Residential Architect articles from July 2004

Residential Architect archives from July 2004

Both sides now: is the quest for originality worth the lessons lost?(from the editor)
July 1, 2004... I have an old Joni Mitchell live album called "Miles of Aisles." It's a collection of her work up to 1974, a kind of "Greatest Hits" done live. I haven't listened to it regularly for years, but it's still ingrained in my consciousness. One of...

What's in a name?(letters: keep those cards, letters, and e-mails coming.)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Your "name game" column ("The Name Game," January/February 2004, page 13) was definitely interesting and thought-provoking. I work for a marketing communications firm and can see both sides of the name game. Like architectural firms,...

Fishing expedition.(home front: tips and trends from the world of residential design)
July 1, 2004... Rocio Romero first made a splash in the modular home market with her LV Home, a Modern prefab prototype based on a vacation home she designed for her parents. This month the Perryville, Mo.-based architect is coming out with a new, more casual...

Gehry goods.(home front: tips and trends from the world of residential design)
July 1, 2004... Frank O. Gehry is downsizing his iconic architectural forms into designs for two household product lines. The first, Valli & Valli's FOG and Arrowhead Series of door levers and matching hardware, reflects Gehry's ongoing love affair with...

Inside scoop.(home front: tips and trends from the world of residential design)
July 1, 2004... Alarm systems are de rigueur these days on most custom homes, but the booming second-home market has propelled a number of technological leaps. A case in point is a new product from McLean, Va-based Alarm.com that takes advantage of the Web to...

Calendar.(home front)(Calendar)
July 1, 2004... living smart deadline: august 31 The city of Portland is inviting architects to design single-family detached houses that can be built on 25-foot-wide lots. Sustainable and economical details are encouraged in a home geared toward...

On the boards / old acquaintance.(home front)
July 1, 2004... An adequate supply of affordable housing is a challenge in any major city, but especially so in San Francisco, where stratospheric real estate prices threaten to shut out all but the wealthiest residents. The Oakland, Calif.-based Hardison...

k + b studio.
July 1, 2004... kitchen mellow marsh. This Verdant Cape Cod setting abutting the Sippewissett Marshh called for a whole-house renovation to maximize indoor-outdoor connections. Laid-back clients who adore socializing over meals required a high functioning...

The venustas factor: an architect turned real estate broker looks at design from both sides of the coin.(perspective)
July 1, 2004... i've learned a lot about architecture since leaving it. As a residential real estate broker in Los Angeles, I advise and negotiate on behalf of buyers and sellers of homes--architecturally distinctive homes, when possible. It's like doing...

Winner takes all: are you making the most of your design kudos?(practice)
July 1, 2004... after months of waiting, you get the phone call you've been hoping for: The project you entered in a design awards program has been chosen as a winner. You let out a cheer, send a congratulatory e-mail around the office, and pop open the...

Calm things in a cluttered world: Brian Mackay-Lyons' just plain modernism rises above arguments of style.(Cover Story)
July 1, 2004... In a Canadian province that is more famous for exporting its talent than for keeping it close to the nest, Brian MacKay-Lyons chose to come home to make his way. Now, two decades into the journey, the native Nova Scotian continues to produce...

Sweet spots: three tasteful explorations into the meaning of a second home.
July 1, 2004... practical magic Peter Bohlin had plenty of time to contemplate the details of this Lake Michigan summer vacation and winter weekend cottage. The clients commissioned it 12 years ago and then decided to wait until their youngest child was...

Coastal living: prudent planning and shrewd product selection help coastal homes stem the tide.(Doctor spec: products)
July 1, 2004... a client asks you to design a vacation home on some prime real estate along the New England coast. He wants a maintenance-free exterior that will resist the harsh weather conditions, large window openings that embrace uninterrupted ocean views,...

Period pieces.(Architects' choice: products)
July 1, 2004... Good period lighting is hard to find, Evens says, but Lantern Masters makes it a lot easier. The company offers a full line of custom interior and exterior lighting designs, including the Santo Lantern (shown), and will also do restorations and...

Barn stormers.(Architects' choice: products)
July 1, 2004... When KAA designs in a traditional vocabulary, it uses reclaimed barnwood timbers for their authentic look. The firm's preferred supplier is Conklin's, which offers flooring, siding, and beams taken from reclaimed structures and available in...

Firestarter.(Architects' choice: products)
July 1, 2004... Evens favors classic Rumford fireplaces because the firebox is tall and shallow, allowing it to reflect heat and carry smoke away with little loss of heated room air. Superior Clay Corporation manufactures all the components that are needed to...

Triple cool.(New material: products)
July 1, 2004... Bottom-mount refrigerators--those with the freezer on the bottom--are some of the hottest appliances going. This variation on a theme by Newton, Iowa-based Jenn-Air also has armoire-style upper doors for easy access, and it's countertop depth...

Water relief.(New material: products)
July 1, 2004... The sweeping lines of this copper tub evoke the forms of a traditional Han Dynasty cup, and that was precisely the intention of Chinese designer Robert Kuo. Manufactured by Portland, Ore.-based Ann Sacks, the 73-inch-by-43-inch handmade tub is...

Electric curves.(New material: products)
July 1, 2004... It's hip to be square, but sometimes it's cooler to have curves--at least that's what the maker of Aspire says. The line of more than 45 new wiring devices has a signature curve motif and boasts two-tone color combinations, including white...

Tall tradition.(Outer glow: elegant exterior fixtures are in the spotlight.)
July 1, 2004... The Round Lantern collection showcases a casually simple design that complements traditional or contemporary homes. The 26-inch-tall post fixture is made of solid brass and comes finished in brushed nickel with satin-etched glass or textured...

Waterproof minis.(Outer glow: elegant exterior fixtures are in the spotlight.)
July 1, 2004... Designed to unobtrusively illuminate small ponds, reflecting pools, fountains, and other water features, the Mini Underwater Lighting Line presents three small-scale low-voltage fixtures. The submersible units range from an ultra compact 1...

Geometry lesson.(Outer glow: elegant exterior fixtures are in the spotlight.)
July 1, 2004... Squares, triangles, rectangles, cubes, and hemispheres mix and merge to form the G2 line of wall-mounted lighting. Weather-resistant powder coated finishes in black, white, aluminum, dark gray, bronze, rust, and sandstone protect the minimalist...

Futuristic form.(Outer glow: elegant exterior fixtures are in the spotlight.)
July 1, 2004... The Helos group features an industrial look in metallic or painted finishes as well as custom colors by special order. Choose incandescent, HID, or energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamping. Coordinating wall, ceiling, pendant, and post...

Grow light.(Outer glow: elegant exterior fixtures are in the spotlight.)
July 1, 2004... Jaylighter extends from a 6-inch base to a fully adjustable height of 12 1/2 inches. The narrow tube supports a 3 3/4-inch-long swivel fixture that's a mere 1 1/4 inches wide, convenient for confined spaces. Copper and brass construction comes...

Follow me.(Outer glow: elegant exterior fixtures are in the spotlight.)
July 1, 2004... Hand-welded path lighting from J.T. Cooper Studio adds artsy ambiance to patios, walkways, or gardens. In addition to his own sculptural creations, Cooper will collaborate with design professionals on custom ideas. Each fixture is crafted...

Tough spot.(Outer glow: elegant exterior fixtures are in the spotlight.)
July 1, 2004... The durable SL-43 in-ground and above-ground luminaries can withstand weather, climate, and pedestrian traffic, says the manufacturer. Encased in impact- and corrosion-resistant composite material, the light fixture washes walls or highlights...

Modern mission: house of the future, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1929.(end quote)
July 1, 2004... danish Modernist Arne Jacobsen may not have invented the house, but he certainly had ideas for improving it. He gave them form in his plans for the House of the Future, designed in 1929 with Hemming Lassen. The project, which was temporarily...