create a timeless design in an Old World, Tuscan aesthetic by promoting outdoor living with native landscaping and including a water feature composed of reflecting pools and streams leading to the main, negative-edge pool with a sunning island in the middle. The adjacent guesthouse features a private grotto and a swim-up bar.
by Frederick Jerant James Hann, AIA, principal of James Hann Design, AIA, in Scottsdale, Arizona, started his business in 1988 after working with a number of other firms. And from the very start he has specialized in custom homes. “I’ve always enjoyed custom residential work,” he says. “With commercial designs, the key consideration is the budget, and architecture is a relatively small part of it. But with custom residential projects, you’re dealing with the owners—individuals and families. They’re more likely to splurge on what they want. Purely from an architectural and design standpoint, those projects are a lot more fun.” Hann’s primary market area is the desert terrain of Arizona, and he is also licensed in New Mexico, California, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Idaho. However, wherever he builds projects, he always avoids
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taking on too many as a favor to his clients. “There are two basic approaches to this kind of work,” he says. “At big companies, a principal assigns jobs to project teams, whose members must juggle several projects at one time. That’s how they turn out 75 projects a year. My company is small, and we accept about a half-dozen commissions annually. I’m able to give every job my personal attention. When a client calls with a question, I’m the one who answers the phone.” One of the firm’s strengths, Hann says, is that it’s not limited to one or two particular styles. “A really good architect should be able to work with numerous styles,” he says. “Regardless of whether the project is contemporary or traditional, the same principles for good design still apply—composition, proportion, and balance.”
“I believe in having the major players act as a team,” Hann adds. “They include the owner, builder, interior designer, and, of course, the architect. When everyone checks their egos at the door, the best and most comprehensive projects are the result.” Another key to a successful project, according to Hann, is listening to the client and discussing needs, wants, and ideas. “Design is a process,” he says. “Usually, my clients have a fairly good general idea about style, but rarely will they have a definitive list of what they want. That’s why design is evolutionary.” Hann’s first step in the process is to walk the site to understand its layout—the general orientation, spots where the sun rises and sets, the presence or absence of large rocks or significant vegetation, and other natural features or determinants
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ARCHITECTS
OVER THE TOP The kitchen features a rustic series of heavy timbers supporting a clerestory window element that brings in a wealth of daylighting. The beam connection at the apex occurs in the center of the clerestory element and gives the beams the appearance of ‘floating’ in space. This results in the creation of shadows that form an intricate and ever-changing pattern throughout the space during the day.
Top Design Elements of the Whisper Rock Residence 1. Traditional stonework lends an Old World look. The same blend is used throughout the house, but it is used in different ways.
ALL PHOTOS:JAMES HANN
2. The large covered patio, surrounded by stonework, water features, landscaping, and a gorgeous view, reflects the openness common in Old World designs.
that can impact the design. This is followed by extensive Q&A sessions to determine his clients’ living styles and how they will use the various rooms during a given day. That information is translated into a series of loose pencil sketches to show rough concepts of how those elements could work together, and after the design details are finalized, CAD is used to create all the other documents. The results of Hann’s work are spectacular. The Whisper Rock residence, for instance, is a
3. A reflecting pool, located just outside the great room, was designed and built by Creative Water Concepts (creativewaterconcepts.com). It can be set to spill cooling water across the walkway to the pool.
Tuscan-style stucco private home covering more than 14,000 square feet and sited on a sprawling two-acre estate. It is the home of a Major League Baseball player and his family, and Hann is quick to credit Dan Couturier of Madison Couturier Custom Homes and designer Tony Sutton of Est Est Inc. for their contributions to the project.
4. The secret nightclub offers adults a private hideaway. The space’s décor is a 180-degree turn from the rest of the house.
“The climate is conducive to indoor-outdoor living,” Hann says, “We worked very closely with Steve Oliver, of Creative Water Concepts, to integrate covered patioscapes and water features.
5. The faux Irish pub is the quintessential guy’s hangout. This room is the location for poker playing, TV viewing, and the trading of sports tales over a couple pints.
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Whisper Rock Residence The Tuscan-style Whisper Rock residence is home to a professional baseball player and his family. The 14,000-square-foot abode is situated on a 2-acre tract, and architect James Hann, AIA, achieved a rustic, timeless look by using a mix of stones on the exterior walls. The Old World ambience is contrasted by more modern aspects, including an underground batting cage, numerous water features, a small secret nightclub (accessible through a broom closet), a well-stocked wine cellar, and a private Irish pub. A covered patio and lush landscaping— along with a glorious view—combine to make an ideal spot for outdoor entertaining.
One is a reflecting pool outside of the great room. It feeds into a stream that runs through the property.” The subdued Mediterranean exterior belies the lush interior—which includes a full-size batting cage hidden belowground and a faux Irish pub complete with reclaimed wood, battered bricks, and a hand-carved bar. “The owner wanted the Irish pub to look like a converted warehouse,” Hann says. The firm did not skimp on creature comforts, either—the space features leather-upholstered chairs, fireplaces, and multiple flat-screen TVs. Down the stair tower is a wine cellar with a door that opens to a seemingly nondescript broom closet. But the back of the closet is actually the secret entrance to a red-themed, contemporary after-hours club. A complete contrast to the rest of the home, the club is fitted with sculptural chairs, a free-form table, animal-print carpet, and a deceptive wall treatment. “The panels are sheets of MDF fiber board,” Hann says. “They were individually cut with a router to form a complex pattern. Every panel had to be precisely aligned so the pattern’s flow would be continuous.” The centerpiece of the home’s dining area is an inlaid-wood table that seats 12, with a massive iron chandelier hanging above it. Ceiling beams actually pass over the top of one wall and run into the plaster-finished great room. “We wanted an ‘added-on’ effect,” Hann says. “The gap atop the wall implies that the rest of the home was built around it.”
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ALL PHOTOS:JAMES HANN
The home is also a perfect example of the firm’s flexibility. During the planning stages, the owner was in the midst of delicate contract negotiations. At one point, he had misgivings about the scope of the project and instructed Hann to scale back certain elements. “Ultimately,” Hann says, “the negotiations worked out very well for him. [So] he called me and said, ‘Jim? Remember all the stuff we were going to take out? Put it back in!’”
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It began in the mid-1980s when Mark Levin and Jay Brown would sit outside in the summers, talking about their respective architectural focuses while watching their young children play together. Levin specialized in religious buildings and medical laboratories; Brown worked on high-end residential projects. They quickly realized their skill sets were complementary, and in 1986 they became partners, forming a business that was equipped to serve the needs of a broader clientele than either of them could hope to reach on their own. “It’s really been an amazing relationship,” Brown says, looking back at the past two and a half decades. “We’ve had not a single argument in the entire time we’ve been in business together. Mark’s wife is our business manager, and his daughter is an architect who works for us. It’s a real family affair.” In a few years, the pair had become the go-to designers of synagogues across the United States, getting the jump on a niche national market. They now compete with about half a dozen other firms, but their head start solidified their dominance.
“We have amassed a large portfolio of good work, and there’s nobody in the country who has worked on more synagogue architecture than we have,” Brown says, noting that part of what makes the firm unique is its commitment to contextual architecture. “We try to use local materials, and we work very closely with our clients to ensure that their programmatic needs are fulfilled in a way that is complementary to their aesthetic goals.” But sometimes meeting everyone’s desires can be a puzzle. Such was the case with the “golf cottage” Levin/Brown built for the two gentlemen who sought them out. Originally designed to be two identical residences with a shared central living area, the project morphed into a manifestation of each client’s tastes and design predilections. “Working with two gentlemen and their families to satisfy their needs was a little different than working with just a husband and wife,” Brown says. “Each guy eventually realized that he wanted his suite personalized, and so we made adjustments after the design was already done so we could accommodate their personal interests.” The golf course also had a number of restrictions on the landscaping and exterior design that had to be approved by committee, which added another piece to the puzzle. What resulted was an abode that is to cottages what a penthouse suite is to a hotel room. Tucked away on a golf course in an affluent part of Maryland’s Baltimore County, the residence
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PHOTO: ALAN GILBERT
FURNITURE, CABINETRY AND MOULDING FINISHES
When two golf enthusiasts approached Levin/ Brown & Associates, Inc. with dreams of building their own getaway on the links of a local course, it was not an impulse decision. Rather, they tapped the architectural firm for the project based on its 25 years of excellent design and harmonious partnership.
ARCHITECTS
The Golf Cottage
PHOTOS: GINA ADAMS
The palatial home features 14,500 square feet of sweeping lines, open rooms, an eclectic mix of antique and modern furniture, and a wall of windows that offers a soothing view of the golf course, which is set in the midst of the lush Maryland forest. The first floor is arranged with two suites with two master bedrooms and bathrooms each. On the second level, there are four bedrooms, each with a bathroom. The basement boasts a putting green, indoor driving range, home theatre, steam room, whirlpool, and a full-service spa. The house doesn’t fall under one stylistic category; it has flavors of farmhouse, country, and Tidewater.
is one of the company’s most distinctive projects to date. The 14,500-square-foot home is “hardly a cottage,” Brown says, and it features plenty of amenities to keep the avid golfers interested, including a putting green in the basement and an indoor driving range. Perhaps most amazingly, Levin and Brown were able to tweak their plans even after the design was finalized—a testament to their flexibility as a firm.
faith Forum on Religion, Art, and Architecture (IFRAA) and the Award of Excellence for Historic Renovations from the Chesapeake Chapter of the American Institute of Architecture (AIA). The architects also received the Preservation Award from the Historic Savannah Foundation for the restoration of a Georgia synagogue whose Bauhaus-era additions had compromised its historical design.
The proof is certainly in Levin/Brown’s product, but the LEED-accredited company also has plenty of awards to show for itself. The firm has often been awarded for its residences as well, receiving a Design Honor Award from the Inter-
To Levin and Brown, however, awards are just salt and pepper on an already delectable meal. “For me personally, I prefer doing the work,” Brown says. “The self-gratification I get is more important than being recognized publicly.”And
there are other hurdles to jump, such as the challenge of staying relevant in a tumultuous economy. “These are extremely challenging times, and finding a way to stay profitable is becoming more and more difficult,” Brown concedes. There’s also the additional factor that some design work is shifting overseas. But if the firm’s commitment to clients and architectural prowess is any indicator, they’ll weather the storm just fine.“We have to challenge ourselves to find work at home,” Brown says. “And that involves being very good at what we do and being successful in finding ways to bring clients to us. That’s what we’re pursuing.”
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MARTIN ARCHITECTS PC ALL-INCLUSIVE FIRM CREATES ECO-FRIENDLY DESIGNS, NO MATTER THE LOCATION by Amy Meadows When Martin Architects PC recently began designing a 17,000-square-foot green home in Houston, Texas, it might have seemed like a long way to travel to people familiar with the award-winning Sagaponack, New York-based firm, which is widely known for its outstanding high-end residential work in New York City, the Hamptons, Connecticut, New Jersey, and surrounding areas. But for Nick Martin, AIA, founder and principal architect, it made complete sense to accept a commissioned project nearly 1,500 miles away. When the client, for whom Martin Architects had already completed a 13,500-square-foot eco-friendly residence in East Hampton, asked the firm to deliver a comparable second home in Houston, there was absolutely no question about moving forward. “It’s really not about the location—it’s about servicing relationships with clients,” says Martin, who received his education through Harvard’s undergraduate Architecture Discovery program and Pratt Institute’s undergraduate architecture school and founded Martin Architects in 1998 after working with such prestigious firms as
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Gabellini Shepard Associates LLP, Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, and Wood and Zapata, among others. “Our clients are the most important piece of the puzzle in any project. So for us, it’s not just about the architecture. We want to build trust as we provide the highest quality possible, and we will follow clients as those relationships form.” Clients have total confidence in Martin Architects because the company is renowned for offering the personalized service of a boutique firm while also providing the comprehensive scope of a large firm. It does everything from architectural design and engineering to furniture and interior design—all of it backed by the methodical building practices of the company’s award-winning associated building firm, 4MA Builders. So, when a project calls for a design-build approach, the highly experienced staff of Martin Architects can collaborate with the skilled teams of its sister companies—Martin-Armus Engineering, Martin Interiors, and the aforementioned 4MA Builders—to take a project from conception to completion. This all-inclusive service, which also
is provided with Martin Architects’ retail and commercial work, has been highly successful, a majority of the firm’s business coming from repeat clients and well-earned referrals. A few projects the firm has been referred for are the Northwest Harbor residence—one of the company’s first all-encompassing design-build projects, a renovation of a 1970s modern structure—and the Harbor View residence—another renovation incorporating an addition that doubled the home’s modest square footage without increasing its carbon or physical footprint by more than five percent. For a third renovation project, the Gansett Lane residence, Martin Architects infused the home with natural materials such as reclaimed cedar and antique white oak. A fundamental hallmark that draws clients to Martin Architects is its long-time emphasis on environmentally respectful design and building practices. “We focus on the concepts of efficiency and reuse, incorporating both passive and active sustainable features into our designs,” says Martin, who attributes the firm’s ecological
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Gansett Lane Residence The original 2,300-square-foot home was a crumbling, dark 1970s kit house. Martin Architects used as many elements from the structure as possible while introducing five natural materials: poured-in-place concrete; steel; glass; stained-reclaimed cedar; and antique white oak. By incorporating sustainable features and modernizing the residence while maintaining its historical sensibilities, the firm, collaborating with the renowned builders of Bulgin & Associates, Inc. (bulgininc.com), was able to turn the home into a sophisticated beach house, complete with Asian-inspired, light-filled interiors and exterior spaces that offer both style and refuge.
Northwest Harbor Residence
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One of Martin Architectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first all-encompassing design-build projects, the Northwest Harbor residence, located on a three-acre waterfront peninsula in East Hampton, involved the complete rebuild of an existing home that featured drab 1970s modern architecture. The firm and 4MA Builders replaced a nonworking trombe wall system and added an 8,500-square-foot addition with a low carbon footprint. The home now boasts a blend of its original Hampton Cape Shingle style and a clean, modern beach aesthetic and is a candidate for LEED Bronze certification.
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ideals to his own lifelong interest in the environment and socially conscious community involvement. From reducing a home’s carbon footprint by efficiently using square footage to including components such as geothermal heating and cooling systems, solar elements, and an array of reused and energy-efficient materials, the firm—a member of the US Green Building Council—has used a variety of innovative tactics to elevate many of its projects to LEED certification. “You can work towards the future, or you can avoid it, and we have made a conscious decision to work towards it,” Martin says. “We believe in thoughtful, fresh, and smart design, and we want to help our clients achieve an efficient and elegant way of living.” For Martin, achieving this goal comes down to allowing a project site to unveil itself to him and his team as they strive to understand and embrace its essence. By recognizing a property’s intrinsic qualities, Martin Architects can stay true to its inherent aesthetic while still meeting clients’ wishes and needs. It is a delicate balance the firm has perfected—one that is valued by the clients who return time after time to work with the firm. “We want to retain our clients and work with them in the future,” Martin says. “We always want to work on that next project with our clients, and we never lose sight of that relationship.”
This home is situated on a steep, sloping pitch in East Hampton with a view of Three Mile Harbor. Because the client who resides here loves to entertain, the 2,500-square-foot, 1970s-era residence needed additional space to accommodate guests. Martin Architects and 4MA Builders doubled the residence’s modest square footage without increasing its carbon or physical footprint by more than five percent. The design-build team turned the once-unusable basement into a bright, airy space that leads to an open, modern first-floor plan and an entirely new second-floor bedroom level. The result is a spacious home with LEED Silver candidacy.
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ARCHITECTS
MERLE THORPE ARCHITECTS by Kaleena Thompson As an undergraduate Merle Thorpe pursued marine science in his biology courses, and those influences helped shape the way he thinks about architecture. “The complexity of ecosystems reflects how intricately connected and interdependent decisions are—residential design is an extension of this line of thinking,” he says. The designs of Thorpe and his Washington, DC, firm, Merle Thorpe Architects, therefore pay close attention to the connections between a site’s history and landscape, the surrounding environment, and, most importantly, the sensibilities of the clients. Rooted in contextual residential design, Thorpe’s homes—including the Neoclassical Regency estate outside of Washington, DC—tell quiet stories. The Regency clients initially built their original home in the 1980s and raised their three daughters there. As their children moved on to live their own lives, the couple had more time to travel to Europe and Asia, which inspired them to bring the exquisite decorative and architectural aesthetic traditions of these cultures to their family’s home. “They completely reimagined
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what they wanted their home to be, taking at face value the original Latin meaning of renovate: to make new,” Thorpe says. After rigorously interviewing 15 architects, the homeowners decided to work with Merle Thorpe as the architect for their project, and he was joined by interior designers Sam Morrow and Gary Gregg and the firm DCA Landscape Architects to form the design team. They and the owners collaborated closely, considering all aesthetic and functional requirements during the design phase. They focused on the couple’s overlapping love for family, entertainment of friends, and a highly refined design aesthetic. “It was in establishing the owners’ varied patterns of living that many of the defining decisions were made,” Thorpe says. “The dining room, for example, was designed to feel intimate in seatings of six to 26 guests.” The front façade offers a glimpse of the English Regency style that informed the house’s transformation. Thorpe eliminated many features of the original house—the oversize French Lorraine
Top Architectural Elements of the Regency Renewed Residence 1. The tower “is certainly one of the most significant features, as it’s a grand gesture and departure from the strict symmetry of the house core,” Thorpe says. 2. Steel-framed bay windows contrast the closed-off masonry surfaces and admit ample daylighting, while allowing greater views of the spectacular landscape. 3. Minimized exterior detailing—including traditional cement stucco and limestone portico and lintel detailing—has a calming, dignified quietness. 4. Ornamental metal is another luxe detail. ”The interior stair railings are composed of naturally wrought clear-finish steel, like that of a suit of armor,” Thorpe says. “The tapered spindles are gathered with a customshaped, small-grip walnut railing.” 5. A custom mosaic enhances the octagonshaped vestibule between the master bathroom and dressing room. The small space is exquisitely detailed with trim and casework made of sustainable wood painted to look like mahogany. The mosaic design contains polished and matte stone.
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PHOTOS: JUDY DAVIS / HOACHLANDER DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHRY
A FAMILY HOME IS REIMAGINED TO REFLECT CLASSIC EUROPEAN AND ASIAN INFLUENCES
In all our projects, Merle Thorpe Architects strives for timeless residential design: one that exerts a quiet, authentic influence on its surroundings and provides occasions of recurring delight for homeowners and their families. This commitment animates all our work, and has resulted in design awards for projects with all-new construction, restorations, renovations and additions.
PHOTOS: GORDON BEALL
We are adept in a variety of traditional and modern architectural styles, and support our design versatility with in-depth knowledge of construction and detailing, and always a careful ear for our clients' needs. In this way, we ensure a level of exceptional quality that our clients remember for a lifetime.
brick veneer, the steeply pitched gabled pediment, the many different sizes and styles of windows and doors, and the shake roof. “The new design is composed with greater symmetry; smooth, traditional cement-stucco walls; a classically proportioned pediment and cornice; a Neoclassical portico; and a less visible roof,” Thorpe says. The restrained, elegant simplicity of the English Regency style is also seen in the painted finishes throughout the home. “We used North American woods to avoid the use of exotic, endangered, or rare rainforest wood species,” Thorpe adds. In a nod to the Chateau les Crayéres, in Reims, France, a favorite of the clients, Thorpe designed steel-framed glass bays for the dining room, living room, and breakfast room and a steel-framed,
full room-height oriel in the study, all of which expand and bring light to the rooms. The custom French doors and metal balcony railings are also reminiscent of the ornamental features at the Chateau les Crayéres.
Merle Thorpe Architects PLLC
Other exquisite architectural details are found throughout the transformed house. The entry foyer has a custom inlaid-wood floor and a winding staircase that ascends to the next level. The stair railings are composed of naturally wrought clear-finish steel, “like that of a suit of armor,” Thorpe says, adding, “We dressed the standard forged-steel balusters with custom-cast and finished-brass rings that were made by a local Maryland metal artist.” An octagon-shaped vestibule between the master bathroom and dressing
Merle@MerleThorpeArchitects.com
3235 P Street NW Washington, DC 20007 Tel 202 298 7771
Fax 202 298 7776
www.MerleThorpeArchitects.com www.MerleThorpeArchitects.com
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The design team and owners collaborated closely, considering all aesthetic and functional requirements during the design phase of the Regency homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s renovation.
Another Regency feature is the south tower dominated by a pavilion-shaped roof, topped with a copper pennant ornament. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is certainly one of the most significant features of the house, not only as a grand gesture but as a departure from the strict symmetry of the house core,â&#x20AC;? Thorpe says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The tower lightens the mood and hearkens back to the fascination with the exoticism of Asian design during the English Regency era.â&#x20AC;?
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The home covers 8,000 square feet and also features six bedrooms, a family den, a library, two studies, a playroom for the grandchildren, and a carriage house. What was an unfinished room in the basement is now a social hub for family enter-
tainment. The room is connected to a loggia by French doors that open the room up and admit light. But to keep the room intimate for smaller groups, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I used a combination of soffits and casework piers to section the room into three main areas,â&#x20AC;? Thorpe says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;one for playing billiards, another for the refreshment bar, and a seating arrangement around the fireplace and TV.â&#x20AC;? For Thorpe and his firm, design is about capturing influences that enhance a particular propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sense of place, often taking into account the climate, the context of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architectural history, and the surrounding native landscape. With the Regency residence, Thorpeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautifully blended details create a home that reflects the clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ideals and that is seamlessly integrated with the classicism of the immediate formal landscape and the lushness of the surrounding mature woodlands.
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PHOTO: CHARLES RUMPH
room is detailed with trim and casework made of sustainable woodâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;painted to look like mahoganyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and an intricate mosaic floor handset in polished and matte stone.
ARCHITECTS
RUGGED WELCOME The entryway of the Lampasas Ranch home is constructed of timber beams set into the stucco wall. It brings guests immediately into a tall living area with wooden floors, a stone fireplace, and other rustic details.
RICK O’DONNELL ARCHITECT CONTINUING THE TRADITIONAL RANCH AESTHETIC IN THE DESERT SOUTHWEST by Julie Edwards Melding the strengths of a technical building background with formal training in creative architecture, Rick O’Donnell of Rick O’Donnell Architect holds exacting standards for those in his firm. “Our primary goal is simple,” O’Donnell says, “to provide exceptional architecture that demonstrates the highest level of design, technical skills, and overall quality while exceeding the clients’ ambitions and expectations relative to site, function, aesthetics, and budget, no matter the building type or scope of work.” A graduate of the University of Texas–Austin, O’Donnell spent four years practicing architecture with large firms in Houston, Texas, after
earning his degree. In 1977, he returned to his Austin home, opened a residential design-build firm and, over the next 10 years, constructed more than 100 projects. In 1987, O’Donnell relocated with his family to southern California, where he spent the next seven years in the homebuilding and land-development industries. In 1994 he returned to Austin, where he continued his land-development career until 1997 when he made the decision, based on the encouragement of friends and associates, to return to his creative roots in architecture. “The firm started completely in the residential market, where it evolved into primarily upper-
end residential work,” O’Donnell says. “In recent years, we’ve begun to do more commercial work, but our primary focus is still residential. While staying stylistically versatile, our project types are very diverse, and we typically complete approximately 10 to 12 residential and two to three commercial projects annually.” Rick O’Donnell Architect currently operates in two locations: Austin and Georgetown, Texas. And since its inception, the firm has won numerous awards from a range of professional organizations, including the Texas Capital Area Builders Association, the Homebuilders Association of Greater Austin, the Texas Association of
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Lampasas Ranch Residence These empty-nesters wanted to update their home to better fit their lifestyle and accommodate large gatherings of family and friends. Rick O’Donnell totally rebuilt the four-bedroom, three-bathroom, 4,800-square-foot home’s living, dining, and kitchen spaces into a central public area and incorporated rustic ranch elements such as reclaimed timber beams, plaster walls, sandstone interior walls, and a fireplace. To add to the Texas hill country residence’s capacity for entertaining, outdoor spaces and covered terraces were included to create a seamless transition between the home’s interior and the 900 acres of surrounding ranch land also owned by the couple.
GATHERING SPACE The spacious kitchen’s primary purpose is for entertaining large gatherings of family and friends. It is anchored by two uniquely crafted granite-covered islands and ample surrounding counter space. Stone walls, timber beams, alder cabinets, and mica “ranch brand-embossed” panels above the mesquite pantry doors underscore the home’s rustic theme, while multiple windows bring the outdoors closer. LIVING LARGE Expansive views of the surrounding ranch and dramatic 18inch ceilings with natural lighting from clerestory windows make the living room the showcase space of the home. Reclaimed timber beams; wood-plank ceilings; earth-tone plaster walls; mesquite floors; a free-standing sandstone fireplace; and strong, comfortable, colorful furnishings speak to the warmth and authenticity of materials used throughout and connect the home to the Texas ranching lifestyle that defines it.
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Builders, and the National Association of Homebuilders. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe that one of the biggest assets I bring to the table is my extensive building background, which has helped me immeasurably as an architect,â&#x20AC;? Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The quality and clarity of documents provided to those building the project in the field is critical, and my knowledge of construction has clearly been a benefit in that process.â&#x20AC;? One of the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent hallmark projects is an extensive remodel of a 4,800-square-foot residence on a 900-acre ranch in Lampasas, Texas. It honors the history and roots of its Texas ranching family owners. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The clients desired a highly personalized home with a more contemporary feel while maintaining the regionalistic style of the Texas hill country,â&#x20AC;? Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The design focused on creating open, airy spaces with panoramic views of the ranch while maintaining the essence of the overall style through use of authentic, rustic, natural, native materials and details appropriate to the setting and to their working ranch lifestyle.â&#x20AC;?
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The primary focus of the project was the total rebuild of a central public area made up of the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s living, dining, and kitchen rooms. The new space contains 18-foot ceilings with reclaimed timber beams, plaster and sandstone interior walls, and a fireplace, and the kitchen now boasts two islands and generous counter space critical for entertaining large gatherings of family and friends. The firm is currently working on several highend custom homes in various parts of Texas, two garden-home projects (including one central infill project), a wedding facility, and several residential remodeling projects. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Another exciting area of opportunity for us is our involvement in projects centered around and utilizing historical, reclaimed, relocated barn structures,â&#x20AC;? Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are on our third project with Heritage Restorations in Elm Mott, Texas, which locates, dismantles, relocates, refurbishes, and reerects historical barn structures primarily from areas such as upstate New York and Pennsylvania. It affords us the opportunity to be involved in work on very unique structures with an incredible sense of history, utilizing reclaimed green building materials while blending the old with the new.â&#x20AC;? Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell also plans to continue promoting his firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newer Austin branch, though he notes that currently the vast majority of his work comes from the referrals of past clients, a fact of which he is proud. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a small firm, I am directly responsible for client contact and project management from coordination, design, [and] construction documents through construction observation,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ensuring the total satisfaction of our clients is critical to our success and to thriving within our industry.â&#x20AC;?
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VACATION HOMES
SECOND HOMES AND GETAWAYS ACROSS THE GLOBE
FLORIDA COAST LUXURY DAILEY JANSSEN ARCHITECTS PROVIDE ELEGANT DESIGNS FOR BOTH VACATION HOMES AND PERMANENT RESIDENCES by Zach Baliva
The two designers joined forces in 1992, and their varied backgrounds now allow them to apply their talents to many building types. Most often, though, they design in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Colonial vernaculars. “People that want to be [in West Palm]—whether for their perma-
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nent of their fifth home—want something tropical that reflects a certain lifestyle,” Janssen says. Janssen estimates that half of his clients are seasonal owners and half are permanent residents. Regardless, the architect’s approach remains the same. “Even vacation homes are likely to be sold at some point, so we account for that in our custom designs,” he says. “We build flexibility for the current owner and the next occupant down the road.” In West Palm, most people—especially those seeking shelter from harsh winters in other parts of the country—want enhanced outdoor living areas. “Our clients like the idea of coming home, opening up the house, and being outdoors,” Janssen says. Many of the firm’s projects therefore
West Palm Beach Population: 99,504 Activities: West Palm is home to many historic neighborhoods whose homes date back to the early 20th century. The South Florida hotspot is also a mecca for tourists who flock to attractions such as Antique Row, Rapids Water Park, the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, and, of course, the beach. Also, each May, more than 275,000 music lovers clamor along the waterfront to hear their favorite bands in the annual SunFest.
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PHOTO: C J WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY
Although Ed Dailey and Roger Janssen share a disdain for the words “signature style,” their location in West Palm Beach, Florida, does dictate some of what they do. The city might attract its fair share of tourists, but its inviting milieu also forms the perfect backdrop for vacation, retirement, and secondary homes, and Dailey Janssen Architects now earns much of its profit by constructing such signature spaces.
VACATION HOMES
PHOTOS: C J WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY
Palm Beach House Dailey and Janssenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high-quality recreation of an early 20th-century Palm Beach estate is perfectly symmetrical and features formal outdoor spaces open to adjacent gardens. Inside, one element signals Mediterranean Revival: the grand parlor. The combined foyer and living room serves as an impressive entry space with an elaborate double staircase and wrought-iron railing leading up to a second floor gallery. There, bedrooms are located on all four corners, and a central sitting room overlooks the rear yard.
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offer covered open-air spaces, outdoor kitchens, and exterior living rooms. Layers of furnishings set them apart from simple covered patios.
but also want to come in from the beach with sand on their feet and kick off their sandals. We try to let them have both.”
One Dailey Janssen structure, the Palm Beach House, showcases the architects’ Mediterranean revival talents. Janssen teamed with interior designer Rob Southern on the elegant villa that remains true to a period style with thick stucco walls, a barrel-tile roof, arcades, exquisite details, and beautiful wrought iron. Cypress, Pecky Cypress, and local stone form the high-quality palette from which Janssen worked. “Our intent was to create a serious classical home that is still livable,” he says. And the strategy must have worked, too—what started as a vacation home is now a permanent residence.
Another project, the Southwest Florida home, boasts a design that merges indoor and outdoor spaces perfectly. Visitors enter through an elaborate breezeway that divides the main house and the guest house, the focal point of which is the Gulf of Mexico. The living room ends at pocket sliding doors that retract into the wall and allow the room to extend into a covered loggia that flows out into a garden. In the loggia, exposed ceiling timbers, hanging lamps, ceiling fans, wicker furniture, tile floors, and ample landscaping combine to form the perfect outdoor living experience. Janssen worked with landscape designer Morgan Wheelock and Kemble Interiors to orchestrate the critical and seamless composition of all elements.
Dailey and Janssen spend time getting to know each client especially well since owners in West Palm often have different requirements. “There’s a bit of tension in what we do here,” Janssen says. “People often want a serious piece of architecture
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Behind the main house, Janssen designed a separate orchid house. A pitched and open pine
roof filters light and allows air circulation while providing an aesthetically pleasing and dramatic garden element. The small structure reflects the architecture of the main building and helps unite the large property. An “organic and informal” pool forms a bond between the natural landscape and adjacent beach. In fact, Janssen worked particularly hard to create a layer of separation between the house and the Gulf. “We built a sequence of spaces instead of direct water exposure. This was a large property with no real constraints, but we wanted a bit of formality and grandeur,” he says. Dailey Janssen handles about 20 variously scaled projects per year and works to match client and product. “We listen to make sure each home reflects its owner,” Janssen says. After all, the company’s clients come to West Palm Beach for a certain quality of life. Instead of trying to provide a “Dailey Janssen home,” the firm’s architects look to provide each client’s dream home.
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Gulf Front Southwest Florida At Gulf Front, Janssen combined interior and exterior spaces to provide both an outdoor living experience and indoor creature comforts. Simple thingsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;such as the use of similar building materials on the inside and outâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;help guests seamlessly navigate the structure. The French- and West Indies-style home encompasses 15,000 square feet of living space connected around an internal breezeway that connects a series of outdoor and indoor rooms. Indoor areas reflect exterior motifs, and interior ceiling structures and materials help the spaces feel more like garden spaces than air-conditioned rooms.
ALL PHOTOS: C J WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY
A MESSAGE FROM HEDRICK BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION For more than 32 years, discriminating clients and architects have recognized the trademark level of quality, attention to detail, and professional management approach Hedrick Brothers Construction brings to every project. We believe collaboration among the owner, architect, design consultants, and builder, from the initial concept through completion, enables the team to have a clear understanding of the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and expectations. Let us build, restore and renovate your visions into realityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; from grand, palatial estates and historic restorations to country clubs and green projects. Experience the uncompromised excellence of Hedrick Brothers Construction.
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SERVING A UNIQUE NICHE IN THE CUSTOM-HOME INDUSTRY
Top Landscaping Elements of Studio H Projects 1. Native plants are crucial to sustainable design because they dramatically reduce water consumption. 2. Porous paving allows water to permeate the landscape’s surface, so ground water is recharged and maintains its optimum levels. 3. Juxtaposing materials—such as Ipe hardwood and colored concrete—creates a dynamic landscape that engages users and delights visitors. 4. Infinity-edge pools and spas are graceful and elegant. An infinity-edge water feature looks good in any landscape. 5. Recycled materials, such as reclaimed street pavers and old lumber, provide an authentic look. They’re eco-friendly to boot.
Studio H Landscape Architecture, Inc. FIRM OFFERS CREATIVE, SUSTAINABLE DESIGNS ON A REASONABLE BUDGET by Ryan Delia Growing up in a small town in Vermont, Warwick Hunt never dreamed he would be working as one of the leading designers in Orange County, California. “As a kid, I always liked to be outside and explore nature, but I always thought I wanted to be a meteorologist,” he says. After a couple of years in school predicting weather patterns, he stumbled upon landscape architecture as he paged through the course catalog, and he has not looked back since. His passion and keen
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appreciation for the natural world now drive his practice, Studio H Landscape Architecture, Inc., as he sustainably and stylishly designs high-end lawns and gardens. Hunt, now president of the firm, is a machine. After he finished his degree in landscape architecture at Arizona State University, he began working for a large firm in Orange County. Soon after, he realized that one must put in years of
grunt work before the opportunity to design surfaces. Unsatisfied with the traditional hierarchal pyramid of most design companies, he began his independent landscape career only six-months after graduating school. “All I wanted to do was design, and I couldn’t wait years to see that happen, so I took a risk and started out on my own,” he says. That early aggressive attitude and pension for risk has paid off tenfold, the architect having since made a name for himself with his attention to detail and fearless design ideas. The first lesson Hunt learned on his own was that there is a big gap between designers and builders. “I would hand a set of drawings to contractors and find that projects weren’t being built the way they were supposed to be, and I decided I had to fix that,” he says. Shortly thereafter, he assembled a highly skilled installation crew to execute his landscaping visions. This business model led to almost six-years as a licensed landscape contractor, during which Hunt mastered the art of efficiency and budgeting for large scale projects, a skill that has proven invaluable in today’s tough economy. “Having an intricate understanding of what materials cost and how they are installed gives me a huge advantage over my competitors,” he says.
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“A lot of architects design projects that turn out over budget and have to be redesigned. Because of my construction background, I can make it work the first time.” WARWICK HUNT, PRESIDENT
In 2007 when the housing bubble began to burst, Hunt decided to leave contracting and focus solely on designing by founding Studio H. With the change of the housing market, Warwick has also noticed a big change in his clients. “Budgets used to be an afterthought back in 2005—now they come up in the first ten minutes of consultation.” These days it seems long-term planning has become a new reality for the new economy. Clients are pushing for multiple phases of projects spread out over a couple years to protect themselves. This model has proven successful because clients still feel a sense of satisfaction after the first stage and can see their landscape mature like an IRA, slowly but surely.
And the economy is not the only thing that has changed recently—more and more clients now also are talking about sustainability. “Its great to see people get excited about sustainable design, we’re going to see a lot more of this in the near future,” Hunt says. The landscaper constantly educates his clients about how designing sustainably makes sense financially in the long game, and his firm excels at ecologically driven problem-solving because the employees understand how materials function in the built environment. For example, native plants that don’t require heavy watering save money on irrigation costs and, as an added benefit, provide a habitat for native species.
Looking ahead, Studio H has begun to offer online services. “There are a lot of benefits to online design, the most important of which are time and cost,” Hunt says. “Clients can video chat from their home or office, and I can deliver high-quality designs and renderings to give a realistic image of what their landscape will look like.” Embracing such innovations is just another part of what makes Studio H successful, and Hunt is confident in his firm’s ability to carry them into the homebuyer’s market. “The reality is that big commercial projects are designed remotely all over the world today, and Studio H is one of the first to offer residential design.”
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Top Design Elements of the Margo Residence 1. The zaguan features an interior of circular walls and a brick-domed vault. A chandelier hangs from the center; corner niches allow for art to be displayed. 2. The dining room, located in the center of the house, has a 21-foot, groin-vaulted, bricklined ceiling. On the eastern wall are three windows with head-heights above the apex of the groin vault. The bronze-color-cladded and dark-stained Pella windows are meant to look as though they are penetrating the vault in the basement of an old hacienda. 3. The altana is located on the second story of the guest house and is completely covered with solid wood trusses made on-site and covered with Gladding McBean (gladdingmcbean.com) roof tile. 4. Hand-carved solid-wood beams are located in the formal living room, which is adjacent to the dining room. The dark-stained beams are round and have detailing carved over their entire surface. The barrel vaults running their lengths give the feeling of an old hacienda or pueblo. 5. Talavera Mexican tile can be seen in glimpses throughout the home. It is featured in many places, including window sills, bathrooms, the kitchen, and the powder room. The tiles serve to tie the separate spaces together.
CGN DESIGNS A NATIVE TEXAN BRINGS THE EUROPEAN STYLES OF EL PASO’S MOUNTAIN HOMES DOWN TO THE VALLEY by Zach Baliva Sometimes all it takes to achieve success is the trust of one customer. Chad Garrett North, founder of CGN Designs, started his company in El Paso, Texas, when he was approached to design an expansive custom estate. A recent graduate at the time, North took the job and began his career in the community that he loved. That was in 1999. Over the last 12 years, North has developed CGN Designs into a respected highend architecture and urban-planning firm. CGN Designs’ initial project, located in the upper valley, led to more work with that first client and plenty of referral business later on. In fact, North has
always relied solely on his designs and client relationships to market his business. “We have more work now than ever before,” he says. “We deliver a product of high quality, and we take all the necessary time to interact with clients and contractors.” The relationships that he has developed have led to many notable projects. His homes range between 2,000 and 12,000 square feet, and even the smallest remain comfortable because their designs respect both scale and proportion. North received his master’s degree in Florence, Italy, and integrates European and Mediterranean influences into many of his firm’s projects.
While he also works in other aesthetics and has completed homes in many different styles, including ranch and ski homes, North says Italian architecture actually fits El Paso well. “This region is very European-influenced with Spanish and Italianate homes in the prestigious Rim Road area, where homes were built in the 1920s,” he says. “We have an interesting mix of Victorian, Craftsman, modern, and Spanish, so an Italian aesthetic can fit well within this architecturally diverse landscape.” Bringing Rim Road’s famous European style down to the neighboring valley helped North breathe life into Villa Encanto, a community of 33 homes CGN Designs is developing. Dee and Adair Margo, North’s clients for one of Villa Encanto’s homes, had several design mandates. Dee is a Texas state representative, and his wife, an avid art collector, owns a gallery and was chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities during the two terms of George W. Bush’s presi-
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Margo Residence
dency. The couple wanted a Spanish home where they could welcome and entertain guests. Visitors to the Margo residence enter through a zaguan—a classic outer foyer used in haciendas. The area includes a niche for a bronze head of Estebanico made by sculptor John Houser and features elaborately carved doors created by Augustin Castillo, an El Paso artisan. Adair completed her master’s thesis on Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, a 17th-century Spanish mission in Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua, Mexico, and wanting her home to reflect its simple beauty, she took Castillo to see it. Castillo caught the fever of the mission’s artisans after witnessing the depth of their carving to achieve maximum effect, and he replicated the rosette within a diamond Moorish design on five 21-foot beams that are a feature of the great room with its 20-foot high ceiling. The zaguan leads to an inner courtyard, where a hand-carved cantera-stone fountain stands in the shape of a pineapple—a symbol of hospitality— providing a serene transition from the street. Upon entering the great room, 10’ x 9’ bi-fold doors, also carved by Castillo, conceal a wetbar that opens onto the large central courtyard. Elegant touches exist everywhere in the warm and stunning home. North designed two guest bedrooms like mini suites with private porches and backyard areas and placed the master bedroom in the rear for additional privacy. Deep, 18-inch-thick walls provide soundproofing while angled windows lend an air of authenticity. High
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Completed in 2009, the 4,800-square-foot home in Villa Encanto holds a master suite, two guest suites, a caretaker’s room, and a separate guest house. Although North and CGN Designs specialize in Italian architecture, the varied company is also influenced by other European and American styles. The Margos requested a flowing and comfortable Spanish-style home—a mandate North met with thick stucco walls, exposed beams, talavera and terra-cotta tiles, fountains, a zaguan, an altana, and a terrace. The hacienda is the perfect spot for the couple—a state representative and a gallery owner who chaired the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities—to entertain their many guests.
“We have an interesting mix of Victorian, Craftsman, modern, and Spanish, so an Italian aesthetic can fit well within this architecturally diverse landscape.” CHAD GARRETT NORTH, PRINCIPAL ceilings, decorative tiles, ceiling treatments, and other exquisite finishes combine to add a sense of personality. “The clients wanted a home that felt like it had stood for 100 to 150 years, and that is exactly what we gave them,” North says. One unusual element helped North give the Margos what they were looking for. Just off the great room, he built a brick-lined vaulted dining room with high windows. “I wanted it to look like there had been an addition,” he says, “like someone found an interesting old room and built an entire house around it.” Outside, North made sure to provide an entertaining area. The central open courtyard uses walls, the bar, and other surfaces to create different voids within. “We used landscaping and lined one wall with trees for a nice buffer from
the outside world,” North says. “The Margo’s can relax there and enjoy the environment by the fireplace while the fountain roars in the background. It is a very comfortable space.” A guesthouse forms one corner of the courtyard. Stairs directly adjacent to the guesthouse have talavera tile risers and terracotta steps that lead up to an altana—an outdoor perch where the Margos have a 360-degree view that includes the Juarez Mountains and El Paso’s Mount Franklin. The altana was just one way North met his clients’ requests, which he says is a crucial practice with every project. “I try to engage every client on their lifestyle and interests, which helps me create spaces that are used consistently with joy,” he says. “If I can’t close my eyes and walk through their entire house, then I’m not ready to present my design.”
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products + services spotlight
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products+ services spotlight The Spotlight is Designed To:
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connect LHQ readers—elite
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Michael Biondo Photography After a 20 year career photographing fashion for clients such as Valentino & W magazine, Michael Biondo has turned his attention towards architecture. Finding inspiration in the work of Julius Shulman, Ezra Stoller, and Lucien Hervé, Michael Biondo produces award-winning photography for architects, designers, and builders.
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Special Advertising Section
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AT HOME WITH
HOME IN DOWNTOWN MIAMI, FL LIVED THERE 18 YEARS
Zeke Fernandez ZEKE FERNANDEZ—PRINCIPAL OF CUBA-FERNANDEZ DESIGN, INC., WHICH SPECIALIZES IN HOSPITALITY WORK AT HOTELS, SPAS, AND RESTAURANTS —TELLS LHQ WHY THE FOYER AND THE LIVING ROOM ARE HIS FAVORITE SPACES.
LHQ: Thanks for showing us your home! What makes this foyer an attractive space? ZF: It’s filled with natural light and collections of artifacts from traveling, such as two salvaged, freestanding columns from an old bank in North Carolina. The foyer sets the tone for the rest of the house. LHQ: How would you describe the design of your foyer? What inspired it? ZF: The design is transitional, incorporating an eclectic mix of artifacts, sculpture, and plush furniture. LHQ: What kind of atmosphere were you trying to create in the living room? What elements did you use to achieve your goal?
ZF: This is the largest room in the house and has three sets of French doors facing a very tropical backyard. I wanted to create a sense of comfort and little drama, which I achieved by mixing, and contrasting materials. All of the furniture sits on seagrass floors and is accented by high-gloss casegoods, grass-cloth wallcovering, soft-textured fabrics, [and] large-scale painted mouldings, including drapery pockets with floor-to-ceiling drapes to exaggerate the sense of height.
LHQ: How does your home reflect your personal design style?
ZF: My personal style is very masculine, neutral, and very tactile—whites, toupes, and beige are accented by the use of black throughout the house. I love incorporating large-scale black-andwhite photography, unique and interesting objects, and accessories. Proper lighting is crucial; every bulb is dimmable.
The Pieces
LHQ: What is your favorite piece in the space? SOFA: Custom by Zeke Fernandez
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VINTAGE GEAR MIRROR: Williams-Sonoma Home
COCKTAIL TABLE: Beverly Furniture
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ORCHID CONTAINER: Baker, Knapp and Tubbs 312-337-7144
PILLOWS: J. Robert Scott
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AUGUST 2011
ZF: I would have to say the sofa, it was custom made and is 8 feet long and 44 inches deep, with over-scaled down and feather pillows and overstuffed seat cushions. It can be dangerous sitting on it, as it will swallow you and induce sleep within minutes. It is a challenge to get through a movie without going into a coma.
SACRED TEXT A personal highlight of the room is a wooden wall hanging inscribed with Bible verses.
PHOTO: ROBIN HILL
SEAGRASS FLOORING: Fibreworks Corp.
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