Residential Architect articles from March 2004

Residential Architect archives from March 2004

A glass half full is the mainstream developing a taste for modernism all over again?(from the editor)
March 1, 2004... One of my favorite Christmas gilts this year is a set of small wine tumblers. Etched across the midpoint of each glass is a white line with the words "ottimista" above and "pessimista" below. I'm a glass-half-full kind of per son, so I spent...

Value judgments.(Letters: keep those cards, letters, and e-mails coming.)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... may I add to your well-put critique ("Vacation in Place, page, 15) in the July issue of residential architect? While looking over the appraisal for my homeowners insurance renewal, I inquired about what appeared to be a rather low value--a...

Style wise.(Letters: keep those cards, letters, and e-mails coming.)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... in my opinion your magazine stands out among architectural journals in emphasizing quality rather than fashion. The projects you publish represent a broad spectrum of "styles," but you are selective in choosing the best examples within...

Moving pictures.(Letters: keep those cards, letters, and e-mails coming.)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... bravo! After reading "The Dangers of Digital Cameras" (May 2003, page 15), about digital photography in the field of architecture, I couldn't agree more. The quality a professionally trained photographer brings to his clients goes beyond the...

Balancing act.(Letters: keep those cards, letters, and e-mails coming.)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... thank you for your balance and clarity in assessing the issues of charging for what we love to do ("Caught in the Middle Class," November/December 2002, page 13). I have not yet seen any deep thinking in the area of client/human perception of...

Good sense.(Letters: keep those cards, letters, and e-mails coming.)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... i always read your editorial in residential architect. You consistently write about current topics with intelligence and relevance to the profession. And you make so much sense! I appreciate your candor and honesty. I read many trade...

Outside connections.(Letters: keep those cards, letters, and e-mails coming.)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... i have been carrying around a copy of "The Outsiders" from your November/December 2002 issue (page 32) because I wanted to applaud you for the article. It was absolutely on target! I am an architect and have recently begun my own practice,...

A dull blade.(Letters: keep those cards, letters, and e-mails coming.)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... i would like to express my disappointment in James Homer's letter to the editor titled "An Edge to Grind" (August 2003, page 15). Mr. Homer's piercing comments demonstrate a blatantly subjective opinion (with many seemingly obvious...

Texas triumph.(Home front: tips and trends from the world of residential design)
March 1, 2004... ask David Lake, FAIA, and Ted Flato, FAIA, about their current and a torrent of excitement gushes from the San Antonio-based pair. The two founders of Lake/Flato Architects, a 48-person fin-n, breathlessly interrupt each other, veering from a...

Financing farnsworth.(Home front: tips and trends from the world of residential design)
March 1, 2004... another icon of residential architecture has been saved. Thanks to more than 300 donors who ponied up $4 million just hours before the Sotheby's auction began, the National Trust for Historic Preservation acquired Mies van der Robe's 1951...

Mass appeal.(Home front: tips and trends from the world of residential design)
March 1, 2004... Michael Groves believes in bringing good design to the general public. His new line of faucets, lighting, and accessories is another feather in that philosophical cap. The Michael Graves Collection, a partnership with Delta Faucet Company,...

Calendar.(Home front: tips and trends from the world of residential design)(Calendar)
March 1, 2004... custom home design awards 2004 entry deadline: april 5 binder deadline: may 3 Houses designed for a specific client and site may be submitted by architects, designers, builders, or other industry professionals. Categories include...

Kitchen: cooking light.(k + b studio)
March 1, 2004... The recipe for this Scarborough, Maine, kitchen combines a multitude of healthy-house ingredients: zero-VOC finishes, recycled rugs, long-lasting materials, natural cooling, radiant heating. To that eco-friendly mix, architect Scott Simons...

Bath: catching waves.(k + b studio)
March 1, 2004... The Japanese, says architect Whitney Sander, approach bathing as a ritual, not a chore. The attitude underlies his design for the master bath in his own Venice, Calif., home. "The beginning and end of each day take place in the bath, so this...

Natural laws: techno-wizardry's got nothing on time-tested building methods.(perspective)
March 1, 2004... most architects think traditional design and detailing techniques are a boring cop-out. Similarly, many academics find blunt prose simplistic. Plain language is indeed comparable to accepted building techniques--direct and to the point, with...

Gentle landings: the best houses are faithful to the geology and culture of their surroundings.(practice)
March 1, 2004... james Cutler, FAIA, recalls a well-known client who wanted to build a Spanish-style house in the woods overlooking Puget Sound. As they walked the property, Cutler asked the client why he felt Spanish architecture would be appropriate. The man...

Inside the revolution: William McDonough + partners is changing residential design--one green home at a time.(Cover Story)
March 1, 2004... The bucolic burg of Charlottesville, Va., isn't the first place you'd look for an internationally known architecture practice like William McDonough + Partners. But then, the eco-minded firm has never been one to play by the rules. The...

Drawn to the edge: inventive, individual, inspirational. three houses that put the life back in lifestyle.
March 1, 2004... double play Secret passages, hidden doors, a climbing wall--things that make a house a child's paradise--are a playful part of this weekend getaway in Washington's Cascade Mountains. They were inspired by the unique geometries of a home...

Waste not: recycled building products turn trash into treasure.(doctor spec)
March 1, 2004... Once upon a time, only the most hardcore greenies and forward-thinking architects practiced eco-architecture and sustainable design. And few clients, if any, demanded green building products in their houses. Which was just as well, because...

True blue.(Architects' choice: product picks from the pros.)
March 1, 2004... Ibarra Rosano uses Carter Glass Mosaic tile "for its visual impact and price compared to similar products," says Rosano. For this pool and shower room, the firm used a light denim color to give the space "a monolithic feel and to frame the...

Clean sheets.(Architects' choice: product picks from the pros.)
March 1, 2004... Ibarra Rosano eschews traditional laminates in favor of Nevamar's Pure Metals. Designed for vertical applications, the sheets are made of an anodized aluminum alloy that is coated for scratch protection. They come in various widths and lengths...

Lotsa rastra.(Architects' choice: product picks from the pros.)
March 1, 2004... Rastra, a stay-in-place insulated concrete form system, provides a framework for load-bearing walls. Ibarra Rosano likes to spec Rastra for projects like this house because it's made from recycled polystyrene and has a high insulating value....

Kona blend.(New material: piping-hot products for your next project.)
March 1, 2004... Here's a faucet that would make Louis Sullivan proud. Manufactured by Ontario, Canada-based Kona Faucet, the Moda kitchen spigot can be assembled and disassembled from above the counter, allowing homeowners to switch out spouts easily. It's...

Nice and steady.(New material: piping-hot products for your next project.)
March 1, 2004... Hansgrohe says the ThermoBalance II Valve in its Interaktiv series combines three controis--temperature, volume, and diverter--in one unit. The valve maintains a preset water temperature even if other appliances or plumbing fixtures are in use,...

Doubly cool.(New material: piping-hot products for your next project.)
March 1, 2004... GE has gone under--the counter, that is. The company has broadened its Monogram appliance series with a line of under-counter products, including this refrigerator-drawer unit. The two-drawer appliance measures 24 inches wide and sports...

Star turn.(Water world: sybaritic showers invigorate high-ends baths.)
March 1, 2004... Hundreds of miniscule water jets surround the user of the Etoile freestanding thermostatic shower by Waterworks. The stainless-steel shower cage harbors tiny nozzles that deliver a range of adjustable sprays, from gentle to firm. Topping it all...

Tower power.(Water world: sybaritic showers invigorate high-ends baths.)
March 1, 2004... The WaterHaven customizable shower tower contains a hand shower; two arched, telescoping showerheads; and four body sprays that slide up and down. The unit can stand on its own or be mixed with other luxury components--such as a steam enclosure...

Stout spout.(Water world: sybaritic showers invigorate high-ends baths.)
March 1, 2004... The Amena tempered-glass shower system brings a swivel showerhead, a dual-spray hand shower, four body sprays, a thermostat valve, and a concealed shampoo tray to almost any existing or new shower enclosure. The company's SpeedClean system...

Water colors.(Water world: sybaritic showers invigorate high-ends baths.)
March 1, 2004... Ondine has added a dazzling new showerhead to its Electronic Shower System, a line of sprays and showerheads that can be combined in numerous customized arrangements. The Electronic Light Shower (ELS) delivers both light and water:...

Wash like an Egyptian.(Water world: sybaritic showers invigorate high-ends baths.)
March 1, 2004... Pharo stand-alone shower panels by Hansgrohe come in a variety of styles and spray options, including the Prestige (shown), an anodized aluminum column in a satin finish. The sleek design houses a multimode showerhead, six body sprays, a hand...

No surprises.(Water world: sybaritic showers invigorate high-ends baths.)
March 1, 2004... The Water Dance shower system boasts an antiscald, pressure-balancing valve that prevents sudden chills and abrupt changes in water flow. System components include a showerhead, a hand spray, a water diverter, an optional tub spout, and...

Climate control.(end quote)
March 1, 2004... magney house, bingie bingie, new south wales, australia, 1982-84 glenn murcutt for Glenn Murcutt, a building's ability to respond to its environment holds just as much importance as its capacity to please the eye. His Magney House at...