Residential Architecture

RSS

Site Size: 70 acres Project Size: 2,310 square feet (Bridge Structure); 1,139 square feet (Lookout Structure) Program: The clients wanted to create a live-work space for their winery and vineyard near Juliaetta, Idaho, a small town (population 579 at last census) not far from the Washington border. They requested two separate structures along the Potlatch River, and asked that they not consume much energy nor greatly disturb the site. Location: The property, at the end of an existing unpaved road cut into a hillside along the river, came with numerous challenges: summer temperatures can reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit, a large

Site Size: 10,000 square feet Project Size: 2,981 square feet Program: A multi-generational family that loves entertaining and gardening asked New York-based architect Andrew Heid to design a versatile house that catered to their love for the outdoors and accommodated aging family members. Location: The property perches on a lush, hillside site in Aurora, a tiny community in Northwest Oregon. The house overlooks protected wetlands and the Pudding River. Solution: The architect designed a one-story glazed, rectilinear house with deep overhangs to fit into the gently sloping site. To access the main floor, the family members gradually descend a concrete

Site size: 5,920 square feet Project size: 7,750 square feet Program: The clients wanted to remodel and expand their three-bedroom house, originally built in the 1970s, adding a gym, movie theater, and wine cellar within the existing envelope plus a new 2,260-square-foot master bedroom and bath. Location: The terraced house follows a steep slope in the Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood of Mexico City. This topography limited the architect's ability to expand the overall envelope. Solution: The architects reorganized existing spaces using movable walls made from a wood lattice or glass. On the first floor, a living and dining room opens

There are times when a site is so perfect, so breathtaking, there is nothing for an architect to do but surrender to it.

Site size: 3,879 square feet Project size: 1,470 square feet Program: A couple sought a home that could accommodate children or possibly elderly parents as well as their extensive collection of books. Location: The steeply sloping suburban site consists of a deep rocky substrate and two large hardwood trees. Solution: Shogo Aratani Architect & Associates determined that the site's extreme beauty represented an opportunity for the house to adapt and flourish. The two-floor house is fundamentally two main rectilinear volumes angled away from a central triangular stair. Two parking spaces, just below the first floor, are cut directly from the

Site size: 87,000 square feet Project size: 16,244 square feet Program: A family that enjoys cooking and entertaining guests desired a spacious residence in suburban Toronto. The clients also wanted their house, an expansion and renovation of an existing structure, to reflect their Asian-Canadian background. Location: The Echo House is located on a flat, two-acre plot in the serene and verdant Bridle Path neighborhood of Toronto. Solution: Architect Paul Raff sought to balance several objectives: to furnish ample room for socializing, to utilize traditional Asian craft techniques, and to harmoniously connect the family and their guests to the natural environment.

Site size: 317,535 square feet Project size: 1,700 square feet Program: A young Vancouver couple desired a weekend retreat for themselves and their two children on the rugged coast of British Columbia. Location: The site was critical in shaping the house's design and construction. Situated within a protected forest and next to its own waterfront, its remoteness promised tranquility but demanded environmental sensitivity in its construction strategy. Solution: The principal in charge of the project, Steve McFarlane, based in North Vancouver, sought a modern take on the classic 'cabin in the woods' by balancing picturesque roughness with a modern aesthetic.

Site size: 13,850 square feet Project Size: 3,230 square feet Program: The clients'avid landscapers and gardeners'approached Canadian architecture firm DIALOG to build a house with a strong connection to their property's natural environment. Location: The house occupies a lush, 0.3-acre site site in Vancouver's Dunbar-Southlands neighborhood. A freshwater, fish-bearing stream bisects the property and culminates in a basin at the property's south end. The footings of a former structure are visible on the site. Solution: The architects reinterpreted the site's existing conditions'the natural basin, the existing footings'to design a two-level house that spans the existing stream and blurs indoor and

Site Size: 9,310 square feet Project Size: 1,830 square feet Program: A recently-married couple'with a blended family of eight children'had outgrown their existing 2,960-square-foot, four-bedroom Victorian home they settled into. Not wanting to move, they hired the London-based firm De Matos Ryan to refurbish the house and build a second one at the opposite end of the property. The parents and youngest children live in the new structure, while the older children occupy the main house. Location: The 9,310-square-foot property is located in Battersea, in southwest London, near the River Thames. The new 1,830-square-foot structure, along the western edge of