Having lived in Knoxville for four years, I have a pretty firm understanding of what most Tennessee residences look like.  Most have undeniable character and many years of living have been seen in them.  The newer construction typically follows with most of southern America with cookie cutter designs and upgrades to select from.  This is not the case however with the Wheeler Residence (a/k/a Bluff Creek Residence) designed by TWH Architects in Chattanooga.  This home tallies a $50 – $100/month average energy bill… and its 3,200 square feet is lived in by a family of 6.  That is truly revolutionary!

The homeowner Trey Wheeler, Vice President of TWH Architects worked with Ethan Collier, President of Collier Construction, to design his family’s new home and wondered, “what if I could design a highly energy efficient, low-maintenance and financially practical home in a kid-friendly location using all traditional materials?”  Well, the results were nothing short of spectacular.  Here’s how they did it:

• Integrated Project Team {a paradigm shift from start to finish}

“Contrary to what has been a paradigm architect/contractor relationship is that they approached this as a team effort with input from Ethan, from Ethan’s employees, even the subcontractors. They consulted with the insulation crew, with the masons and certainly the heating and air folks. They all worked together and it’s was a team approach.”

• 5 goals {from livability to sustainability}

1. That the design effectively respond to the numerous livability and efficiency issues that the Wheeler family experienced in their previous home.

2. That the home be situated (in terms of location and design) to accommodate an active family of 6.

3. That every aspect of the design and construction make energy sense (from the locally manufactured metal roof to the house color).

4. That the design promote low maintenance and durability.

5. That the finished home be financially practical.

SO LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

… and zero in on the 3 primary design elements that make this home highly energy efficient – livability, durability and sustainability.

Livability
{putting space to work}

Livability means your home is designed to fit you, your family, and your lifestyle. Space that works with you – not against you – over the long term. Because it’s designed around your priorities, from cooking meals to accommodating guests. Livability means you can stay put without remodeling, adding on or going crazy.

THE TANGIBLES

Go with the flow: Space flows from room to room. Open rooms flooded with natural light welcome crowds, yet there are clear lines between public and private space… and without spatial interruptions.

Park it, not breath it: The detached garage means no VOC (gas fumes) transfer into the home. And with the dark-paneled garage doors facing west, natural heating and cooling completely eliminate the need for additional energy use to heat and cool the garage.

THE INTANGIBLES

Feels like home: the Wheeler residence is designed to reflect the family’s priorities. On the outside, a private mountain bike trail/skills area, replete with dirt jumps, is carved through the woods around the home. On the inside, rooms are designed to optimize space – a kitchen big enough for the whole family and multi-use rooms for out of town guests.

OVERVIEW

Forget excess: Wheeler’s design makes practical use of space and excludes excess so that the family is not heating and cooling unused, unlived in rooms – which goes a long way toward reducing energy consumption, without compromising on comfort and functionality.

So where livability addresses the interaction of people with the built-environment, durability accounts for the interaction of external conditions with the structure itself.

Durability
{simple. solid. strong.}

Just keeping things simple can eliminate a lot of problems – like rot, mold and bugs in your crawl space because you don’t have… well, a crawl space. And a solid design using strong building materials helps the house stand up against the elements. 

SIMPLE

The home’s single story design and minimal height allows for easy maintenance.

The home sits on a concrete slab which means no crawl space – and none of the rot, mold, bugs, air leakage or energy loss usually associated with a crawl space in the southeast.

Easy, long term accessibility is accomplished by eliminating steps from the design. It also means that the Wheelers won’t need maintenance, repair or replacement of steps… ever.

SOLID

Shed roof has no valleys or intersections. In other words, no roof leaks.

Concrete floors are extremely durable and eliminate the costs associated with typical maintenance and repair.

STRONG

Boral Brick has protective pastel coating and a 30-year warranty; is especially designed to accommodate a rain screen siding system which prevents moisture infiltration.

Hardie Siding is a fiber-cement product made with recycled content (wood pulp, cement, sand and water) and resists moisture damage, insects and fire.

Standing seam metal roof is locally manufactured and has a 40 year warranty.

TPO (the practically indestructible thermoplastic polyolefin roof membrane) has a 30 year warranty.

OVERVIEW

From livability to durability, Wheeler’s design incorporates specific methods and materials that extend his home’s life-span – preempting the waste, embedded energy, and costs caused by renovation, repair and maintenance.

Along with a host of energy efficiency measures, these design elements play a leading role in the home’s sustainability.

Sustainability
{& home (eco)nomics}

So what is sustainable design? It is design that values our ecosystem and our economy. Design that conserves energy and resources. Design that halts unnecessary production of building materials. Design that prolongs the home’s life cycle and prevents future waste. Design that asks “what if?” and answers “why not!”

LIVABILITY AND DURABILITY REVISITED

• Livability {without remodeling, adding on or going crazy}

Over 100 million pounds of construction waste and debris is generated every year in the U.S. – the majority of that waste is the result of demolition and renovation. That’s why designing livable homes matters from a sustainability standpoint.

Wheeler’s design makes practical use of space. The large kitchen and multi-use rooms, outdoor recreational space and detached garage resist obsolescence – which means that, unlike many, the Wheelers won’t be remodeling, adding on or going crazy living in the same home over the long term. Simply put, there living space is sustainable.

• Durability {100-year home}

Durable building materials are not only made of recycled content (i.e. metal roof and fiber-cement siding); they are also highly durable – which means the Wheelers will never send their metal roof or fiber-cement siding to the landfill so that it can be replaced by new materials. The home’s concrete floor will never need to be replaced, and because there is no crawl space, they will never need to repair or perform maintenance underneath the house.

They call this a 100-year home – one whose components and systems are designed, built and implemented to last 100 years before needing to be replaced (2 – 4 times the average life expectancy of a conventional home). A 100-year home aims to reduce future landfill waste as well as lessen manufacturing, production and the embedded energy associated with product lifecycle.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Passive solar design allows for full-on natural day lighting.

Existing trees permit direct light in the winter and diffused light in the summer.

Standing seam metal roof reflects radiant heat.

Single story design prevents excessive heating/cooling.

Floor system with no crawl space means no energy loss or air leakage.

High efficiency plumbing fixtures conserve water.

Compact florescent lights (CFL’s) consume 75% less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs.

LED lamps used for outdoor fixtures as well as all under-cabinet lighting consume 75% less energy than CFL’s.

OVERVIEW

From livability and durability to energy efficiency, sustainable design not only aims to reduce a home’s regular energy consumption, but also prevent the use of energy to extract, manufacture, distribute and implement building materials in the future, and thus seeks to decrease waste generated by remodeling, maintenance and repair.

What Was Learned
{simple math}

Fact: The average American household spends $1 per square foot per year on energy. Not the Wheelers.

This home’s design and construction save the Wheelers $166/month on energy costs – that’s nearly $2,000/year and $20,000 over the next 10 years (without calculating rate increases).

Related posts:

1. Tennessee Modern LEED Platinum Certified Homes
2. Austin’s Ramp House Challenges Coventional Notions
3. The Conservatory: Florida’s First LEED Platinum Building

When one thinks of modern, the word “toolbox” doesn’t usually come to mind as a keyword.  Well, thanks to Bruce Roadcap Architecture that may very well change the way we think of work benches and man sheds.

The “Toolbox” is a new covered parking, storage, and workbench space replacing a 1920′s single car garage for a bungalow residence in the Houston Heights. The program dictated squeezing covered parking for two cars between a massive pecan tree and the back corner of the property. Saving the original slab helped lower costs, and minimizing new slab additions prevented damage to the large tree during construction.

The project is open on all sides to reduce scale and provide ventilation and natural light. The workbench element is visually separated from the roof and opens completely to the covered slab beyond two pairs of rolling metal doors. These doors are suspended from a laminated wood beam supported on poured-in-place concrete columns, providing lateral support for the open structure. To maximize storage of tools and equipment, wood studs and trusses are spaced 24″ apart. A canvas covers the end truss and is stretched between web members. Bolts, screws, and all structural hardware are oversized and extended to accentuate connections. The small window in the workbench area is sized to the siding and framing module providing a direct view to the kids play area. Wood siding and color match the original 1920 house, while the corregated metal roof recalls the former garage.

AIA Merit Award – 2005
AIA Small Project Practitioners Award – 2005
Published: Celebrate Architecture – June 2005
Published: AIA Small Project Practitioners eJournal – June 2005
Published: AIA Perspective – March/April 2005
Published: Texas Architect – May/June 2005
Published: Houston Chronicle – May 14, 2005
Published: Luxury Home Quarterly- March 2011

Source: Bruce Roadcap Architecture

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Atlanta architect Joseph Amisano, was a partner of the firm Toombs, Amisano, & Wells and his work defined the progressive period of post-WWII Atlanta.

Born in New York City, Amisano went on to study at Pratt Institute, where he received his Bachelors (1940) and Masters of Architecture degrees (1941). His early practice was in the Manhattan firms of Sanders & Breck and Harrison, Abramowitz & Fouilhoux. In 1942, a job designing facilities for Pan-Am airways brought him to Brazil, where he had his first experience with the built work of Oscar Niemeyer. In 1950, he travelled throughout Europe and the Mediterranean as a recipient of the prestigious Rome Prize.

In 1954, Amisano joined the partnership of Toombs & Wells in Atlanta. Toomb’s reputation for modern design had previously been established through such projects as the 1947 Atlanta Rich’s department store expansion- a four-story steel and glass structure known as the “Crystal Bridge”. Following Amisano’s partnership, the firm gained the commission for the Lenox Square Shopping Center [1954-, altered]. Completed in 1959, the original open-air arcade with its expressive concrete canopy became a central feature of the suburban annexation and growth of metropolitan Atlanta.

In the 1960s, Amisano’s design work included the Visual Arts Center (1962) [now Lamar Dodd School of Art] for the University of Georgia, the original Fernbank Science Center (1963-5), and the Atlanta Memorial Arts Center (1965-8) [altered]. The John Knox Church (1964-5) was one of Amisano’s most celebrated Atlanta projects and won the 1967 AIA Award, the only church in the nation honored that year. Located on Powers Ferry Road, the church was designed as an intimately scaled response to its residential context. The main sanctuary was anchored by a low square base of rough-hewn stone, topped by a high pitched shingled roof. The exterior’s modest use of material belied an expansive interior defined by a timbered roof frame channeling natural light from openings above the altar.

Amisano was recognized as one of the dominant urban form givers of 1960s-80s Atlanta. He remodeled the Federal Reserve Bank downtown and added a garden plaza in the early 1960s. His 148 Cain Street Building and Northside 75/Beta Buildings were not atypical of the period, but his Cities Services Building (1968-70) at the edge of Lenox Square was a refined and taut exercise in late Modern office building design, standing out from the crowd of speculative office towers and commercial architecture in a fast developing city. Amisano’s Peachtree Summit Building of 1975-8, with its open corner balconies exposing to view the building’s powerful structural features of post and slab, became a prominent Atlanta landmark rising above the downtown expressway. And underground, Amisano made an asset of the raw rock and exposed earth walls of his Peachtree MARTA station of 1975-82 which became one of the most notable public spaces in the transportation system. Rugged dynamited geology is juxtaposed to the sweeping architectural vault and high technology of the rail tracks and to the steepest and longest escalators in the South, all masterfully composed within this notable rapid rail station.

In the 1980s, Amisano’s work with the firm included the Robert Woodruff Library at the Atlanta University Center serving Atlanta’s traditional black colleges, and the Second Church of Christ Scientist, Atlanta (1984-6) a poetic expression of light constructed in reinforced concrete (featured in Docomomo’s Fall 2007 Newsletter). Following retirement from his firm, Amisano remained active in design, as evidenced by a colorful proposal for a Cabbagetown Atlanta home in 2004. In that year, Amisano was featured in a public roundtable of Atlanta’s early Modernist architects, co-sponsored by Docomomo’s Georgia Chapter at the Atlanta History Center.

To the extent that an architect may change the face of a city, Amisano’s impact on Atlanta may be said to have been substantial. He designed some of Atlanta’s best known works of the period, an era labeled Late Modern and Brutalist, and the range of this work is noteworthy.

As of the date of this posting there is a current listing available in Atlanta (as seen in some of the photos above) at 1028 Nawench Drive in Atlanta, Georgia which needs renovation.  Could be a wonderful investment for the right person who appreciates this period.

Source: DOCOMOMO US

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We’ve previously written about the very popular Mid-Century neighborhood in Atlanta – Northcrest – and it continues to attract those who appreciate these historic homes and wish to renovate and/or restore them. Northcrest is a large subdivision that was developed from the late 50′s through the mid 70′s. Over half of the homes are Mid Century Modern in concept and execution. Since the neighborhood is between three municipalities taxes are low and the area has garnered little attention. A little known gem sparkling in the heart of dixie – the Northcrest subdivision is located at the outer crux of I85 and I285 (south-east of I85 and north of I285), bordered by Chamblee Tucker Road to the south and Pleasantdale Road to the east.

3597 Eaglerock Drive is on the market for resale and the selling agent came up with a pretty creative way to market the home (which is the exact layout as the one this writer resides in). The photos are nicely garnished with two models who appear to come from the late 1950′s and are busy going about their daily lives eating, talking on the phone, working in the downstairs den, etc. The pictures instantly drawn one in and I will be surprised if someone doesn’t grab this gem up ASAP. Even in this sour market, this beautiful home has been wonderfully updated however the original feel has been left intact. Hats off to the agent for coming up with this inventive idea to show off the history of the home while also accentuating the modern updates.

Property Flyer

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Since moving into and renovating our own mid-century modern home over seven years ago (the renovation continues…), we have come to appreciate those within the Atlanta modern community.  They have given us direction on everything from the proper building materials to use to information on the pioneering modern architects in our area.  Of course, one cannot begin to research the modern history of Atlanta without coming across the name of Robert Green.

Robert Green was originally from Savannah, Georgia and moved to Atlanta when he was fourteen years old.  He began studying at Georgia Tech when he was seventeen knowing nothing about architecture. In the library of the School of Architecture Robert discovered books containing pictures of the buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright.  They were a revelation to him: houses low, long, tying into the ground, beautiful in proportion, fascinating in plan and space.

During that period of time at Georgia Tech, the favorite of the styles among the professors were the glass buildings of Mies van de Rohe. The professors tended to force the students into copying his stark, modern buildings.  Robert however, liked the naturalness of Mr Wright’s designs better.  After two years at Tech, he joined the U.S. Marines to both satisfy his two-year requirement, and to get the G.I. Bill, which would allow him to attend college where he wanted: California.

After the Marines, Robert attended the University of California in Berkeley only to find that the professors there were no more open-minded than those at Georgia Tech.   Feeling frustrated, he returned to San Francisco for a few months where he had a job and a girlfriend.  He realized if he didn’t leave he would never realize his dream of becoming an architect so, he returned to Georgia Tech for one year before he decided to quit permanently.

Robert returned to California where he discovered that his favorite Georgia Tech professor had also moved to California and had been made the head of Architecture at the University of Southern California, in L.A.  On his way to Los Angeles, Robert ventured to  Scottsdale first and learned that Frank Lloyd Wright would allow students to use the G.I. Bill, if they applied and were accepted to study with him.  When Robert later arrived at L.A. he wrote a nice long, heartfelt letter to Mr Wright explaining how he wanted to study with him.

Three weeks and no answer.

He wrote another letter.  Again no answer.

Finally, Robert wrote a short, nasty letter saying, “..at least you should show me the common courtesy to answer my letter…” and sent along drawings of the only building he had designed while attending Tech.  A week later he received an application form, and an appointment to meet with Mr Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona.

Arriving at Taliesin West, Robert was instructed to wait outside of the office, because Mr Wright was in the theater.  Frank Lloyd Wright came into sight, and he saw Robert about the same time he spied him.  Wright was speaking to a man and Robert stared at him–he was about thirty feet away–and he kept looking back at Robert.  The man left and Robert resolutely approached Mr Wright, sticking his hand out and saying, “Mr Wright, I’m Robert Green, I came to study with you,” figuring the short, direct method had gotten him that far, so why not continue.  He was all of twenty-three years old.

Mr. Wright chuckled and then said, “Well, Robert, do you want to live out here in the desert where it’s cold at night and hot in the day?  Amongst the snakes and things?”

“Yes sir,” Robert replied.

“We have taken on several new apprentices recently, and I don’t know if we have room for you.”  All the time looking straight into Robert’s eyes.

Not missing a beat, he responded, “Mr. Wright, I’ll sleep in my car if I have too.”

Wright laughed, and then said, “Well, we won’t make you do that.” Then he looked to his right at a high hill behind the camp and said,  “You know, we had snow on that hill last night.  The first time I’ve ever seen that here.”  And then they spoke of the weather for the next minute or two.  Finally, he said, “Robert, you go down to the office there and see Gene Masselink.  Tell him I said to get you fixed up with everything you’ll need.”

And that was Robert Green’s acceptance by Frank Lloyd Wright.

After Mr. Wright’s death, Mr. Green returned to Atlanta, and for many years designed beautiful and fascinating buildings in the Wright style which only someone who studied with Mr. Wright would be able to do.  Mr. Green’s works included many custom homes – from 800 square feet to 15,000 square feet and costing from $100,000 to several million dollars – office buildings, apartments and condos, churches, warehouses and other commercial buildings.  Some of his work is featured below.

It is because of his talent and training with Mr. Wright, that Robert Green was able to build such beauty into his buildings, that he could boast that homes he designed often quadruple in value from the time of construction. And even with all the work drawing, detailing, and on-site inspection of construction, his fees were only approximately what real-estate sales agents received to sell a comparable sized house.  He absolutely deserves the status of local icon and it is thrilling to know my love of modern design in the south is shared with such an amazing individual.

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Kimber Cavendish and Vicki Faust knew that they wanted to open a modern bed and breakfast right outside of the financial district in Austin, Texas but they wanted to find just the right architect for the job. Enter Burton Baldridge Architects, who took the overgrown, slanted lot in between downtown and the suburbs and transformed it into an intimate Palm Springs-style getaway, Kimber Modern.

The hotel featured five guest rooms, one large suite, common area, laundry facility and a courtyard that is reminiscent of something you’d find in California. The rooms include a custom wood bed, a built-in desk and other minimal furnishings created by the architects. High-end designer furnishings include Philippe Starck and Duravit bathroom sinks, Modern Fan ceiling fans, Eames molded plastic chairs and Offi Perch Lounge reading chairs. The common area has Arne Jacobson egg chairs, around an Eames elliptical table. This place ain’t for the average traveler — design savvy adventurers take note!

Artists should also take not that the owners hand-selected pieces from a few local artists, Martha Gannon, Margo Sawyer and Valerie Fowler, which add to the custom, boutique feel. If you’re planning a trip to Austin any time soon, I suggest you check in to Kimber Modern.

Photography by Casey Dunn courtesy of Kimber Modern.

Source: Design Milk

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Archaeologists Heather Cline and Mary Socci say the 900-square-foot house was owned by Scottish immigrant William McKimmy and was built about 1790.

That would mean the home predates Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest. That home was built in the 1820s near Lynchburg, Va., and is considered to be the first octagonal house in the U.S.

The director of archaeological restoration at Poplar Forest says he questions whether the find in South Carolina is a full-size home.

Source: The Island Packet

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1. Austin’s Ramp House Challenges Coventional Notions

The Ramp House, so named because of its gracefully sloped interior walkway, is one of three spec houses designed and built by M.J. Neal, AIA, in the same transitioning South Austin neighborhood. One might presume that a house with a ramp as its primary circulation is a folly, however, like one’s shoes, visitors are asked to leave presumptions and prejudices at the front door.

“The Ramp House is a study in time and movement,” says Neal, who lives in the house with his family. “I wanted to play with the fourth dimension, time; to deliberately slow down the pace of travel through the house. I wanted people to experience the sequence of space differently than just racing upstairs.”

And, indeed, the unique spatial experience starts just inside the front door where the ramp immediately begins its gentle ascent at the foyer. Constructed of a steel pipe framework with its surface and substructure of 3 1/2-inch solid ipe wood, the ramp is essentially a sculptural element that functions all at once as a means of vertical circulation, a spatial delineator, a massive bookshelf – a solid wood grid structure inserted in between the ascending and descending legs – and a modern objet d’arte.

The climb to the top yields an unexpected surprise: the second floor’s living room, kitchen, and dining area. The upper level, like the lower, is another large volume organized by furniture placement, casework, and a floor pattern reminiscent of Japanese tatami. The pattern is, in fact, a tectonic expression of structure that is seen again on the ceiling.

Where the ramp extends space vertically, the layout of the first floor extends space horizontally and outwardly into exterior courtyards. The first floor – which includes the master bedroom, master bath, second bedroom and a small reading area – is partitioned with pivoting, sliding, and swinging doors and wall panels, which allow many spatial configurations. Such flexibility is useful in a 2,400-sf house, of which the ramp consumes 230 sf. When asked if the ramp takes up too much space relative to the total floor area, Neal responds, “Of course, it is how you look at it. However, it is not inefficient at all because it offers spaces in, on, and under it to read, study, and play. Kids especially love the ramp. It really is a very versatile use of space.”

On the question of the insertion of Neal’s three distinctly modern houses in a neighborhood of vintage homes from the 1930s, Neal says, “We don’t live like they did when these houses were originally built. What was at one time a very typical suburban neighborhood is now, by virtue of proximity to downtown, a very urban environment.” That switch from suburban to urban, Neal notes, is evident by the many drawn blinds on his neighbors’ street-facing windows. He says that demonstrates the neighborhood’s inward focus that is characteristic of the urban residential experience, as opposed to suburbia where residents look out on their front yard and to the street. “I wanted to bring a more urban mentality to this neighborhood,” Neal says, “to show people how to utilize this very small piece of land and get a lot out of it, a lot more spatial experiences; to show them they don’t have to have their house closed off.”

But, he adds, an urban or modern site response does not free the designer from being sensitive to the adjacent historic structures. “I went to great lengths to look at the scale and proportions of the adjacent houses and to be cognizant of those things,” he says. “This was so that this home didn’t become this massive ‘thing’ sitting here…unlike a lot of the pseudo-traditional homes being built.”

The Ramp House does nestle into and use the site very well. However, even with sensitivity to adjacent scale and proportion, the combination of materials, form, and detail makes this house obviously different than its neighbors. Nevertheless, the house successfully achieves the design intent. Neal has created a house that does challenge conventional notions of movement and time by forcing one to slow down and observe the surrounding space. In our age of haste, that is something we are less and less inclined to do.

Project: Ramp House, Austin
Client: T.E. Kolenda
Architect: M.J. Neal Architect
Contractor: M.J. Neal Development
Consultants: Structures by Jerry Garcia (structural)
Photographer: Joe Pettyjohn

Source: Texas Architect

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In 1938, then president Dr. Ludd Spivey contacted Wright via telegram that read, “Desire conference with you concerning plans for a great education temple in Florida.”  I love that terminology too – “education temple”.  Wright has been equated by some to the status of prophet because he had the ability to literally see over 10 to 20 years into the future when it came to his designs.  He absolutely accepted the challenge issued by Dr. Spivey and  designed a complex of 18 buildings built around a central fountain and connected by a network of covered walkways.

Wright was given an honorary doctorate by Florida Southern in 1950 and while on the campus to receive the same, he said the college represented what he called a new type of American “organic” architecture.  He went on to call it, “a little green shoot in the realm of the spirit – something that is true to itself, something that is true to mankind, something that insists upon integrity.”  Again, given the year, Wright was some 60 years ahead of all the “going green” builders of our modern day.

The Wright-designed buildings on campus were named to the World Monument Fund’s 100 most endangered sites in 2007. Funded by several grants, ongoing restoration projects are giving visitors a glimpse of the famed architect’s original vision, and tours are available as well.

Luckily for us, the Sarah D. and L. Kirk McKay, Jr., Archives Center at FSC has launched two major digital collections related to the work of Wright.  The “Child of the Sun: Florida Southern College Digital Photograph Collection” comprises hundreds of vintage images from the 1930s to the 1950s, including seldom-seen photographs of the campus construction. “The Southern: Florida Southern College’s Student Newspaper Collection” represents the beginning of a keyword-searchable database of student newspapers that chronicle the history of the Wright project and other campus events. Both collections are accessible at http://archives.flsouthern.edu/cdm4/about.php

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Sky Cottage by Archimania

Project:
A 2,500 SF residence for a couple occupying a tiny, pie-shaped site with views of the Mississippi River.

Solution:
The house is decidedly modern as it responds to both the neighborhood and its primary asset, an unobstructed view of the Mississippi River. The design is composed of two components; a white-brick cube, which aligns itself with the established streetscape of rowhouses; and an elevated box, which resists this grid. By progressing into the home’s upper levels, one realizes the reason for the box’s unusual orientation — a focused and remarkable view of the river.

Bottom-line:
This house, designed and owned by archimania’s Barry Alan Yoakum, accepts a forgotten site and maximizes its positive characteristics to serve as a force of contemporary architecture.

Visit the Archimania website – here.

Photography by Jeffrey Jacobs Photography

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