Cole Valley San Fransisco Home by Mork-Unles Design
In San Francisco, a Victorian renovation by Mork-Ulnes Design drew considerable attention as part of the recent AIA Home Tours. Originally constructed in 1896, the home’s previous uses included a women’s boarding house and hippie commune. Mork-Ulnes’ renovation sought to retain the character of the various phases while modernizing and tailoring the home to its current tenants. To achieve this balance, salvaged materials were used throughout the home, and select features were either revealed or left unrestored. Douglas fir floorboards from the attic were used to construct the glass-railed butcher-block stairway, and on the upper levels, a stained glass window from the 1960’s and exposed brick walls serve as reminders of the past. Mork-Ulnes also made a dedicated effort to make the renovation environmentally friendly. They used recycled denim insulation, zero VOC finishes, and utilized local cabinet makers. Mid century and Scandinavian furniture are combined with modern hardware and several new skylights to create an interior where new inhabitants can add to the storied past of the home.
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Villa in Miami by Max Strang Architects
This home in Miami, Florida started as an outdated contemporary residence built in the 1980’s, but emerged as a modern masterpiece after a total overhaul by Max Strang Architecture. Located in Coconut Grove, Miami’s oldest neighborhood, the home is enveloped by lush tropical gardens that played a central role in the redesign. Though initially plagued by 80’s design trends such as glass block and popcorn ceilings, Strang recognized a basic modern appeal underlying the home. After stripping away the remnants of two prior remodels, new larger windows were added and arranged to create a cohesive exterior design and allow uninhibited views of the tropical foliage. The aging infrastructure was also completely revamped.
Stark, white planar surfaces prevail inside, where the homeowner displays a formidable collection of large-format photography. To further complement the collection, only northern light is allowed to enter the main living gallery. A gallery-like atmosphere pervades throughout the rest of the home with double height volumes, gray tiled floors, and glass rails on the second floor.
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North House South by formodesign
The North House South is a conceptual home design from Polish design firm formodesign that intersects a traditional gabled roof form with a modern rectangular volume. The dark shingled traditional portion houses the kitchen and living and dining areas while the white, flat-roofed sections contain bedrooms. The bedrooms are raised above the site and harbor a sunken parking area below. Part of the challenge that formodesign faced in producing this model was the primarily north-south orientation of the site. To avoid a dark interior, the main living areas are virtually transparent and flanked by terraces. The few east or west facing windows are shaded naturally by existing trees on the site.
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Calio Interior Designs
With a splendid portfolio, CALIO offers possibly the best interior design offerings of any firm, anywhere. Modern in execution but traditional in inspiration, CALIO ties together modern, clean, simple spaces with short pops of color and inspiration–much as one would a wardrobe.
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Tree House by Hufft Architects
Designed by Hufft Architects and perched on a cliff overlooking a creek and forest, the Tree House in Mission Hills, Kansas is a contemporary residence implementing traditional architectural forms complemented by modern details and materials. A modest front elevation belies an impressive rear façade that extends down the hillside, where large windows and an expansive deck allow residents to enjoy the impressive view. Exterior walls are covered in ipe siding, which extends past the edges of the home to aid in privacy and solar regulation.
Inside, reclaimed slate from Kansas City school chalkboards covers sliding walls and doors. The partitions allow interior spaces to either be divided from one another or fully open to one another.
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Eco Urban Home by Dwell Development
Dwell Development recently completed this four home community in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle. The single family dwellings were designed by staff architect Julian Weber to be style conscious while seamlessly integrating ecological technology. The community achieves a Built Green 5-Star Certification via 800-watt solar arrays and recycled materials, and was chosen as a recent case study for the Built Green home building program. Each home is approximately 1600 square feet, spread throughout three levels of living space, including roof top decks. Interiors feature high end finishes, including Australian Cypress flooring and Ann Sacks tile.
Dwell Development worked closely with the city of Seattle in the design and construction of the homes, securing a site in a walkable neighborhood with access to the burgeoning new light rail system. The homes uphold Dwell’s commitment to building homes that act as a positive catalyst and add density to growing communities.
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Z-house by Hohyun Park + Hyunjoo Kim
Located in South Korea and designed by architects Hohyun Park and Hyunjoo Kim, the Z-house focuses on spatial composition, relationships among spaces, and circulation. Extensive diagrammatic research was conducted to determine an ideal layout, resulting in a collection of public spaces on the ground floor, with bedrooms above, and ramps rising further to a master suite. The heights of interior volumes, material types, and lighting vary dramatically from room to room, providing residents with a dynamic experience. The exterior of the rectangular lower volumes is clad in basalt and slate, while the curved and angled upper volumes are clad in cedar and black zinc. Carefully integrated terraces, skylights, and indoor planters further contribute to the unique living experience.
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Villa O in Cap Ferrat
In Cap Ferrat, France, a luxurious modern home with views of the yacht filled port is available for rent. Villa O is a 4 level home, complete with staff, designed to accommodate even the most discerning guest. The white, rectilinear home with curved metal roof integrates several terraces, decks, and patios along with floor to ceiling windows to take advantage of the views of nearby St. Jean. Other features included with Villa O include a fully outfitted gym and cinema room. Outside, an infinity pool follows one edge of property, surrounded by lush landscaping and accompanied by a tent-shaded lounging deck. Another pool occupies space on the rooftop deck. Elsewhere on the sprawling property, a two bedroom guesthouse accommodates any unexpected visitors.
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Modern Salt Lake City Home by 3602 Apollo
In Salt Lake City, Utah, home owner Tyler Gourley transformed a formerly mundane 1950’s home into an impressive modern masterpiece. Bordering mountains provide the backdrop for Gourley’s home, which seamlessly blends mid-century design cues with rich modern materials and details. Spread over two levels, the home incorporates sunken covered parking and a bottom level that opens onto a guarded pool area and cabana. True to its historic roots, the exterior belies an interior devoid of historical reference, but focused on minimalist modern décor. On the lower level, a bar and seating area with slate floors opens onto the patio and pool through sliding glass doors. Upstairs, a kitchen and living room clad in wood open onto an upper level deck, overlooking the pool.
Throughout the home, liberal use of dark stained wood on floors, fireplaces, and cabinetry lend an opulent atmosphere to the interior. Paired with stone flooring and cast-in-place concrete fixtures, the home exudes a decidedly masculine tone. It is currently listed for sale at $699,000.
Bill’s House by Tony Owen Partners
Tony Owen Partners participated in a unique collaboration when designing “Bill’s House,” a conspicuously modern home located in a suburb of Sydney, Australia. The client, Bill, a concrete contractor, requested a design in which concrete was the primary building material in order to complete a majority of the construction himself. Accordingly, the architects responded with a dramatic design that balances rectangular volumes with massive, curved, white concrete walls. The curved walls are a reference to the sails of fishing boats on the Greek Islands, reflecting the client’s heritage. As requested, concrete is used wherever possible elsewhere in the home. A thick central wall is cast in textured concrete, and incorporates a tropical fish tank. The most striking use of the material, however, is in the central circulation space, which uses black polished concrete floors and a monolithic staircase cast from the same material. A transparent glass enclosure counters the heavy concrete and bathes the space in light throughout the day. The ground floor is kept light and open with floor to ceiling windows that open onto a patio, pool, and terraced garden.
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