Residential Architect articles from July 2005

Residential Architect archives from July 2005

What's the secret of today's top architects?(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2005... Successful architects capitalize on current consumer trends in the design of their homes. Today's most popular trend is self-expression. Consumers want their coffee drinks just the way they like them. And they download only their favorite...

To have and hold: if architect-designed houses sold more often, we could measure their real value.(from the editor)
July 1, 2005... i admit I am powerless over my real estate habit. Every weekend is like Christmas to me, but I do work hard for my bounty. I make myself read the whole Sunday newspaper before I turn to the classified pages for the "open house" listings. There...

Divided we stand.(letters: exercise your right to write)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... my response regarding the so-called "great divide" ("The Enemy Within," Nov/Dec 2004, page 11) is simple: Who cares? It is just the architect's ego getting in the way of reality. Who cares what the general assembly thinks when the very nature...

Redlines.(letters: exercise your right to write)
July 1, 2005... The Schindler residence, for which Serrao Design Architecture won a RADA grand award in the On the Boards category (May, page 134), was originally designed by Francis Joseph McCarthy, not Rudolph Schindler, who was erroneously credited. The...

Summer reading.(home front: news from the leading edge of residential design)
July 1, 2005... Most monographs follow a rather formulaic approach: project descriptions, photos, supporting plans, and drawings. Plain Modern: The Architecture of Brian MacKay-Lyons delves deeper, with a narrative by architect and historian Malcolm Quantrill,...

Calendar.(home front)(Calendar)
July 1, 2005... honor awards for design excellence deadline: august 4 boston society of architects/aia Projects that are located in Massachusetts or that were designed by an architect in Massachusetts and completed after Jan. 1, 1998, are...

Kitchen: retreat reclaimed.(k + b studio)
July 1, 2005... A tranquil retreat with strong outdoor ties and opportunities to display treasured mementos was the client's mandate for her second home, overlooking the bay in Sausalito, Calif. Architect Barbara Brown's interest in sustainable architecture...

bath: double dipping.(k + b studio)
July 1, 2005... A vacation home usually promotes languorous living, and no room encourages relaxation like a soothing bath. But sometimes bathing is a practical affair and saving time the essential goal. Instead of balancing these opposing functions--waking up...

Prospecting: does a Web site generate bona fide client leads?(perspective)
July 1, 2005... my firm, Hutker Architects, has a multifaceted marketing program. One key ingredient is our Web site. It took a good deal of capital and person-hours to create, and the site continues to require attention to remain fresh. When our leadership...

On site and in mind: contract administration is risky business--but even riskier to pass up.(practice)
July 1, 2005... Construction observation, also known as contract administration, is a phase of architecture that's clearly spelled out in AIA contracts. And yet it's a minefield, fraught with missteps by architects, interference from contractors, and nuances...

New technology safeguards against deck enemies.(Advertisement)
July 1, 2005... Exclusive Antimicrobial Composite Expected to Break the Market Wide Open Correct Building Products has boldly raced in front of the composite decking pack with the only product on the market that takes on the most common sources of...

Light from both sides: David Salmela's modernism honors the past, the human need for comfort and warmth, and the north country's fleeting sun.(Cover Story)
July 1, 2005... David Salmela is an architectural anomaly. Self-taught in the ways of design practicing far from the centers of fashion on the frigid edge of Lake Superior, a diminutive man with a friendly, disarming manner, Salmela is hardly the prototypical...

Second sites: three vacation homes explore place, space, and leisure time.
July 1, 2005... escape from bellevue Vacation homes appeal to us on an almost primal level because they hold a promise of freedom--from formality, self-consciousness, fussy posturing. It's no accident this full-time home also sheds those shackles. It was...

Greening the American house.(Reinvention 2005: Designing For The Future)(Calendar)
July 1, 2005... December 5-7, 2005 The Biltmore Hotel Coral Gables, FL Join us for residential architect's 2nd annual Reinvention 2005 Symposium and learn about the broader landscape of livable design, focusing on the essential themes that inform...

Closing ranks: keep your coastal houses intact with sturdy windows and doors.(products: doctor spec)
July 1, 2005... building a house on a sweet spot near the coast is a commission most architects covet. But when Hurricane Andrew slammed into South Florida, on Aug. 24, 1992, it made some reconsider the opportunity. "The biggest part of the problem [during...

The skinny on flat-screen TVs: navigating the tough edges of a flat world.(products: digital home)
July 1, 2005... Lawmakers and television-industry leaders are still squabbling over the turnoff date for analog TV that will officially usher in the high-definition age, but most custom electronics installation specialists are designing A/V systems as if the...

Resin d'etre.(products: architects' choice: product picks from the pros)
July 1, 2005... Architects pick Parklex for its durability and versatility; Bloomberg is no exception. "We were able to run it directly from inside to outside, creating the effect of a continuous, seamless plane," she says, referring to the firm project shown....

See through.(products: architects' choice: product picks from the pros)
July 1, 2005... Bloomberg often uses LUMAsite translucent plastic panels as a substitute for glass. They create "the same effect as frosted glass," she says, and "can be cut on site, fastened easily, and are lightweight and therefore easy to support." LUMAsite...

Radiant touch.(products: architects' choice: product picks from the pros)
July 1, 2005... Bisque radiators "appear like sculptures on the wall," says Bloomberg, who speced one for this bathroom. "The clean, industrial design operates successfully within a modern environment, unlike traditional radiators, which look dated." Imported...

Simple shades.(products: new material: piping-hot products for your next project)
July 1, 2005... David 10, the latest addition to the David Collection, is designed with the absolute minimum of complexity, the company says. The simple drum-shaped shade is made from Knoll Textiles' Imago panels, which combine resin and fabric. Choose from...

Spacious sub.(products: new material: piping-hot products for your next project)
July 1, 2005... With the PRO 48, Madison, Wis.-based Sub-Zero combines performance and design to offer a commercial-grade appliance for the home. The all-stainless steel product boasts 18.4 cubic feet of refrigerator space and 11.4 of freezer storage. Features...

Home coming.(products: new material: piping-hot products for your next project)
July 1, 2005... Benton Harbor, Mich.-based KitchenAid has brought the commercial washer and dryer home. The washer has 3.8 cubic feet of capacity, 11 cycles, 1,200 rpm spin speed, and a 1,000-watt water heater; the dryer offers 7.5 cubic feet of gross space. A...

Pro choice.(spa treatment: soak up the soothing features of high-end home bathing.)
July 1, 2005... Choose between a traditional Finnish sauna heater or nine infrared wall panel heaters in the Synergy combo sauna. Infrared panels warm up quickly and aim heat directly at the bather--good for warming up specific muscles to prevent or heal...

Expected showers.(spa treatment: soak up the soothing features of high-end home bathing.)
July 1, 2005... No umbrella is required for the RainSkyM shower panel. Bathers select "invigorating downpour" to wake up or "tranquil mist" for winding down. Three spray options operate individually or in combination, and temperature calibrates to the exact...

Tranquility for two.(spa treatment: soak up the soothing features of high-end home bathing.)
July 1, 2005... The Consonance whirlpool comprises two distinct soaking areas and dual controls for a shared experience tailored to individual preferences. A raised bench along one side lets bathers cool off while still partially submerged. The tub reaches 70...

Light lift.(spa treatment: soak up the soothing features of high-end home bathing.)
July 1, 2005... Morphosis I Alpha wraps comfortingly around bathers, encircling them in mood-enhancing Illumatherapy. Contoured back and armrests offer lavish lounging under six chromotherapy lights, and eight massage jets and four adjustable jets wash away...

Hot seat.(spa treatment: soak up the soothing features of high-end home bathing.)
July 1, 2005... Allegro modular saunas blend contemporary styling with Old World luxury. Glass walls allow light to penetrate, while high-grade woods lend a classic sauna feel. Wet or dry heat fills the 72-inch-wide-by-82-inch-tall space that is available in...

Serenity now.(spa treatment: soak up the soothing features of high-end home bathing.)
July 1, 2005... With its gentle slopes at both ends, the Cerine tub invites repose. Heavy-gauge stainless steel in a satin finish retains the water's warmth, prolonging a sumptuous soak. The tub can be configured with a massage jet system that maintains water...

Accessible products.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2005... As Baby Boomers head into their retirement years, we've begun to focus more on the needs of an aging population. One of the fastest growing trends in the housing industry is universal design. A home that features universal design elements may...

Elevator design achieves new levels.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2005... A residential elevator doesn't have to intrude on a home's design. In fact, it can be as classy and elegant as any other feature in the home. National Wheel-O-Vator's Destiny Residential Elevator adds elegance, value, and accessibility to every...

The benefits of building upward.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2005... Another elevator manufacturer, Waupaca Elevator, points out that installing an elevator can actually save on roofing and foundation costs because you can build upward and not outward. At the same time, it opens many multistory design...

An easy way to enjoy the view.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2005... Living with a fantastic view is one of the true joys of life, and it has never been easier with incline trams from Marine Innovations, Inc. The company has over 20 years' experience in the incline tram business and has a variety of different...

The big idea: house in Central Vermont, 1961 Eliot Noyes, FAIA.(end quote)
July 1, 2005... When the Modernist architect and industrial designer Eliot Noyes designed a house, he fixed its central concept in his mind and let the details flow from there. At the year-round Vermont vacation home he designed for his family, the general...