They have innovative ideas about the houses we build, remodel and decorate. They borrow from classical designs or develop cutting-edge ones. The best architects also are sensitive to how we live today and are responsive to the groundswell of interest by homeowners in what they can do to help save our planet. We asked local and national architects to consider these influences, then come up with a material, color or design concept they’ve become passionate about.
Bright idea
Deborah Berke, founding partner, Deborah Berke & Partners Architects, New York, www.dberke.com.
– I am a fan of all light bulbs. I find them simple and beautiful. In addition to traditional incandescent bulbs, light bulbs with further improvements to the classic model are also available. For high ceilings and other areas that are not easily accessible, I like halogen bulbs because they last longer than incandescents. Halogens with infrared reflective technology (IRC) coating offer some efficiency. Compact fluorescents are truly energy-efficient and great for areas where light needs to be constantly on. The “curly” ones have a quirky charm.
If the light quality from compact fluorescents is not to your liking, full-spectrum compact fluorescents are available. Though more expensive, their light emulates daylight. Not only is the light bulb the perfect item in every home, there is a perfect light bulb for every occasion. Paired lines of exposed light bulbs in porcelain sockets are visually striking, as well as functional and inexpensive, a true example of understated, everyday elegance.
Concrete terms
Fu-Tung Cheng, principal, Cheng Design and Cheng Products, Berkeley, Calif., www.chengdesign.com and www.concreteexchange.com; author of “Concrete at Home” (The Taunton Press, 2005).
– Concrete is not a new material for us–and not for many others–but what’s new is what we do with it to create good design. In our time-equals-money society, more and more of our homes are made up of manufactured, impersonal mass-marketed parts. People are tired of being part of a material world built of thin veneers. They want substance and solidity, as well as something practical, personal and artful.
We mold our concrete and integrate color into Geocrete TM countertops and walls, which we’ve trademarked and ship all over the country, even to Hawaii. What’s next on the design front? Perhaps a pourable substance with aesthetics and durability that doesn’t consume as much energy as concrete made with Portland cement, which requires being fired in big kilns. Good design is also about producing materials and an aesthetic that are ecologically responsible.
Divide & congregate
Julie and Stuart Cohen, principals, Stuart Cohen & Julie Hacker Architects LLC, Evanston, www.cohen-hacker.com.
– We’re often asked to make a dining room a separate space from the living room, even when they’re adjacent. We’ve sometimes visually divided them with a row of square columns. In one space, we also changed the direction of the dropped ceiling beams to provide a greater sense of separation. For homeowners who also want some separation between a breakfast room and kitchen, we’ve added pass-throughs, which visually connect and separate the spaces and also allow for setting up and serving a buffet. The upper cabinets may have glass doors on both sides, so you can see through to the other room.
Staying out longer
Duo Dickinson, principal, Duo Dickinson Architect, Madison, Conn., author of “The House You Build” (American Institute of Architects, 2004), www.duodicksinson.com.
– With melanoma, West Nile and Lyme disease, being outside can be hazardous to your health, yet people yearn for an outdoor connection. A good compromise is the screened porch, which sometimes used to mean a tacked-on, awkward box. I create porches that are integrated with the home’s design, big enough–15 feet by 20 feet is the minimum size–to sit and eat in. I’ve also included a vaulted ceiling, if possible, and high eave lines to give occupants the feeling of the outdoors. If also possible, the eaves should be a minimum 2 inches to allow protection from sun and to allow occupants to enjoy it on light rainy days. Materials can be plain or fancy depending on the budget. But again, if possible, I like to incorporate weather-worthy woods such as mahogany, teak, ipe, ironwood and Pau Lope.
Peace through paint
Jeremiah Eck, partner, Eck MacNeely Architects Inc., Boston, www. Eckmacneely.com, and author of “The Face of Home: A New Way to Look at the Outside of Your Home” (The Taunton Press, 2006).
– Color is one of the most underrated tools to achieve harmony, but careful design shows how well it can be used. For example, colors in the natural environment–tree bark, stone and vegetation–can be matched by a stone terrace, foundation and chimney, natural shingles on the body of the house and darker complementary colors of the windows and trim. The colors of a house and site should be seen as one. Inside, the choice of colors often depends on the room, whether it’s a public or private space. A living room, dining room or kitchen often relate more to the outside because of their views, and you might want to draw those views in. Bedrooms often are more muted because they’re about inwardness, contemplation, quiet. But there are no hard-and-fast rules.
Counter with wood
Jeff Herberholz, lead architect, Benvenuti & Stein, Evanston, www.ben venutiandstein.com.
– We’re using wood for countertops–a traditional material–in contemporary kitchens with glass tiles for backsplashes and stainless-steel appliances. We’re creating a fresh look by using woods other than traditional maple, such as jatoba, wenge and Peruvian walnut. What also makes the difference are the breadth of the various species, varied thicknesses and our ability to cut different edge details.
Sleep or swim
Margaret McCurry, partner, Tigerman McCurry Architects, Chicago, www.tigerman-mccurry.com.
– A master bedroom at a second/weekend residence in Harbor Country in western Michigan was designed with an endless pool just beyond the bedroom door. That way the owner could enjoy a quick swim before bed or breakfast. A wall of interior windows in the master bedroom overlooks the pool room, and windows in the pool room bring in light and views from the outdoors.
Bring in the balcony
Charles L. Page, principal, Charles Page Architects, Winnetka, and Charles Page Builders LLC, Winnetka, charlespagearchitect.com.
– Three ideas: I like to include indoor balconies, which can be narrow–4 feet by 10 feet–but very dramatic. They help to open up a second floor to the first floor and give an entire house a spacious feeling. Plasma TVs allow for a compact furniture arrangement and eliminate the need for old bulky armoire cabinets. I usually frame the TV as if it’s art and place it above a fireplace in a living or great room and opposite a bed in a bedroom. It’s best 4 feet off the ground. Finally, I often expand the use of a screened porch by adding a fireplace.
A great cast
Antoine Predock, principal, Antoine Predock Architect PC, Albuquerque, www.predock.com.
– An arcing cast-glass wall separates functional areas and brings diffuse light to a lounge behind.
The thickness of the cast glass gives it a feeling of gravity and permanence. It requires no secondary frame–it is the wall itself. Light phenomena associated with the wall vary radically with the sun’s passage, from soft diffusion to dramatic spectral diffractions.
From software to Beaux-Arts
Peter Pennoyer, principal, Peter Pennoyer Architects, New York, N.Y., www.ppapc.com
– Our firm has exploited new computer programs to create classically inspired elements in our houses. In one home, a stone-clad, steel -frame stair and railing was installed, recalling the sculptural forms of the Beaux-Arts style popular in New York during the Belle Epoque period.
The stair was first designed and drawn by hand, then modeled with a 3-D software program in conjunction with our steel fabricator and our engineer. This virtual model of the stair became the basis both for the design review and automated manufacturing process. The technology is cutting-edge, but the result evokes New York circa 1900.
Durability of cork
Dennis Wedlick, principal, Dennis Wedlick Architect, New York, N.Y., www.denniswedlick.com, author of “Good House Parts: Creating a Great Home Piece by Piece” (The Taunton Press, $24.95), and co-founder of Congress of Residential Architecture, an organization that provides information to consumers on residential design, www.corarchitecture.org.
– Cork is a modern yet warm material that works beautifully in interiors that have a strong connection to their landscape. It’s a natural product from trees and practical because it’s so durable.
Although you might think it would act like a sponge, it repels water. It’s also good because it’s easy on feet, since it has a slight give, comes in different forms–tiles, rolls, sheets–doesn’t need a special underlay and can be dyed, though it’s then sun-sensitive and can fade.
