residential architect

r e s i de nt ia l

a rc hi te c t MARCH . APRIL 2010

mid-century makeovers

mid-century
makeovers
w w w. r e s i d e n t i a l a r c h i t e c t . c o m

redeeming and greening

the ’60s box
march . april 2010

duany in haiti / new england renewal /

neighbor wars / reclaimed claims
w w w. r e s i d e n t i a l a r c h i t e c t . c o m
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residential architect / march . april 2010

contents
f r o m t h e e d i t o r . . page 9

l e t t e r s . . page 11

h o m e f r o n t . . page 14
How architects are rallying to help shelter Haiti.

g r e e n p i e c e . . page 17
ZED does a rigorous energy retrofit on a 1912 New England Craftsman.

k + b s t u d i o . . page 18
Indoor/outdoor appeal and baked-in sustainability guided architect William S. Duff
Jr.’s design for a new Menlo Park, Calif., modern.

p r a c t i c e . . page 23
Not everyone is an architecture lover, but when the critic is your client’s neighbor,
you may find yourself and your project in a whole heap of trouble.

c o v e r s t o r y . . page 40
mid-century makeovers
The 1960s were revolutionary in many ways, but house design was not one of them.
Watered-down modern ideals resulted in suburbs full of lackluster shoeboxes. We
look at three California oldies, newly gilded and greened for our times.
by Bruce D. Snider, Nigel F. Maynard, and Meghan Drueding

d o c t o r s p e c . . page 55
We’ve all been trained that specing recycled materials is good green practice. But
all that glitters isn’t necessarily golden—sometimes new and near is better by far.

n e w m a t e r i a l . . page 59
All the new that’s fit to print.

page 64 w o r k s p a c e . . page 64
When Washington, D.C.–based Bell Architects went looking for an old row house
A touch of blue adds boldness to Bell Architects’ 1880s work- to resuscitate for its offices, it picked the most decrepit one it could find.
space in Washington, D.C. Photo: Anice Hoachlander
Cover photo: Matthew Millman

residential architect / march . april 2010 7

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from the editor

disappearing ink
I’m using these printed words to tell you about our new website.

by s. claire conroy have missed all of the

n
other initiatives that have
o one loves ink consumed our energy and
on paper more attention in the past few
than I do. It’s years. Our annual Rein-
the reason I vention Symposium has a
became a writer in the first strong showing every year,
place. The great thing about with many repeat attendees.
journalism versus, say, the This year, Dec. 6–8, we’ll
fiction-writing profession be in New Orleans.
is you get to see the ink on And not so long ago, the
paper you’ve created even staff of ra took the reins
more frequently. In my ex- of those e-newsletters that
perience, architects (at least appear biweekly in your e-
those of a certain age) also mail inbox, to better target
love ink on paper. They your concerns and interests.
think nothing of spending If you’ve clicked through
what little money they have any of the links in the most
on a beautiful coffee table recent e-newsletters then
Mark Robert Halper
book about their favorite you’ve discovered our latest
artist or peer. and, perhaps, greatest effort: our Leadership Award win- everyone—architects and
Unfortunately, the ink a redesign of our website, ners, and coverage of our would-be clients all over
on paper industry is under www.residentialarchitect. Reinvention Symposium. the globe.
siege. You may have no- com. Boy, was this long But I think the coolest For the first time any-
ticed that both the number overdue and sorely needed! feature of the new site is the where, we have the begin-
and size of pages in this We accomplished not only a ability to browse architects nings of a curated, national
magazine have contracted redesign, but a complete re- by location and specialty, collection of profiles of
substantially since the invention (to use one of our and projects by type and lo- residential architects and
go-go years. I think all of favorite words) of the site. cation. You also can peruse their work. And our mission
us who love magazines, We’ve organized the top- products we’ve covered by of spreading the word about
newspapers, and books line navigation around the category. the value and abilities of
feel the dimming of this core topics we’ve always These are steps forward residential architects moves
light acutely. But we have explored in the magazine— in our goal to not only ahead at cyber speed.
to take courage in the profiles of residential better serve you, but to act Our print edition will
knowledge that while the architects, residential as a conduit between you continue and I hope, when
medium is changing, the projects, products, prac- and your potential clients the market comes back, will
message will continue. tice issues, and news and as well. Our magazine goes grow again. Our mission is
Our culture’s insatiable happenings relevant to the only to residential archi- best executed on all com-
hunger for information design community. We also tects in North America, munications fronts. Maybe
continues unabated—in have a dedicated place to sometimes falling into the someday as an iPad app,
fact, I believe it’s growing. find special projects—our hands of the laypublic in sent right to your lap. ra
If you’ve noticed only the Architects’ Choice guide to architects’ waiting areas
thickness of residential products, the winning proj- and conference rooms. Comments? E-mail
architect, then you may ects of our Design Awards, But our website is open to [email protected].

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 9

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lettersexercise your right to write.

more on don’t know. That’s the whatever it takes. Some- as design today.
“less is less” mold for a leader or man- times it feels like we should There are clients that
ager. At crunch time the head into the design/build expect more than just the

t
hanks for the insight client turns to their fearless world since we’re dealing safe commodity that many
in your January/ leader, whomever that with so many of the issues professionals describe as
February editorial may be. The architect is in anyway. However, we still “architecture.” Many clients
(“Less Is Less,” page the ideal position to lead, feel like the architecture are not surprised by the
8). How true, but you isn’t always there, and his side is the fun part and extent and fees associated
don’t say how we got here. aspirants are queued up, leave the actual building to with “design”—it is what
The plight of consumerism immediately behind, in someone else. So far we’ve they expect.
is that consumers will buy growing numbers. stayed out of trouble, gotten
anything from anyone at our projects built, and have Frank Mascia, FAIA, ACHA
any time. Buyers, educated Allen E. Neyman, AIA many satisfied clients. Now CDG Architects
or not, hire an engineer NSArchitects if only we could find more Tucson, Ariz.
or contractor to provide Rockville, Md. clients these days ...
design services, partly out

i
of expediency, partly the Allan Farkas, AIA read your editorial “less

i
result of education, and wanted to let you know Eggleston Farkas Architects is less” in the Jan./Feb.
mostly because of com- that I really enjoyed Seattle issue of residential ar-
fort level. “More for less” your latest editorial chitect with great appre-
naturally confers a level and passed it around ciation for your thesis

t
of comfort and cinches the our office. We have the hank you for your edi- that architects have done a
deal in the end. attitude that the best way torial “Less Is Less.” disservice to themselves by
And the architect his- to avoid liability is to do a You have raised shrugging off the majority
torically provides more, good job, be involved, and issues that are the of services that were once
constantly for less. There try to help solve problems. undoing of the archi- considered part and parcel
isn’t anyone else on the In order to do that, you tectural profession. How- to being an architect. I was
construction site more have to be actively involved ever, rather than a frightful dismayed, though, how
circumspect in understand- in as much of the project as glimpse at a competitor, in your anecdote about
ing, either. But getting him possible—you never know your “project manager” may the house designed by an
to perform like he knows where the problems are go- actually be showing design over-achieving electri-
requires, it would appear, ing to pop up. We probably professionals a means to a cal engineer, you let your
bold acts of leadership. break the AIA’s recom- sustainable future for the (understandable) disdain
Insurers and lawyers advise mendations fairly regularly. design professions. for residential designers-
against taking the lead, Rather than avoiding issues Perhaps the ideas inher- who-are-not-architects
admonish responsibility for to avoid liability, by staying ent in your editorial are the get the best of you. In my
deeds other than signing involved we try to avoid seeds of a much needed state, there is no license
a B-141, and reduce bold problems in the first place. re-evaluation of what for building designers, and
action to statements of ac- No problems = no liability. architects do—in light of I doubt that there is one
ceptable opinion. We get pretty involved with your project manager’s in your state. As such, the
Architects’ strength is helping contractors coordi- full service (and fees), it term “unlicensed build-
in knowing the big picture, nate the project (though not is easy to dismiss what ing designer” is as much
knowing their expertise, their “means and meth- professional architects are of a paradox as “licensed
and knowing what they ods”), deal with budgets, calling and selling clients continued on page 12

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 11

letters

architect” is a redundancy.
Irrelevant and overstated
digs like that convey a bit-
terness that just serves to
detract from the point of an
otherwise very good piece
of work.
besides architectural de-
sign, included structures,
site design, and some
mechanical and electri-
cal. After my three-year
internship, I knew enough
to design my projects and
i
applaud your chutzpah
for printing your Janu-
ary/February editorial. I
was just having a similar
spirited conversation
with some architectural
peers. I have been practic-
w hen I left
high school
in Argentina
to attend
college in the United
States, my goal was to
become an artist. However,
knew when to (rarely) call ing for just 20 years and my father had other ideas:
Dianne Davis in a consultant. strongly feel that architects I was to attend Williams
Greenpoint Design On a residence, who are losing the position of College for its “MIT Pro-
Associates better to do the landscape leader in the industry. For gram,” whereby I would
Forest, Va. design, structure, or inte- the past two years my work transfer to MIT to become
riors than the mind that has been more focused an engineer.

y
conceives the entire whole on the commercial/public My accommodation was
our “less is less” from concept to finish? sector, and I have seen the to inform my father that I
piece was so on College graduates and leadership role taken over would become an architect,
the mark—the even licensed people I hire by the construction man- half engineer, half artist.
gradual erosion of today seem to be lacking a ager. As architects, we are He reluctantly bought into
our scope of ser- basic knowledge of how a becoming subcontractors. I the idea and I was “spared”
vices has been a sore spot building is put together— recently was involved in an transferring to MIT.
with me for many years. and these people have architect selection process After Williams, I went
Here’s why: master’s degrees! What is for a project where the to Penn, during the heady
Architects have abdi- happening here? owner hired the construction days of Louis Kahn and
cated their role as master I sometimes think this manager first to assist them the Philadelphia School.
builders and become problem stems from the with hiring the architect. There were courses such as
“design team members” basic psychological makeup Hello—let’s wake up here! “Methods and Materials”
led by any party willing of the average architect— I think as a profession and “Structure.” At the time
to step up to the plate and typically we tend to be we need to get our hands I wondered why I had to
take charge to see a project somewhat introverted. That, dirty and take some risk. study this unpleasant stuff.
through from conception and the fear of sticking our This change is going to be Surely all that mattered
to completion. We have necks out lest we get sued. hard, but maybe this “reset” was “design.”
shirked our responsibili- Other less-qualified parties in the industry will give us Over the years I have
ties in the interest of risk are willing to take the bull the opportunity to change seen us architects give up
management and farmed by the horns and do the our destinies. more and more of our pro-
out work that was tradition- jobs we should be doing. Many times I have used fession to lighting design-
ally within our expertise to Architects, don’t be afraid! the phrase “lead or get out ers, skin consultants, speci-
a host of consultants—even We belong to an honorable of the way” when describ- fication writers, owners’
on simple residential proj- and learned profession. Get ing a situation. Architects representatives, program-
ects an architect typically out there and be the project have stepped aside, and the mers, cost consultants, and
shares responsibility (and leaders. Somebody has to leadership role has been even, sadly, to “designers.”
billing) with others—such do it—and that somebody taken over by the construc- So I got what I deserved!
as project managers, struc- is us. tion industry—or, in the
tural and civil engineers, case of your article, an F. Cecil Baker, AIA
landscape architects, and J. Brud Weger electrical engineer. Cecil Baker + Partners
even interior designers. Weger Architects Philadelphia
I graduated 30 years ago York, Maine Mike Elliott, AIA, LEED AP
from a traditional five-year Kluber Architects +
Letters may be edited for
B.Arch program—we got Engineers clarity and length.
an intense education which, Batavia, Ill.

12 www.residentialarchitect.com residential architect / march . april 2010

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home front
news from the leading edge of residential design.

a
rebuilding haiti
Architects and other housing pro-

fessionals in the United States and

beyond have been mobilizing to help

the people of earthquake-devastated

Haiti. Bolstered by fundraising events

such as the worldwide PechaKucha

Night for Haiti, which raised about

$75,000 for Architecture for Humani-

ty, nonprofit organizations have begun

the intensive groundwork required to

prepare for rebuilding efforts. “When

you’re starting to think about rebuild-

ing, land records are usually inacces-

sible or destroyed,” says Kate Stohr,

managing director of Architecture

for Humanity. “Even if they have

records, the land is not ‘clear title,’ so

you have to start at the beginning and

figure out who owns it.”

 Andrés Duany and
his staff at Duany
Plater-Zyberk & Co.
created a prototype
of the Haiti Cabin,
right, for manufacture
by InnoVida Hold-
ings (floorplan shown
below). InnoVida is
donating 1,000 of
these and other pan-
elized units to relief
efforts in Haiti.

Stohr’s group has placed a handful disaster response field operations for
of staffers in Haiti to focus on these Habitat for Humanity International.
issues, and they plan to open a rebuild- “The rubble still has to be cleared.”
ing center in Port-au-Prince this April. Habitat is distributing 10,000 emer-
The center will provide design and gency shelter kits to help Haitians
construction administration services to through the upcoming rainy season and
other nonprofit and community-based has trained engineers and other build-
organizations. Architecture for Humani- ing professionals to inspect structures
ty also has completed a free Rebuilding for earthquake damage. “We have an
101 manual written in Creole, French, aspirational number of 20,000 perma-
Spanish, and English that is available nent houses in Haiti,” Flores adds. “It’s
online and at the rebuilding center. “So aspirational in the sense that we don’t
many people are doing self-help hous- have the funding to do that, yet.”
ing, in which they build their homes Andrés Duany, FAIA, principal and
themselves,” Stohr says. “The goal is founding partner of Duany Plater-
to educate the builder and consumer so Zyberk & Co. in Miami, is working
they demand—and build—safer hous- with InnoVida Holdings, a prefab
ing and buildings.” To the same end, building company that uses fiber-com-
Courtesy Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co.
the group is working on making plans posite panels to create earthquake- and
available for “core housing” prototypes hurricane-resistant structures. InnoVida
that can be added to over time, and it has pledged to donate 1,000 units to
also has partnered with Appropriate Haiti—some designed by Duany and
Infrastructure Development Group to his firm—and to open a factory there
train local masons in earthquake-safe later this year, so the buildings can be
masonry construction techniques. manufactured locally.
Habitat for Humanity, too, offers For more on the rebuilding of
core housing designs that have been Haiti and to learn how you can help,
adapted to Haiti’s geography and visit the online version of this article
culture. The organization is preparing at www.residentialarchitect.com.
to build its first 50 earthquake-resistant —meghan drueding
core houses on a site outside Port-au-
Prince. It also has constructed some Duany and his colleagues envisioned several
hurricane-resistant transitional shelter different layouts for the cabin, depending on
the unit’s location and the living
prototypes inside the city. “Another
situation of its occupants. They also sug-
thing hindering permanent construction gested various configurations, shown at
is the need for excavation and extrica- right and opposite, based on density and
tion,” notes Mario Flores, director of geographic conditions.

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 15

Go to http://resarch.hotims.com for more info
green piece

this renewed house

a 1912 craftsman had loads of character and lots of energy loss.

f
or all the talk about sustainable struction technologies available to
building in new construction, him at the time, and the home’s sec-
a more pressing issue often ond owner—another architect—made
missing from the conversation minor improvements and renovated
is America’s existing stock of the kitchen.
energy-inefficient housing units. The Still, the house was built in the
Glanville Residence in Newton, Mass., 20th century and clearly needed to
used to be one of those houses—until be brought into the new millennium.
Boston-based ZeroEnergy Design “Using infrared cameras, we found
(ZED) gave it a high-performance that the wall insulation wasn’t too
energy upgrade. bad and wasn’t sagging,” says project
The 4,570-square-foot Craftsman, architect Stephanie Horowitz, AIA,
which Boston architect James H. ZED’s managing director. “But the
Ritchie designed for himself in 1912, roof insulation was barely meeting
was in relatively good architectural code and was a great source of energy
and structural shape. Ritchie included loss.” The firm also performed blower
many of the latest features and con- door tests to obtain a more complete
energy-performance picture.
Armed with the data, the ZED team
removed the roof’s existing wool insu-
lation, sprayed 6 inches of foam into
the ceiling, and insulated the basement
walls. They also completely over-
hauled the mechanical system, adding
a high-efficiency boiler and installing
new ducts in the conditioned attic
space. A new heat recovery ventilator
Photos: Michael J. Lee
helps bring in fresh air, and 54 Energy
Star–rated windows tighten the build- The Glanville Residence was plagued by
single-pane windows, a 1960s-era boiler,
ing envelope. For good measure, they
and asbestos insulation. ZeroEnergy updated
added low-flow fixtures, recycled the structure with cellulose wall insulation,
glass tile in the remodeled bathrooms, aluminum-clad (and architecturally accurate)
and a rainwater collection system. wood windows, and energy-efficient lighting.
Updating an old house—especially The architects retained usable elements such
as the wood millwork, but completely redid the
one whose life history spans nearly a
bathrooms with glass tiles and modern faucets
century—is a challenge, but not in and fixtures (top).
the way you might think. The tech-
nology is readily available, Horowitz way, upgrading an old house can
says, but budget limitations can significantly benefit both the environ-
complicate matters considerably. ment and the client—as it did in this
Building a home from the ground up case. “The occupants are comfort-
“achieves greater efficiency and higher able, the home isn’t drafty anymore,
levels of [energy] performance,” she and the livability is very much
admits, but if it’s done in the right improved.”—nigel f. maynard

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 17

k+b studio
kitchen:
n a t u r a l i n s ti n c t s

w William S. Duff Jr., AIA, and his clients approached eco-

friendliness in a holistic way at the Wheeler Residence in
Menlo Park, Calif. They wanted the entire house, including
the kitchen, to reflect a subtle yet strong environmental com-
mitment—one that happily co-existed with the architecture.
“The key notion of the project is that sustainability is fully
integrated into the design of the home,” Duff says.
To that end, he created an L-shaped, freestanding wall that
carves out room for the kitchen at the center of the house.
Because it sits within a large, open space, the wall also serves
to define a formal living room
and a main circulation spine.
It stops about 2 feet below the
ceiling, allowing natural breezes
to waft over the kitchen and up
through a cooling tower in the
adjacent family room. And the
wall’s lowered height lets ample
daylight into the space, lessen-
ing the need for electric light-
ing. Another key element of
Duff’s sustainable approach—a project: Wheeler Residence, Menlo Park,
radiant heat system powered Calif.
by a rooftop solar array—is
architect: William Duff Architects, San
embedded in floors of stained
Clerestory windows, Francisco
flyash concrete. The kitchen cabinetry and millwork consist
above and opposite,
of a mahogany veneer on a 98 percent recycled core, and all general contractor: Bay West Enter-
facilitate passive cooling,
and the home’s rooftop appliances are Energy Star–rated. prises, Redwood City, Calif.
holds both solar hot Like most modern families, the clients desired a casual landscape designer: T. Delaney/Seam
water and photovoltaic dining area in the kitchen. So Duff’s team cleverly attached Studio, San Francisco
panels. an engineered stone table at a 90 degree angle to the taller
resources: accordion doors: NanaWall
island, made of the same material. The effect suggests an an-
Systems; convection steam oven, vent
gular waterfall, and the table neatly divides the kitchen from
hood: Miele; countertops: CaesarStone
the family room. “The idea is that you get the same cascad- USA; dishwasher: Bosch Home Applianc-
ing volumes in the kitchen as elsewhere in the house,” Duff es; kitchen fittings and fixtures: Dornbracht
explains. —meghan drueding Americas, Julien, Kohler Co.; lighting
project continued on page 20 fixtures: DaSal Industries, LEDS–C4
(GROK); paints/stains/wall finishes: Dunn-
Edwards Corp., L.M. Scofield Co.; range,
wall ovens, warming drawer: Thermador;
refrigerator, wine chiller: Viking Range
Corp.; tile (glass): Ann Sacks Tile & Stone.

18 www.residentialarchitect.com residential architect / march . april 2010

 Accordion doors, left, link the kitchen
to the backyard and pool area, promot-
ing daylight and natural ventilation. A
2-foot gap between the kitchen walls
and ceiling, above, accomplishes a
similar feat.

Photos: Lucas Fladzinski / www.fladzinski.com

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 19

k+b studio
bath:
te a k ex p e r i e n c e

l
Like the kitchen in this Menlo
Park, Calif., house, the master
bath boasts a strong connection to
the outdoors. Architect William
S. Duff Jr., AIA, placed it next to
a private master suite garden that
uses a wooden fence and lush
landscaping to block the neigh-
bors’ view. Glass accordion doors
fold back to link the bathtub and
vanity area to the garden any time
the clients wish. When they crave
additional privacy, they can close
the doors and pull down built-in Photos: Matthew Millman
shades. The room draws plenty of
cross-ventilation via the large garden opening and an opposite-
side doorway leading from the master suite hallway to the
home’s backyard.
Duff chose materials that convey a sense of
harmony and order. Soothing green glass tiles clad
the freestanding tub, the vanity backsplash, and the
shower walls, continuing all the way up to the ceil-
ing and even extending to the strip of wall above the
accordion doors. Slate tile flooring echoes the gray
engineered quartz vanity top, which matches the
kitchen counters.
The slate segues into a series of teak slats that
start just outside the shower enclosure and envelop
the tub. They’re spaced slightly apart and sit atop
a hidden dropout and drain for collecting excess The home’s study, clad in wood composite pan-
water, “so you can step out of the bath or shower els, creates a protected courtyard that acts as an
al fresco extension of the master bath. Inside, a
and drip,” Duff explains. He and his team kept the consistent use of teak and tile in complementary
slats going right up the wall on the far side of the earth tones pulls the room together in a sooth-
tub. The combination of earthy teak and glossy ingly organic way.
tile achieves a perfect blend of warm and cool
tones, making the bath an ideal place to relax and resources: accordion doors: NanaWall Systems;
unwind. —m.d. bathroom fittings: waterdecor; bathroom fixtures:
Americh Corp. (Zuma Collection), Dornbracht Ameri-
cas, TOTO USA; countertops: CaesarStone USA;
flooring (slate): American Slate Co.; shades: Lutron
Electronics Co.; tile (glass): Original Style; towel
warmer: Myson.

20 www.residentialarchitect.com residential architect / march . april 2010

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practice

the trouble next door

how architects and their clients deal with obtructionist neighbors.

by cheryl weber, leed ap

w hen Ted
Flato, FAIA,
purchased a
classic old
San Antonio house and
painted it red, a longtime
resident of the neighbor-
hood wasted no time
expressing her disapproval.
“Aren’t there rules against
that?” she sniffed. The
house had been a dreadful
drab green that blended in
with the area’s enormous
oak trees. “Unbeknownst
to her, it had been scream-
ing for 90 years before we
showed up that it wanted to
be terra-cotta,” says Flato,
co-principal of Lake|Flato
Architects of San Antonio.
He chuckles about it
now. The confrontation was
unpleasant but harmless,
and Flato had her pegged
simply as someone who
resisted change. Luckily,
she didn’t start a neighbor-
hood petition demanding Edwin Fotheringham
a different color. Nor did
she put up a sign calling the If beauty is in the eye of come bearing a bottle of homeowners are even more
house an eyesore, assault the beholder, nowhere is wine, or a grudge? Density on edge, says attorney
the painters, or send in the that more evident than in and height are hot-button Randy Koenig, founding
lawyers, as many architects a residential community, issues, but so is architectural partner at Koenig Jacobsen,
have experienced on behalf where folks tend to defend style. Aesthetic choices, if Irvine, Calif. That’s true
of their clients. It seems ev- fiercely their perceived different than one’s own, particularly in rarefied areas
eryone has a story about the rights to space, views, or a can seem like an affront. such as coastal Califor-
neighbor from hell, suggest- certain style of architecture. And as the person adding nia, where lots are dense
ing that no one is immune Clients who purchase an something new to a neigh- and expensive, and views
from the person intent on empty lot never quite know borhood, it’s the architect directly affect their value.
derailing the construction of what to expect until it’s time who takes the heat. “The inclination of the
a house next door. to build. Will the neighbors In this fragile economy, continued on page 25

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 23

Go to http://resarch.hotims.com for more info
practice

owner and architect is to or large windows on their ing the view and state that
maximize the size of the side of the house. “When every property owner has
building envelope,” he we make that advance ap- a right to one primary
continues. “Therein lies proach, the review board view area. In Douglas
the conflict between the can’t say we didn’t try,” he Teiger’s experience, the
owner and the existing says. “If someone is unrea- system works pretty
homeowners. When prop- sonable, all you can hope well. On a recent project
erty value is the overarch- to do is soften them and in Malibu, Teiger, AIA,
ing concern, the decision let them know that you did a partner at Abramson
makers are more likely to the best you could with Teiger Architects, Culver
side with the neighbor.” their interests in mind.” City, Calif., erected story
That’s why an “our In many areas, good poles depicting a house’s
way or no way” attitude is manners are regulated by proposed silhouette. At
counterproductive, Koenig law. Stuart Cohen, FAIA, the neighbor’s request,
believes. It’s incumbent on works in Chicago’s North he was able to shift the
architects not only to do Shore suburbs, where bluff house’s location and
their homework, but also
to keep the clients’ expec- “forgiving landscapes are ones
tations flexible. He’s seen
at least one case where that are well-vegetated. but in the
a headstrong client sued
the architect for damages west, where one can see a trailer
when some aspect of the
design couldn’t be built. 30 miles away, those are the land-
It’s an expensive, lose-lose
situation—and one that scapes people really have an obli-
usually can be avoided.
gation to think about.”
the politics of
place —ted flato, faia
When scuffles do occur,
it’s often because neigh-
bors have come to think setbacks on Lake Michi- lower its height without
of the empty lot next door gan help to ensure that compromising the design.
as an extension of their new buildings don’t block When variances are
home. It’s up to the ar- lateral views. “While needed, Teiger shows the
chitect or review board to it’s possible to use fancy neighbors the drawings,
set them straight—gently. engineering to build right explains the reasons for
Offering an early olive to the edge of a ravine, I the request, and asks them
branch can help head off think the idea of protect- to sign off. “We try to be
an adversarial relationship, ing those kinds of natural diplomatic rather than
says Charles Cunniffe, features is important,” ramming it down their
AIA, Charles Cunniffe says Cohen, co-principal throats,” he says. “The
Architects, Aspen, Colo. of Stuart Cohen & Julie building department has
He talks to the neighbors Hacker Architects in an easier time granting a
on his clients’ behalf well nearby Evanston, Ill. request when the neigh-
before a design is pro- Posh enclaves, such bors support the project.”
posed (or sends a letter if as Malibu, Calif., have In contentious cases,
the neighbor lives else- strict rules to keep peace review boards revert to
where), offering to create between “alpha” neigh- cold, hard logic. Some
the appropriate screening bors. Planning guidelines jurisdictions use a Solo-
and to avoid putting lights dictate rules for establish- continued on page 26

residential architect / march . april 2010

practice

monesque approach called that there’s no guarantee of

“view equity” to determine approval, and his contract due diligence

g
whether a project should be clearly states that review
approved. “If the neigh- board decisions are beyond reat architectural minds seldom think alike,
bor has part of a view and his control. and neither do the neighbors. But, says
the new house has part of attorney Randy Koenig of Irvine, Calif.–
a view, and the two are under fire based Koenig Jacobsen, there are ways to
roughly equal, then they In a perfect world, appeal- resolve differences peaceably, or at least
tend to say equity has been ing to reason would nip a strategically.
served,” explains Anders nasty confrontation in the • Research what can be built on the site. Follow
Lasater, AIA, of Anders La- bud. But in real life, there’s the letter of the law, looking at existing structures to
sater Architects in Laguna no accounting for taste figure out what has a reasonable chance of getting
Beach, Calif. “They also or hostility. Bates Masi the green light. Identify the decision makers who will
look at the lots—are the + ARCHITECTS found approve the project.
sizes comparable, and does that out when it tried to • If you’re requesting variances or interpretations
this lot naturally have a build a new office on Main of gray areas, address those issues before you begin
better view than the neigh- Street in Sag Harbor, N.Y. design. Tell the architecture committee, building of-
bor’s? The board will often Co-principals Harry Bates ficial, or coastal commission that you’re working in
say the architect has done and Paul Masi, AIA, took a gray area and want to push the envelope to your
X, Y and Z, and that’s about the high road by designing client’s benefit.
all we can expect.” Still, a low-profile, LEED-ready • Be receptive, but set boundaries. “I heard a story
Lasater tries to limit his building that met zoning recently about a homeowner with waterfront property
risk by cautioning clients continued on page 28 continued on page 28

& Photo: Christine Kaartinen

tect: Rolfe Kaartinen | Designer
rd | Kaartinen Residence | Archi
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practice

regulations. The architects state judge finally ruled in

made some concessions, their favor. who called a town meeting that was attended by 35
such as removing the Cor- At its crux was the long- adjacent homeowners,” Koenig says. “The architect
Ten steel, and the project standing debate between tried so hard to please everyone that when he didn’t
passed three review board modern and traditional ar- comply with one request, it became a huge problem.”
hearings. But the hom- chitecture, and Bates Masi • Use leverage. Koenig recalls a tragic case in
eowner next door made life had some momentum on its which the owner, capitulating to some angry neigh-
difficult during a depress- side. The proposed build- bors, demolished and rebuilt part of the house after
ing, two-year skirmish ing has won several design it had been framed, at a cost of $1 million above
in which she tried every awards, and The New York budget. The owner sued the architect, and Koenig
possible legal foothold to Times’ former architecture successfully sued the homeowners’ association on
stop the project. In addition critic Paul Goldberger, who behalf of the architect. Closer scrutiny revealed that
to suing the town because it lives nearby, praised it in the original design was compliant after all. What’s
granted a building permit, letters to the local paper more, the association didn’t follow its own rules,
she and others stood out- and the town council. which required an architect on staff.
side the local supermarket “There is recent con- “Timing is critical,” Koenig says. “For the hom-
to rally support and yelled struction here mimicking eowners’ association to get a writ of junction to stop
at the firm’s employees the 18th-century saltbox, construction takes serious money. They want to avoid
when they shopped at the but it has nothing to do that, so our leverage is to appeal to cooler heads,
store, Masi says. The firm with today’s context—this such as a building official. Show examples of where
hired its own attorneys is no longer a fishing vil- similar projects were approved. No city or homeown-
to work with the town’s lage,” Masi says, defending ers’ association can act arbitrarily; they have to follow
attorneys, and in March a continued on page 30 their own rules.”—c.w.

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practice

his cube-shaped building employees could walk to errors. For Cobb, it was a
that nevertheless nods to lunch,” Masi says. “You wake-up call.
“when property
local tradition. Research don’t get rewarded for that, “We got through this
on the area’s old houses but I’m not discouraged.” by the skin of our teeth,
value is the over-
showed that the weathered If anyone can relate, it’s but the neighbor’s attorney
shingles were pulled off Eric Cobb, AIA, of E. Cobb couldn’t find a flaw,” Cobb
arching concern,
and flipped over to in- Architects in Seattle, who is says. “It’s a pretty scary
crease their lifespan. That just emerging from his own thing to think about—the
the decision
discovery inspired Masi showdown on a waterfront drawings aren’t just for
and Bates to devise a clip property. The fracas found plan reviewers to look at,
makers are more
system that allows their its way into the blogosphere but you also have motivated
building’s shingles to be when his client’s neighbor citizens going through doc-
likely to side with
used on both sides. erected on the nearby dock uments with their attorneys
This battle came out of an inflammatory sign in and looking to cause you
the neighbor.”
the blue, since Bates has large print and red type. a pile a trouble. Construc-
—randy koenig
been designing modern Worse, however, was the tion is not very precise—
homes in the Hamptons legal and psychological you might be ¼-inch over
since the 1960s. “We want- fallout when the neighbor the height limitations or a
ed to do something good for hired a land-use attorney to chunk of the house might
the community, and spent scrutinize all of the con- be too close to the property
time looking for property struction documents, look- line. We were so buttoned
close to the bus and train, ing for small infractions that up on our documents that
and in a place where our could indicate permitting continued on page 32

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practice

we were fine.” “when you’re building something ARCHITECTS applied

Lesson learned: Fol- for zoning relief when
low the rules and your you know will impact the neigh- it came up three parking
design instincts, Cobb says. spaces short on a 27-unit
“When you’re building bors, make sure you’re doing it in condominium in downtown
something you know will Washington, D.C. The
impact the neighbors, make a way you can justify and feel good open forum attracted the
sure you’re doing it in a owners of a penthouse to
way you can justify and about, and that it’s not gratuitous.” the east, who complained
feel good about, and that that the building would
it’s not gratuitous.” He lets —eric cobb, aia rise above their windows.
clients decide whether to In the end, “the advisory
involve the neighbors, since commission understood
he’s had mixed results on next door, decided to build educator role, but in high- that they didn’t represent
that score. Once, when he quickly. There were some density areas they report to the interests of the building
and his client explained minor altercations, Cobb a community of critics. To occupants,” says managing
their ideas, the neighbors says, but they passed. complicate things, debates partner Bill Bonstra, FAIA,
banded together to hire a over zoning issues that af- LEED AP. “Sometimes that
lawyer. “The advance warn- the slow sell fect everyone inadvertently gets blurred.”
ing couldn’t have hurt our Inclusivity is rarely option- give individuals a platform The firm won the case by
client more,” he says. An- al on multifamily projects. for airing their own self- demonstrating that because
other client, who had a poor Architects of single-family interests. In one recent ex- of the historic building’s
relationship with the owner homes can sidestep the ample, Bonstra | Haresign continued on page 34

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practice

small footprint and posi- “if the neighbor has part of a book exploring the theo-
tion, underground parking retical question of what
was impossible. “It’s best to view and the new house has part should be built next door.
develop a strategy for how Although the trumped-up
you’ll present your project of a view, and the two are roughly friction got on their nerves,
to the community and en- the architects understood
courage involvement rather equal, then they tend to say equity it as a publicity-seeking
than trying to circumvent opportunity for the MAK
it,” Bonstra says. “We make has been served.” Center, and the stir “helped
people part of the design us, as well, in marketing
process so they understand —anders lasater, aia exposure,” says Donnie
what we’re up against.” Schmidt, senior associ-
Gary L. Brewer, AIA, ate at LOHA. “It was an
a partner at Robert A.M. along slowly.” on Habitat 825, a much- apples and oranges type
Stern Architects, New York, When you put up a con- publicized 19-unit condo of discussion—one going
agrees with that approach. do building next to a prized project, before complet- down the path of reality,
“We joke that form follows landmark like the Schindler ing it in 2006. During that the others hypothetical. But
parking,” he says. “Get- House in West Hollywood, time, the architectural we embraced that discus-
ting the project built is the Calif., it can take years for community and the MAK sion and read the proposals.
most important thing, and everyone to have their say. Center, which operates the And as density increases,
it’s easier to get people to Lorcan O’Herlihy Archi- Schindler House, created a it’s critical that we engage
agree to what you’re pro- tects (LOHA), Culver City, hullabaloo that included a the community on these is-
posing if you bring them Calif., spent four years design competition and a continued on page 36

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 practice

sues.” (For more on Habitat “getting the project built is the placing it right on the river,
825, residential architect’s even when it’s good, is a
2009 Project of the Year, most important thing, and it’s dangerous thing to have
see pages 22–25 in the done. At first I thought,
March/April 2009 issue.) easier to get people to agree to ‘Hey, I like that thing.’ But
While nobody wants others found it offensive,
the neighbors designing what you’re proposing if you bring and they were right.”
clients’ houses, it’s an In the realm of residential
argument all architects can them along slowly.” design, though, almost any-
embrace on one level or thing goes, and it’s up to the
another. Whether it’s a cus- —gary l. brewer, aia homeowners to hide the of-
tom home or condo build- fending view. “I remember
ing, “part of the pleasure when we built something
of living in a house is that west, where one can see a among cottonwoods. Not for a client and someone
you’re respectful of a house trailer 30 miles away, those far down the river, a well- else built something horren-
next door or around the are the landscapes people known California architect dous next door,” Flato says.
corner,” Flato says, admit- really have an obligation to had designed a large boxy “We went back and added
ting that harmony is easier think about.” house on the water’s edge. more landscaping to try to
cled achieved in some parts of To illustrate the point, “It looks like the perfect fix what we had. Ultimately,
Recycled
ent the Content
country than others. Flato recalls designing a thing for a walkway in Ven- it’s the neighbor’s problem.
ED “Forgiving
LEEDlandscapes are house for his sister on the ice, Italy, each house yelling If they don’t like it, they
ones that are well-vegetat- Yellowstone River in Mon- and screaming and having have to figure out a way
ed,” he says. “But in the tana, which he partially hid a good time,” he says. “But around it.” ra

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 by b r u c e d. s n i d e r,
n i g e l f. m ay n a r d, a n d
meghan drueding

mid-century
modernized
lightly built and heavily consumptive, our early modern
houses are ripe for new millennium remodels.

new mor ning

j
ulie Dowling, AIA, had only to lay eyes on Tiburon House
to see that the residence needed significant rehabilitation.
But she also recognized what a strong candidate she had on
her hands. “It was a classic mid-century California house,”
the San Francisco–based architect explains, with “long, lean
lines, cantilevered overhangs, and the indoor/outdoor feeling
that was a general feature of mid-century houses.” So while her
interventions yielded a functionally new house, she says, in spirit,
“this was a project of editing, not adding.” The outcome reflects
both Dowling’s sensitivity to her subject and the enduring appeal
of mid-century modernism, even in an era of heightened environ-
mental concern.
Dowling retained the building’s H-shaped floor plan, which
embraces a public courtyard to the east and a private pool deck to
the west, but cleared a nest of interior partitions to create an open
kitchen/dining/family room at the house’s center. “The idea was
to open up the house to this great, funky kidney-shaped pool,”
says Dowling, who thickened one interior wall of the space with
flush storage cabinets, leaving clear sight lines to the pool area.

40 www.residentialarchitect.com residential architect / march . april 2010

 Originally divided into four small rooms, the
kitchen/dining/family space sweeps cleanly
from a private courtyard to the pool deck. The
main entry, via sliding glass doors (opposite),
is mid-century California casual.

project: Tiburon House, Tiburon, Calif.

architect: Dowling Kimm Studios, San Francisco
general contractor: Paul White Construction,
Santa Rosa, Calif.
project size: 3,500 square feet (before and after)
site size: 1 acre
construction cost: $350 per square foot
photography: Matthew Millman

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 41

mid-century
modernized

performance upgrades
• Light-colored “cool roof”
• Photovoltaic-powered pool equipment
• High-efficiency heat pump
• Low-VOC finishes and wool carpeting
• Cabinetry material produced from scrap wood
• New windows with solar-control low-E glazing

42 www.residentialarchitect.com residential architect / march . april 2010

 Aluminum-frame sliding glass doors wrap the
corner living room (opposite, above), opening
to elevated views of the San Francisco Bay. An
open interior gives the kitchen (opposite, below)
three directions of exposure. High glazing (right)
brings daylight deep into the house.

She gave equal consideration to the site’s expansive

San Francisco Bay view, replacing punched openings
at the living room and master bedroom with wall-
spanning aluminum sliding doors.
One remnant of 1960s exuberance sacrificed without
remorse was the pitched roof that crowned the house’s
midsection. “It was a Pizza Hut,” remembers Dowling,
who replaced the awkward form with a flat roof that
steps up from the kitchen to the dining/family area.
High glazing facing the pool “brings more light into
the most interior sections of the house,” she points
out. In keeping with the original layout, guests enter
informally, via a sliding glass door to the living room.
“This is such a quintessential California home,” she
observes. “There are so many opportunities to have
an indoor/outdoor existence.”
The Marin County climate cooperates in that
regard. “About nine months of the year you can leave
all the doors open, and the temperature inside is just
perfect,” she says. The greening of this remodel,
therefore, began with a head start in energy conserva-
tion. Still, its all-new mechanical systems, lighting,
windows, reflective white roof, and photovoltaic-
powered pool equipment improve significantly on
the original spec.
Interior materials represent a sustainable update of
the 1960s palette. “The fireplace is clad in ceramic
tile reminiscent of the split stone that was used in
mid-century modern homes,” Dowling points out.
The cabinetry picks up the tile’s striated pattern with
a material called Echo Wood. “It’s a reconstituted
veneer material,” she explains. “It’s actually white
oak, but it’s made from waste materials.” Wood
floors are engineered walnut; carpet and padding,
100 percent wool. All finishes are low-VOC. That the
freshness of this project runs more than skin deep is
a measure of both the vision of the original design
and Dowling’s skilled, enthusiastic effort “to take
this great structure, bring out all these great features,
and add what was missing.”—b.d.s.

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 43

mid-century
modernized

ranch revival

w hether it’s a faux Mediter-

ranean McMansion in Florida
or a ranch in California, a tract
home typically doesn’t conjure
up design excellence. There’s just something
about historical pastiche and cookie-cutter
repetition that feels soulless. So when a pair
of design-savvy house hunters found and
purchased this tract home in El Cerrito, Calif.,
they called on Emeryville, Calif.–based Ohashi
Design Studio to tap its unrealized potential.
Built sometime in the 1960s, the ranch was
nothing special. It had an uninspired entrance,
an unfortunate sunroom addition, and a con-
voluted floor plan with a tangle of dark rooms.
In addition to a more streamlined design and
light-filled interiors, “the clients wanted a house
that was better suited for entertaining,” says
principal Alan Ohashi, AIA. They also wanted
to rectify the ranch’s most egregious flaw—its
failure to exploit the view to San Francisco Bay
and the Golden Gate Bridge. Energy efficiency
was a major programmatic requirement, but
the couple insisted it be seamlessly integrated.
“They wanted to take advantage of any new
energy efficiency technology available, but they
wanted a beautiful house more than anything
else, so the technologies had to work with the
design,” Ohashi explains.
Rectifying a past wrong, Ohashi Design Studio opened up this ’60s To preserve the context of the neighborhood,
ranch to water views and improved its energy efficiency with new insu- Ohashi and his wife and design principal, Joy,
lation, in-floor radiant heating, tankless water heaters, and an entirely retained the house’s front portion containing the
new mechanical system (above). Sliding Douglas fir doors with rice bedrooms, garage, and breakfast area and razed
paper glass provide dining privacy when desired (top).
the rest. They organized the rebuilt structure in a
large, open plan, with delineations for the main
spaces and floor-to ceiling glass to promote
views and light. They improved the building
envelope with new insulation and topped it
with a standing seam metal roof integrated with
thin-film solar panels to supplement grid depen-
dence. Radiant tubes embedded in the custom-

44 www.residentialarchitect.com residential architect / march . april 2010

 Canadian cedar, granite pavers,
and sandblasted glass doors
greet visitors on approach (top).
Walnut millwork, a border of
black river rocks, and a band of
spotted gum flooring create an
eclectic mix inside (below).

project: East Bay Hills Residence,

El Cerrito, Calif.
architect: Ohashi Design Studio,
Emeryville, Calif.
general contractor: Creative
Spaces, Oakland, Calif.
project size: 2,230 square feet
(before); 2,435 square feet (after)
site size: Approximately 0.2 acre
construction cost: $400 per
square foot
photography: John Sutton

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 45

mid-century
modernized

colored concrete floor provide heating, and

on-demand water heaters fitted with recirculat-
ing pumps further promote efficiency. The firm
also added obligatory Energy Star appliances
and dual-flush toilets.
Ohashi says the clients’ fondness for
materiality—most notably their “love of un-
finished wood with character” and other tactile
characteristics—drove many of the firm’s
design decisions. Showcased materials include
white cedar at the entrance and rear, red cedar
interior paneling, luminescent tile encasing the
fireplace, and striated ceramic in the baths.
The completed project not only gave the
clients the view-embracing, energy-efficient
house they had craved, it also proved a bell-
wether for the firm. “This project is one of our
earliest experiences with using sustainable
design principles, and we’re happy with the
way we were able to integrate them into the
design,” the architect says. “Every project we
do now employs as many sustainable strategies
as possible.”—n.f.m.

The revamped entry sequence and

street elevation are much more
pleasing from the curb (above), while
thin-film photovoltaic panels applied
to the standing-seam metal roof cre-
ate a 3-kilowatt system that’s largely
hidden in plain sight (right).

46 www.residentialarchitect.com residential architect / march . april 2010

 The kitchen is a warm but modern
blend of walnut cabinets, quartz
counters, and stainless steel appli-
ances (top). A floor-to-ceiling alu-
minum and glass system permits
abundant light and offers views to
the Golden Gate Bridge (below).

performance upgrades
• Newly insulated building
envelope
• Galvanized standing seam
metal roof with an integrated
3-kilowatt photovoltaic solar
system
• Double-glazed Energy
Star–rated windows
• Radiant heating embedded
in concrete floors
• Tankless water heaters
• Recirculating hot water
• Dual-flush toilets
• Low-flow faucets and
showerheads
• Energy Star–rated appliances
• Certified renewable Canadian
cedar

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 47

mid-century
modernized

The Terrys scooped out spaces on

the existing house’s rear elevation
(see before photo, opposite, top
right) to make way for a porch and
a balcony. An expanded exterior
stair (opposite, top left) becomes a
funnel for natural light, and an ipe
skin redefines both the rear and
front (opposite, bottom) elevations.

48 www.residentialarchitect.com residential architect / march . april 2010

 project: Choy Residence, San
Francisco
architect: Terry & Terry Architec-
ture, Berkeley, Calif.
general contractor: Quick Con-
nect Construction, San Rafael, Calif.
structural engineer: Santos &
Urrutia Structural Engineers, San
Francisco
most improve d project size: 2,500 square feet

a
(before), 2,300 square feet (after)
ccording to architect Alex Terry, site size: 0.07 acre
AIA, 1960s-era houses in San Fran- construction cost: withheld
cisco tend to share some common photography: Ethan Kaplan
problems. “A lot of them are maxed Photography
out,” he notes, referring to homes that are built
right up to the property line. “They’re quite
large and boxy much of the time. It makes you
think, maybe we could use some of this square
footage for outside space.”
That’s exactly what he and his brother and
business partner Ivan Terry did at this remodel
of a bland 1963 house in the city’s Noe Valley
neighborhood. The original building had a
cluttered, confusing floor plan that took no
notice of available views and provided little
access to the outdoors. With their client’s
blessing, the Terrys opted to gut the interiors,
keeping the home’s shell and floor structure.
They shifted the public areas to the north
end of the top floor and opened up that level,
the better to take in San Francisco’s justly
famous scenery. And they removed volumes
on the back of the house, replacing them
with a balcony and a terrace that connect the
2,300-square-foot house with its formerly
neglected yard. “We actually made the new
footprint smaller, to get the outdoor space,”
Alex Terry explains. “We made it a tube
instead of a box.”
A dark outdoor entry stair was enlarged to
form a pocket of light and air in the center of
the house. Alternatively, the owners can reach
the main floor via a new, skylit interior stair
entered at the garden level. Along with the
outdoor rooms and the bounty of glass on the
rear, north-facing wall, the brothers used an
additional passive cooling strategy: a double
exterior wall. They designed the home’s ipe
cladding to sit 3/16 of an inch away from the
structural wall, creating an air gap. When

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 49

mid-century
modernized

main
i llevell main level (before)

street level street level (before)

lower level lower level (before)

50 www.residentialarchitect.com residential architect / march . april 2010

 The home’s newly established ties to the
outdoors affect each and every space. A top-
floor skylight pulls natural light into the interior
stairwell (right), while generous windows allow for
daylight and views in spaces such as the kitchen/
dining/living room (opposite) and the master bath
(below). The designers created a sense of conti-
nuity by bringing the ipe siding inside the house.
“Ipe is a very durable material,” says architect
Alex Terry. “It will last 30 years or so.”

sunshine warms the ipe, the hot air that results

dissipates up through the gap, rather than
transferring directly to the house.
The client hopes to generate power on site
in the future, so the Terrys and builder Perry
Fong included as much infrastructure as they
could. They angled the roof slightly and built
in conduits and mounts to prepare it for the
eventual installation of 56-inch-by-25-inch
solar panels. And they ran a drain from the
roof to the basement to facilitate future rain-
water collection for garden irrigation.
A steel moment frame strengthens the back
portion of the house, which didn’t meet code
before the renovation. With this structural re-
inforcement, as well as a newly durable skin,
forward-thinking eco-features, and calm inte-
rior spaces, the once-throwaway building has
evolved into a bastion of permanence.—m.d.

performance upgrades
• Increased daylighting and natural ventilation
• Double exterior wall for passive cooling
• Overhangs to protect against wind and sun
• Rainwater collection and solar panel
infrastructure in place
• High-efficiency water heater and furnace
• Reuse of majority of existing structure

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 51

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doctor spec

reclaimed from what?

products made from recycled content require careful scrutiny.

by nigel f. maynard products derived from

waste is murky. All recy-

a t first glance, using

recycled-content
building products
seems like a win-win
proposition. Diverting
cled-content products aren’t
created equal: A product
might be made from waste,
but it might have off-
gassing properties or it may
waste from landfills is a require more maintenance.
noble deed, and saving As a result, architects must
natural resources is equally spec carefully.
commendable. No wonder Even architects with
green advocates push this a known affinity for
specification strategy. sustainable design and
“The materials in our re- products view the current
cycling bins ... are the raw marketplace with wari-
materials for recycled-con- ness. “Recycled-content
tent products,” argues the products are a very small Courtesy Klip BioTechnologies
Santa Cruz, Calif.–based part of my work,” says Recycled-content products such as EcoTop are starting to gain
nonprofit environmental Jeff Sties, AIA, LEED AP, widespread attention. The product is made from a 50/50 blend of
group Ecology Action. principal of SUNBIOSIS in FSC-certified post-consumer recycled paper and bamboo fiber.
Incorporating recycled- Charlottesville, Va. Sties, a
content building materials, former materials researcher able in practice. “There’s a standards for building ma-
the group says, reduces for William McDonough + disconnect between what’s terials and other products.
waste, and helps eliminate Partners, says the market advocated and what’s best, According to founder Mari-
pollution. for such products is better and it comes from wanting lyn Black, LEED AP, the in-
The California Depart- than it used to be but he to promote green products,” stitute isn’t fully convinced
ment of Resources Re- believes more needs doing. he explains. “Oftentimes of the merits of some of the
cycling and Recovery’s Frankly, he adds, “There we are putting things in products being marketed as
economic argument says aren’t a lot of products our houses we shouldn’t recycled. “While we fully
that buying these products that I consider to be good be or recycling things that support efforts to use prod-
begets markets for the enough.” shouldn’t be recycled.” As ucts made from recycled
collected materials that are Eric Corey Freed, an example, Freed points content, it’s critical that we
used to manufacture new LEED AP, principal of to flooring that’s made evaluate and understand the
products, which creates organicARCHITECT in from vulcanized rubber or potential health impacts of
jobs and strengthens the San Francisco and Palm recycled-waste tires. “It’s these products before using
economy. Even LEED for Springs, Calif., tends to fine for outdoor use, but it them,” she says. Flyash is
Homes, in section MR 2.2, agree. “This might surprise shouldn’t be used inside be- but one example. Used in
advocates products contain- people, but using recycled- cause of air quality issues.” concrete, flyash is widely
ing recycled content. content products is pretty Indoor pollution is a ma- believed to be safe because
low on my priority list” jor concern for the GREEN- it’s “locked” into the cured
check sources when doing a house, he GUARD Environmental concrete. But it should not
But like most choices as- says. The approach sounds Institute, an industry-in- be used in drywall or ceil-
sociated with sustainable good in theory, he explains, dependent nonprofit that ing tiles, the group says,
building, the issue of using but may not always be vi- establishes acceptable continued on page 56

residential architect / march . april 2010 www.residentialarchitect.com 55

products
doctor spec

because the heavy metals ers’] own factories,” he

in the ash could be released says. “It’s the low-hanging
into the indoor air in the fruit.” His preferred alterna-
form of dust. tive is products made with
AMD Architecture prin- post-consumer waste. Post-
cipal Angela M. Dean, AIA, consumer means that “this
LEED AP, definitely consid- material was reclaimed
ers her client’s health when from the built environment
she specs products, but she and suggests a new busi-
says other issues—durabil- ness model, as well as a
ity, life cycle cost, environ- new product,” he explains.
mental impact—come into But even architects who
play as well. “We typically vet materials with rigor
place recycled products agree the market has worth-
higher on the list than non- while offerings. Dean’s list
recycled, but only if they of favorites includes cel-
meet the previous criteria,” lulose insulation made from Courtesy Coverings ETC

the Salt Lake City–based newsprint, flyash concrete, Available as slabs or large 48-inch-by-48-inch tiles, Eco-Cem is made
architect explains. composite lumber, and from 80 percent cement and 20 percent recycled paper. It’s heat resis-
Doug Graybeal, AIA, metal roofing. Graybeal tant up to 500 degrees Farenheit and comes in eight soft-tone colors.
principal of Graybeal is a fan of cellulose and
Architects in Carbondale, reclaimed wood siding, and perpetuity, never entering effects, and what happens
Colo., also takes a holistic Freed likes composite deck- the waste stream. Some at the end of its life. “These
approach to his material ing made with shopping exist, but the idea is to questions don’t have clear
decisions. He considers bags and wood pallets. develop more. answers, but that’s OK,” he
recycled-content products Among other offerings, Whatever product you says. What matters is that
in his equation, but other you can now buy flooring use, those at GREEN- they “raise issues and start
factors take priority. “We’re made from reconstituted GUARD recommend a care- a dialogue.”
always looking at salvaged, leather scraps and panels ful screening process. “As In the end, Freed says he
reclaimed, recycled- made from renewable or a rule of thumb, be wary of makes choices that stay true
content, and recyclable reclaimed agricultural recycled-content products to his priorities. “I’d prefer
materials, but we also byproducts. Tile and coun- that are made from materi- something that’s healthy
look at whether or not it’s tertop products are two of als whose original purpose and nontoxic rather than
recycled at the same level at the richest categories. Tile was something other than something made with 100
the end of its life,” he says. manufacturers have always close contact/indoor use— percent recycled vinyl or
Material comparisons also reused their production such as an automotive tire plastic,” he explains.
must consider factors such castoffs, but many now use being ‘recycled’ into floor- If sustainability “is ever
as “what kinds of chemicals up to 100 percent curbside ing,” Black warns. going to mean anything,”
are included in the content,” glass, aircraft aluminum, Freed, author of recently Sties says, “we must em-
he adds. and salvaged bricks. released Green$ense: Rat- brace the cradle-to-cradle
These days, recycled- The notion of recycled ing the Real Payoff from 50 design flow from a materi-
content products are hard content may not yet be Green Home Projects (The als standpoint.” And yet
to ignore. Manufacturers, fully formed, but it’s a Taunton Press), has his own he cautions that recycled-
trying to capitalize on the step in the right direction, process for product assess- content products may not
green zeitgeist, are adding architects say. “It gets to ment. Some of the ques- always be the best option.
their own waste material the root of what [William] tions he asks: Where does If given a choice between
to products and market- McDonough is doing with the material come from? “a recycled-content product
ing them as green. It’s not cradle-to-grave and cradle- What are the byproducts of from California and a local-
exactly cheating, Sties says, to-cradle,” Graybeal says. its manufacture? How is it ly sourced virgin product,”
but it’s not far off. “Postin- McDonough envisions a delivered and installed? He the Virginia-based architect
dustrial recycling is usually database of materials that also inquires about main- argues, “I choose the virgin
scrap from [manufactur- are recycled or reused into tenance, potential health every time.” ra

56 www.residentialarchitect.com residential architect / march . april 2010

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t
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march . april 2010 / residential architect

ad index
advertiser page phone no. website/e-mail
AZEK Deck 58 - www.azek.com
CertainTeed 35 800-233-8990 www.ctlivingspaces.com
ClimateMaster 16 877-477-7844 www.climatemaster.com
Cosella-Dorken 27 888-433-5824 www.delta-dry.com
ECR* 32a-b 315-7971310 www.freewatt.com
Ebuild 52 - www.ebuild.com
Feeney Architectural Products 1, 36 800-888-2418 www.feeneyarchitectural.com
GAF-Elk 13 - www.gaf.com
Grohe 21 - www.groheamerica.com
Guradian ShowerGuard 37 - www.guardianshowerguard.com
Hanley Wood University 33 - www.ArchitectCES.com
Inspire Roofing by The Tapco Group 29 - www.theTapcoGroup.com
JELD-WEN Windows & Doors C3 800-877-9482 ext.12519 www.jeldwen.com/12519
Knauf Insulation C4 800-825-4434 ext.8300 www.knaufinsulation.us
LiftMaster 22 - www.liftmaster.com
LiteSteel Beam 30 - www.LiteSteelbeam.com
LP SolidStart LSL 5 888-820-0325 www.LPCorp.com
Ludowici 10 - www.LudoSlate.com
Marvin Windows and Doors 24 800-236-9690 www.myMarvin.com
Marvin Windows and Doors 25 800-236-9690 www.marvin.com/inspired
Modern Fan Company 4 - www.modernfan.com
Norbord 54 - www.tallwallosb.com
Panasonic 32 - www.panasonic.com/estar2010
Pella 6 888-644-EXPO www.thePROEXPO.com
PERC 31 - www.buildwithpropane.com/training
Residential Architect Online 38 - www.residentialarchitect.com
Rheem 3 - www.rheem.com
Simpson Strong-Tie 8 800-999-5099 www.strongtie.com/strongwall
SoftPlan 2 800-248-0164 www.softplan.com
Spark Modern Fires 26 866-938-3846 www.sparkfires.com
Sunbrella 39 - www.sunbrella.com/builder
The Tapco Group 57 - www.theTapcoGroup.com
ThyssenKrupp Access 53 800-829-9760 www.tkaccess.com
US Tile C2 - www.ustile.com
Versatex 63 724-857-1111 www.versatex.com
White River 28 800-558-0119 www.WhiteRiver.com
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* Issue mailed in regional editions.

62 www.residentialarchitect.com residential architect / march . april 2010

 R

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 space
workspace

bell architects
washington, d.c.
www.bellarc.com

t Two years ago BELL Architects was running out of room

for its 14-person staff, so firm leadership felt the time

had come to buy a building. The Washington, D.C.–

based architects specialize in preservation and adaptive

reuse with a sustainable focus, so naturally, they bought

a 4,500-square-foot, circa late

1880s row house. “We had

our choice of five buildings

that were available,” explains

principal T. David Bell, AIA,

LEED AP. “This one”—located

in the city’s newly revitalized

Northwest section near the

convention center—“was in the worst condition, but we

chose it because it already had power.”

Using a combination of salvaged and reuse strategies,

BELL tightened the envelope with foam insulation, re- Photos: Anice Hoachlander

stored the staircase with replicated pieces, renovated the original windows, refinished the pine floors, exposed the

beams, and commissioned a new reception desk. A sleek kitchen contains a document storage area with paper-

based and steel countertops, and for added flair, the front door is painted in eye-catching electric blue. Says

Bell: “We wanted to be historic, but we also wanted to be bold.”—nigel f. maynard

64 www.residentialarchitect.com residential architect / march . april 2010

 At JELD-WEN, sustainability is nothing new. m ways to develop high-performance, high-value
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