Residential Architect articles from January 2006

Residential Architect archives from January 2006

Kitchenaid[R] Luxe Laundry.(ARCHITECTURE * DESIGN: Outlook)
January 1, 2006... A new design concept that's gaining a lot momentum is Luxe Laundry. If you haven't heard of it, here is a short tutorial. For consumers who dread the task of laundry care, the isolation of the room and lack of attention normally given to...

Go ahead and break some rules: better architecture doesn't always preserve the status quo.(from the editor)
January 1, 2006... as good citizens, we re taught to follow the rules. They're there for a reason, arrived at by expert consensus to safeguard the public interest. A substantial part of an architect's job is to ensure compliance with building codes, zoning...

Call to action.(letters: exercise your right to write)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... Like the fairytale princess "Cinderella," we are in a race against time. Global warming is well under way, and if allowed to intensify over the coming years, it will seriously threaten our planet. The scientific consensus is that we must limit...

The enemy within, revisited.(letters: exercise your right to write)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... thanks for your insightful article on the obstacles to realizing good design in production housing ("The Enemy Within, Part 2," Jan/Feb 2005, page 15). The single biggest obstacle, though, is one you did not mention: lack of time. In the course...

Urban league. (home front: news from the leading edge of residential design.
January 1, 2006... Homebuilders have long plied their trade in the nation's green-lawned suburbs and exurbs. Now they're turning their gazes to its cities. Spurred by growing consumer interest in city living, top companies like Toll Brothers, Standard Pacific...

Calendar.(home front)(Calendar)
January 1, 2006... ge edison awards competition deadline: january 18 GE has added a residential category to its annual lighting design competition. Open to architects, designers, engineers, and consultants, the program honors creative lighting designs...

kitchen: raising L.(k + b studio)
January 1, 2006... the residents of this Palm Desert, Calif., home wanted a kitchen design that would allow them to enjoy their meals al fresco. As grandparents, they also wanted a room where they could stay connected with the grandchildren. Their son, the...

Bath: simply perfect.(k + b studio)
January 1, 2006... materials in this Houston master bath are not unusual: marble for wet areas slate floors for slip resistance, and warm walnut cabinetry protected by marine-grade polyurethane. The layout is straightforward: steam shower, soaking tub, and toilet...

Marvin windows and doors: proud sponsor of the 2005 builder's choice design and planning awards.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2006... Celebrating Its 25th Anniversary, This Year's Winning Projects Exhibit Restraint--With Flair Marking its 25th anniversary, this year's Builder's Choice winners exhibited restraint in their design through the inspired use of materials that...

Inaugural Hall Of Fame winners announced at gala dinner.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2006... To celebrate its quarter-century achievements, the Builder's Choice Design And Planning Awards have launched a Hall of Fame for design excellence. Established to honor the residential market's architectural pioneers, this new Hall of Fame...

Industry pioneer honored.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2006... Wm.S. "Bill" Marvin Wm. S. "Bill" Marvin assumed the presidency and chairmanship of Marvin Windows and Doors in 1960. Under his leadership, the business has moved from a regional manufacturer to a premier, made-to-order window company that...

2005 Inaugural Wm. S. Marvin Hall Of Fame Award Inductees Include.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2006... Barry Berkus B3 Architects, a Berkus Design Studio I Santa Barbara, CA To create a house that is art, not just shelter... gives dignity to the people who live in it and creates a quality of life above what they'd find anywhere else. With...

Marvin windows and doors: made for you[R].(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Company Profile)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2006... Each Marvin product is made-to-order--a manufacturing process designed to meet every customer's unique needs and specifications. Unlike any other manufacturer, Marvin does not build or warehouse an inventory of finished products. Instead, the...

Custom for less: one architect's quest for high design on a relatively low budget.(perspective)
January 1, 2006... this story starts with the 1999 purchase of five acres amid an oak hammock in central Florida that were plagued by thick, humid growth; huge spiders; snakes; and occasional flooding. My wife, Sherry, and I had embarked on an experiment: to...

Dream teams: architects are partnering with other firms to win plum projects.(practice)
January 1, 2006... Santa Monica, Calif.-based Pugh + Scarpa calls itself a boutique firm--smallish, creative, and eclectic in the kinds of jobs it likes to take on. Its portfolio includes an array of nationally acclaimed work--from the sculptural Dwell House II...

Change agent: Ross Chapin architects designs and builds for a demographic ignored by production builders.(Cover Story)
January 1, 2006... langley, Wash., a beach town on Whidbey Island, is the kind of place that draws outsiders. An hour north of Seattle, tourists arrive here by the boatload to watch the orcas feeding in Puget Sound, to spot migrating gray whales in springtime, or...

Breaking the rules: sometimes the word "no" is just the start of the discussion.
January 1, 2006... city rhythms urban infill is perhaps the most important housing typology an architect can pursue. Not only does it promote density, it repairs decaying communities, creates new neighborhoods, and utilizes existing infrastructure. The...

Good neighbors.(breaking the rules)
January 1, 2006... a group of houses may appear beautiful and well maintained, but if the houses don't contain people, it's not going to seem like much of a community. Coburn Development, a Boulder, Colo.-based architecture, building, and development company,...

High society.(breaking the rules)
January 1, 2006... the Highland Parks community sits along a ridge in central Oregon's high alpine desert. The sloping site dips east, where a verdant valley gives way to remote scenes of the Ochoco National Forest's mountain majesty. Architect Joel Severud found...

Double vision.(breaking the rules)
January 1, 2006... a site that drops sharply into a jungle-like canyon isn't the first place one would think of putting two high-end spec residences. Nor would a well-preserved enclave of Craftsman, Spanish Colonial Revival, and other historic house styles seem a...

Prodigal sun: forget what you used to know about photovoltaics.(doctor spec)
January 1, 2006... architects David Arkin, AIA, and Anni Tilt installed a solar system on their northern California home eight years ago, and judging from the results they've seen, there's little doubt they would do it again. "In our home we use roughly 4.5 to 6...

Future-proofed: a penthouse with wiring for every whim.(digital home)
January 1, 2006... in a tract-home development, electronics subcontractors have the luxury of designing in a predictable array of audio systems, home networking gear, and maybe a home theater. They offer cookie-cutter packages, and then home buyers either opt in...

Wide angle.(architects choice: products picks from the pros)
January 1, 2006... The Superior TM-4500 by Lennox Hearth Products is a clean-face wood-burning fireplace with a large 45-inch-by-29-inch opening. The unit has a brick-patterned interior, a zero-clearance design, and optional bifold glass doors. Tobler Duncker...

Hover craft.(architects choice: products picks from the pros)
January 1, 2006... Tobler Duncker specifies Duravit's Darling wall-mounted toilet, available in five colors, for its "well-designed, clean, simple look" and to maximize space, Duncker says. The firm often pairs it with Geberit's Tessera concealed tank/carrier...

Agri culture.(architects choice: products picks from the pros)
January 1, 2006... Metal is Tobler Duncker's preferred material for attractive exteriors, and Copper Sales is the firm's supplier of choice. The company's Una-Clad roofing and siding products come in aluminum, copper, stainless steel, or with a polyester-based...

Lovely flat.(new material: piping-hot products for your next project)
January 1, 2006... Good hardware is tough to find, but flush-mounted pieces are particularly elusive. New Zealand-based Halliday + Baillie is stepping in to fill the void. The manufacturer's latest introduction is a line of door pulls elegant in their simplicity....

Wide by side.(new material: piping-hot products for your next project)
January 1, 2006... This double-wide refrigerator is actually two 24-inch-wide units joined by a built-in trim kit. Manufactured by the Liebherr Group, a German refrigerator and freezer company new to the U.S. market, the Premium BioFresh NoFrost combines 13.5...

Sensible sensor.(new material: piping-hot products for your next project)
January 1, 2006... The Modern Smoke Detector by San Francisco-based Architectural Devices brings good looks to a mundane product. "Frustrated with these eyesores in the spaces I've designed, I felt determined to re-imagine [them]," says designer and company...

Casting call.(cabinet appointments: add drama to doors and drawers from these hardware stores)
January 1, 2006... The Marcel line of hardware from hip designers Jeffrey Goodman and Steven Charlton combines traditional sand-casting craftsmanship with contemporary flair. Hand-poured in small batches, the collection includes a single-post pull, handles and...

Absolute steel.(cabinet appointments: add drama to doors and drawers from these hardware stores)
January 1, 2006... Designed to blend with high-end stainless steel appliances, Providence Artworks' Absolute Zero Collection of cabinet and drawer pulls are made of solid stainless steel so finishes won't chip off or wear away. Six sleek designs are made in...

Right angles.(cabinet appointments: add drama to doors and drawers from these hardware stores)
January 1, 2006... Available in black leather, faux crocodile, and cocoa-brown washable suede, Atlas Homewares' Paradigm collection spices up kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. The line of square knobs, 3-inch and 7-inch pulls, and bath hardware combines...

Round again.(off the shelf)
January 1, 2006... Beach Pebble cabinet pulls from SpectraDecor are smooth circles of 100 percent recycled glass on a lead-free pewter base. Nearly 2 inches in diameter, the knobs feel good in the hand as well as on the conscience. The knobs are available in 10...

Less is door.(off the shelf)
January 1, 2006... The Cutler Anderson Collection of hardware for the home, designed by architect James Cutler in partnership with Reveal Designs, includes door levers, passage sets, and alluringly unassuming cabinet pulls. The 2-inch-by-2 1/2-inch fixture shown...

Inside story.(off the shelf)
January 1, 2006... Pad door and drawer fittings are meant to be pushed and pulled. The line's manufacturer offers funky designs in finishes ranging from dark bronze and brushed or satin nickel to polished brass and bright chrome. Cut from solid-brass sheets, each...

What's your favorite industrial product?(end quotes)
January 1, 2006... MJ Neal, AIA MJ Neal Architects, Austin, Texas "It's got to be the LC/4 chaise lounge by Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, and Pierre Jeanneret. I have the cowskin version in my home. I also really like those mini iPods!" Frederick...