Residential Architect articles from September 2005

Residential Architect archives from September 2005

What's the secret of today's top architects?(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
September 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...

Portable appliances: an integral part of kitchen design.(ARCHITECTURE * DESIGN: OUTLOOK)
September 1, 2005... We've noted a trend that I'd like to share with you. More clients are seeking an integrated design solution for their kitchen that not only coordinates cabinetry and the appliance suite, but also complementary portable appliances. It's a desire...

The man in the machine: the new modernism doesn't forsake our heritage or our humanity.(from the editor)
September 1, 2005... I admit I provoked our cover guy, Scott Merrill ("Eye of the Storm," page 66), to talk about the divide between modern and traditional architects. At this point in his career, he really couldn't care less about the anachronistic debate that...

Beyond the divide.(letters: exercise your right to write)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... Yes, there is a divide in the architectural profession, but most good commercial architects I know really appreciate a good house when they see it. I frequently get positive comments, or expressions of envy, regarding the houses we design. Of...

The producers.(letters: exercise your right to write)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... Thank you for such an eloquently put editorial ("The Enemy Within, Part 2," January/ February 2005 page 15)! I've been in the architectural industry for 12 years: custom residential, then commercial, then production residential. I really...

Farewell to Fay.(letters: exercise your right to write)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... Thank you for the Perspective article "A Rare Find" by Dale Mulfinger, FAIA (November/ December 2004, page 33). It was my great privilege to have known Fay Jones for more than 35 years, first as one of his students in college, then as one of...

Show me the value.(letters: exercise your right to write)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... OK, so we are telling clients why we cost what we do ("The Charge Brigade," August 2004, page 13). Any suggestions on what to tell them? I'm a lousy salesperson. Am I destined to be broke? Thomas Streicher, AIA Via e-mail

Boulevard of dreams.(home front: news from the leading edge of residential design)
September 1, 2005... Imagine a slew of developable land parcels facing a brand-new, landscaped thoroughfare, right in the heart of one of the nation's most expensive cities. The entrants of the San Francisco Prize/Octavia Boulevard Housing Design Competition didn't...

Hipper habitat.(home front: news from the leading edge of residential design)
September 1, 2005... Designed and built by Louisiana State University Architecture School students, this contemporary Habitat for Humanity house in Baton Rouge breaks the organization's typical mold. "We were hoping they would think outside the Habitat box," says...

Calendar.(home front)(Calendar)
September 1, 2005... 2006 residential architect design awards: call for entries entry form, fee due: november 15 completed binders due: january 5 Our annual design awards program honors outstanding architecture in 15 categories. Winning projects will be...

Kitchen: bungalow unbungled.(k + b studio)
September 1, 2005... These San Antonio homeowners adore the charm of their early-1900s bungalow and didn't want to disturb the fabric of its historic neighborhood. What they did want was a contemporary kitchen that flowed into expanded living spaces; and they...

Bath: northwest hybrid.(k + b studio)
September 1, 2005... "We knew we wanted the house to fit its Northwestern context," says architect Dave Pelletier, "but our clients had a willingness to be adventurous and try new things--like a steel countertop in the master bath." and so, homeowners and architect...

Numbers game: when home buyers confuse quantity with quality, everybody loses.(perspective)
September 1, 2005... I enjoy operating a multifaceted office with my business partner, Alan Barley, AIA. But of all the building types, we find that homes provide the greatest challenges and by far the greatest rewards. Over the past few years, though, we have...

The architecture track: is the path to licensure paved with good intentions, or mired in a maze?(practice)
September 1, 2005... Four years ago, Marc Swackhamer, a 1997 graduate of Rice University's master of architecture program, reached a milestone in his fledgling architecture career: He finished all 700 training units of the Intern Development Program (IDP) and was...

Greening the American house.(Reinvention 2005: Designing for The Future)
September 1, 2005... December 5-7, 2005 The Biltmore Hotel Coral Gables, FL Learn how to design more site-responsive and environmentally responsible houses. Expert practitioner will share their lessons in the art and science of attainable sustainable...

Eye of the storm: battling forces of nature and ideology, Merrill, Pastor & Colgan rethink our best-loved houses.
September 1, 2005... Scott Merrill, AIA, knows something about storms. Last year his adopted hometown and workplace. Veto Beach. Fla., weathered four--two of them major hurricanes spaced just three weeks apart. The one-two punch of Frances, and Jeanne took out the...

Modern traditions: sometimes the most livable houses are those that blend contemporary influences with time-honored forms.
September 1, 2005... field's edge When it comes to architectural richness, not many places can top the Berkshire Mountain region in western Massachusetts. The area boasts great depth in its collection of 18th- and 19th-century farmhouses and agricultural...

Rock on: should you spec granite in your next kitchen or counter with quartz?(doctor spec)
September 1, 2005... Granite is one of the most prized countertop materials, the ultimate status and style symbol in the kitchen. And with good reason--it's water-, heat-, and scratch-resistant; durable; and virtually maintenance free. It's a rich, lustrous natural...

Network news: structured wiring offers some extravagant possibilities.(digital home)
September 1, 2005... These days, high-end home buyers expect to have music in every room and a palette of viewing options at every TV. Internet in every room isn't far behind, making cable and data outlets as much a part of the room planning as the AC wiring. As...

Neat sheet.(architects' choice: product picks from the pros)
September 1, 2005... Johnsen Schmaling Architects is drawn to Acrylite sheets. "The range of stock colors is far superior to other products," says Schmaling. Made from acrylic, the sheets are economical and provide tight thickness tolerances and high optical...

Slight light.(architects' choice: product picks from the pros)
September 1, 2005... JSA sings the praises of the Westwood 913 light. "It's the most elegant and minimal line-voltage fixture we have been able to identify," Schmaling says. "It's small and looks just gorgeous." Measuring 9 1/2 inches long and 4 1/2 inches...

Clear value.(architects' choice: product picks from the pros)
September 1, 2005... When the budget permits, JSA specs high-end Starphire ultra-clear glass, which it used for the large picture window in this urban infill project. "It's a low-iron glass that costs about twice as much as regular window glass but is extremely...

Steel this roof.(new material: piping-hot products for your next project)
September 1, 2005... Frank Gehry isn't the only one who can have fun with shiny metal roofs. Barrington, Ill.--based Millennium Tiles' new stainless steel residential roofing lets you show your mettle, too. The company says that unlike other roofing materials,...

Centre of attention.(new material: piping-hot products for your next project)
September 1, 2005... The Aquacentre kitchen station by Quebec-based Julien is a fitting choice for many houses, but it truly shines where space is precious. An all-in-one food prep and cleaning module, the unit is outfitted with a 10-inch-deep sink, a stainless...

Cold storage.(new material: piping-hot products for your next project)
September 1, 2005... This double-drawer refrigerator is by no means the first of its kind, but at 36 inches wide it's the largest. Designed and manufactured by Ariston, of Italy, the unit offers 6.7 cubic feet of storage space and has stainless steel racks and...

Viatera firma.(solid ground: longevity and low maintenance strengthen the case for quartz.)
September 1, 2005... Product powerhouse LG adds quartz surfacing to its list of wares. Twelve colors launch the Viatera line, each representing a radiant earth tone from a distinctive global locale. Palermo, San Tropez, Cairo, Cabo, Tenerife, Morocco, Sedona, and...

Concrete addition.(solid ground: longevity and low maintenance strengthen the case for quartz.)
September 1, 2005... DuPont Zodiaq debuts four colors (alabaster, sand beige, clay brown, and papyrus) that provide the aesthetic of concrete with the easy care of quartz. A matte finish with a monolithic appearance makes these colors a good fit for contemporary as...

Hue granted.(solid ground: longevity and low maintenance strengthen the case for quartz.)
September 1, 2005... CaesarStone collaborated with Italian designer and color expert Roberto Cannovaro to produce Embellish. The collection's eight colors, geared specifically to architects and designers, align with predicted material trends for the next few years....

Hide tide.(solid ground: longevity and low maintenance strengthen the case for quartz.)
September 1, 2005... Silestone's Leather series takes the matte finishing of quartz to a new plane. Ambiguous veining and deep shadows simulate the look of tanned hides in such colors as caramel, gold and tan, slate gray, and buttercream with chocolate accents....

Limestone cowboy.(solid ground: longevity and low maintenance strengthen the case for quartz.)
September 1, 2005... The soft countenance of limestone takes on the rough and rowdy strength of nonporous quartz with Cambria's new Yorkshire color collection. Available in a standard polished finish, Yorkshire can also be honed to a more organic matte. The...

Counter espionage.(solid ground: longevity and low maintenance strengthen the case for quartz.)
September 1, 2005... Trasluce gives architects the option of four glowing colors--literally. Okite's translucent line transmits light while maintaining the stain-, burn-, and scratch-resistance inherent in quartz surfaces. The Italian company isn't revealing the...

Elegant pare.(end quote)
September 1, 2005... moorcrag, windermere, england, 1898 c.f.a. voysey "simplicity in decoration is one of the most essential qualities without which no true richness is possible." --c.f.a. voysey Modernists and Traditionalists alike admire the...