Domestic prototype

In the wake of the global realignment brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, Riverhouse emerged as a deeply personal exploration of domesticity. Situated within a protected river corridor in rural Rhode Island, the project reflects broader cultural shifts toward slower living, environmental consciousness and closer engagement with nature. Designed as both family residence and experimental retreat, the house reconsiders how architecture can support evolving modes of living, working and gathering.

Originally occupying the site was a deteriorating summer structure that had hosted a series of informal architecture camps since 2014. These gatherings brought together architects, collaborators and families in an environment centered around dialogue, collective reflection and shared living. Over time, the fragile building became increasingly unsustainable, prompting the architects to envision a new dwelling capable of preserving the spirit of the site while responding to contemporary environmental and spatial demands.

 

Domestic Prototype

The new residence occupies the footprint of the original structure while introducing a compact yet highly articulated architectural form. Elevated to comply with floodplain regulations, the house balances technical rigor with an atmosphere of informality and warmth. Conceived according to Passive House principles, the project incorporates triple-glazed openings, heavily insulated wall assemblies and rooftop photovoltaic systems with battery storage, allowing the building to operate entirely on electricity while minimizing year-round energy consumption.

Rather than emphasizing technological performance as an end in itself, the project integrates environmental systems seamlessly within the architectural language. The design maximizes natural ventilation and daylight through strategically positioned apertures, while outdoor rooms, terraces and roof gardens extend domestic life into the surrounding landscape. The architecture negotiates openness and enclosure through a sequence of carefully calibrated spatial conditions that reinforce the connection between interior and exterior environments.

The distinctive geometry of the house emerged through an iterative process of physical model-making. A folded blue metal roof descends asymmetrically across the facades, producing a diagonal ridgeline that creates dynamic sectional relationships throughout the interior. This manipulation of volume allows for double-height spaces, mezzanine rooms and carved outdoor courtyards that bring light deep into the plan while framing views toward the river and surrounding forest.

 

 

Material Palette

Material selection played a central role in shaping the identity of the project. Thermally modified ash wood cladding, unfinished plywood surfaces and handmade Lebanese tiles introduce tactile richness while maintaining a restrained material palette. Vibrant window frames punctuate the muted exterior composition, echoing the changing colors of the surrounding vegetation throughout the seasons.

Inside, the house is organized around a spacious communal living area designed for both everyday inhabitation and collective gathering. Storage systems are embedded within the architectural envelope to maintain spatial clarity, while each room is dimensioned with precision to maximize efficiency without sacrificing comfort. The spatial organization privileges adaptability and fluidity, allowing domestic routines, work and social activities to coexist seamlessly.

The project evolved through an extended process of collaboration involving architects, designers, artists and craftspeople. These interventions blur the boundaries between architecture, interiors and objects, reinforcing the house’s role as a continuously evolving environment shaped through collective authorship.

Construction itself became part of the project’s narrative. Built incrementally within a modest budget, the project relied heavily on the involvement of friends, collaborators and local builders. The process unfolded gradually, with many contributors living alongside the project as it took shape, reinforcing the architects’ broader understanding of architecture as a social and participatory act.

 

 

Design Philosophy

Beyond its role as a private residence, the project operates as an ongoing platform for exchange, experimentation and dialogue. Continuing the legacy of the original architecture camps, the project supports gatherings that foster conversation around architecture, ecology and collective living. A second phase currently underway introduces a pavilion, swimming pool and gardens intended to accommodate future communal events and workshops.

In this sense, Riverhouse belongs to a lineage of architect-designed experimental houses that function simultaneously as homes and spatial manifestos. Yet unlike historical precedents centered on formal autonomy, this project responds directly to contemporary concerns surrounding climate adaptation, evolving family structures and the redefinition of domestic space in an increasingly uncertain world.

The result is a residence that resists the notion of retreat as isolation. Instead, the project proposes an architecture rooted in openness, resilience and environmental sensitivity – a carefully inhabited structure that remains unfinished in the most productive sense: continuously adapting, evolving and engaging with the people and landscape that surround it.

 

 

Refined Materiality

This generational home was designed as a gathering place for an international client’s extended family. A longtime appreciator of modern design, the owner was looking to carefully craft a biophilic living space for his wife and young twins, as well as a home to entertain and host visiting friends and family.

 

Design Philosophy

The private site is situated on a flag lot, surrounded by open space with mature perimeter trees and vegetation. The 455m² structure consists of two forms layered perpendicularly. On the ground level, a kitchen, dining, and family room flow naturally into outdoor living spaces, centered around a passively cooled double-height living room that pulls cold air from lower levels to the warmer second story via strategically placed windows. A covered patio at the rear of the house and trellis at the front foster a sense of openness; the surrounding scenery is framed thoughtfully by architecture, becoming almost transparent.

The L-shaped structure nestles a protected, private courtyard and pool between the house and hillside, which directly connects to the guest suite. The suite is thoughtfully designed as a space for the client’s visiting parents. Supported by the lower level on one end and the hillside on the other, the private second floor is balanced gracefully atop its lower counterpart. The primary suite lightly floats above a grove of mature oaks, overlooking distant views of the San Francisco Bay to the north. On the opposite end, the twins’ rooms mirror each other as to “not to favor one over the other”, equally divided by a shared study nook.

 

 

Functional Organization

A double height stone clad fireplace connects the first and second floors, and wood slats splash patterns of daylight onto a rich material palette. A subterranean level houses the office, guest room, and nanny suite, complimented by lightwells that welcome natural light into each space. The office connects via an outdoor staircase to the covered patio -a primary outdoor gathering space for friends and family, with a fireplace and moveable wood slatted screens allowing flexibility to control exposure to southern sunlight.

 

 

Material Palette

The home’s materiality is subtle and refined, allowing natural textures to create visual contrast. The exterior is clad with bush-hammered travertine and reclaimed Ulin wood siding. A simple, warm interior palette of white oak paneling, black laminate, and white marble with brass accents allows the surrounding landscape to add color and light. Understated, comfortable furnishings accented with the daughter’s hand sketches create a warm, open, materially rich space deeply and intimately connected to the site and its occupants.

 

Programmatic coexistence

“Just Don’t Call it a Lab”

The Warren Woods Ecological Field Station, designed for the University of Chicago’s Department of Ecology and Evolution, constitutes the first certified Passive House laboratory facility in North America. With a total surface area of 220m², the building demonstrates how research environments can meet rigorous energy-performance standards while simultaneously supporting scientific inquiry, education, and community engagement. Situated within a 42-acre site in southwest Michigan, it establishes a framework for addressing critical questions related to ecology and human adaptation in the Anthropocene.

 

Programmatic Integration

The facility accommodates a fully equipped laboratory, seminar space, bathrooms, and a compact kitchen. A second-floor loft and an accessible roof deck provide flexible areas for retreats and collective activities, while three adjacent bunkhouses and a wash house support seasonal programs. The interior spaces are carefully daylit, balancing the technical requirements of scientific equipment with occupant comfort. This duality allows advanced research processes to coexist with the stringent demands of Passive House performance.

 

 

Environmental Strategy

Energy efficiency and programmatic complexity inform every aspect of the design. Laboratory spaces are strategically located in the cooler northwest corner of the building to counterbalance the heat generated by plant-growth chambers, ultra-low-temperature freezers, and DNA extraction equipment. A deep roof overhang mitigates solar gain on west-facing glazing, while a comprehensive ventilation system captures and redistributes or exhausts waste heat according to seasonal needs, ensuring optimal indoor environmental conditions.

 

 

Material Palette

The building is articulated through a combination of a long shed roof, expansive south-facing glazing, and operable perforated-metal screens that regulate solar exposure throughout the year. A super-insulated concrete slab contributes to thermal stability, maintaining consistent interior temperatures. The exterior is clad in distressed cedar siding, wrapping a series of abstract geometric volumes that anchor the structure within its wooded context while simultaneously expressing its technological and scientific character.

As both a research infrastructure and a prototype for sustainable design, the Warren Woods Ecological Field Station establishes a new paradigm for high-performance laboratory architecture in remote environments, aligning technical precision with ecological responsibility.

 

Quiet retreat

The project was conceived as a serene extension of a family home, offering a place for movement, relaxation, and quiet retreat.

 

Design Philosophy

Set among mature trees, it balances openness with a sense of refuge, creating an environment shaped by light, calm, and connection to nature. Positioned above the sloping terrain, the pavilion touches the ground lightly, supported by slender columns. Existing trees are preserved and incorporated into the outdoor spaces, reinforcing the sense of immersion in the landscape.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The structure forms a counterpart to the existing residence, defining an outdoor courtyard used as a central gathering space. Inside, the rooms are arranged around a warm, timber volume, with expansive openings that allow the surrounding landscape to frame each interior area.

The 1970s stucco-clad suburban home is connected via a bridge leading to the pavilion, which includes areas for exercise, rest, and small-scale gatherings. A fitness room, sauna, bathroom, and flexible multi-purpose space are linked to the house by a bridge. The elevated deck extends the interior outward and creates additional zones for leisure.

Material Palette

The interior emphasizes natural tones and soft textures, allowing daylight to guide the atmosphere throughout the day. Exposed structural elements filter sunlight from above, creating subtle patterns that echo the surrounding canopy. Finally, existing redwood and oak trees puncture the new deck, structuring space as much as the walls of the pavilion itself.

 

 

Vibrant hub

Walker Hall is an adaptive reuse of a 1927 building at the core of the University of California, Davis campus. The project transforms a vacant, seismically unsafe building into a graduate and professional student center with meeting rooms, a lecture hall, and active-learning classrooms that serve the entire campus.

 

Design Philosophy

Walker Hall exemplifies the power of revitalization by transforming an abandoned into a vibrant academic and social center. The project preserves the character of the 1927 structure while introducing modern learning environments, symbolizing continuity between the university’s history and its forward-looking academic vision.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The original two-story north wing now houses student lounges, meeting areas, and offices. The three southern wings, formerly used for agricultural engineering workshops, have been repurposed into a lecture hall and two flexible classrooms. The redesign establishes a clear hierarchy between community spaces and academic functions, ensuring seamless movement through the building.

The project supports graduate students’ academic and personal growth with spaces for mentoring, advising, and social interaction. The flexible learning rooms integrate advanced media technologies, turning former machine shops into dynamic “toolboxes” for contemporary, interdisciplinary education.

 

 

Materials & Sustainability

Original structural elements such as steel trusses, concrete columns, and finishes were retained and highlighted. New facades, solar collectors, and steel shading devices express a dialogue between the industrial heritage of the building and its new sustainable identity.

The design responds to the hot, dry climate of California’s Central Valley with shaded openings and efficient systems. The building connects to the campus through visible transparency and sustainable performance, achieving LEED Platinum certification and zero net electricity use.

 

Floating box

The project was designed as a floating residence for clients who desired a compact, functional, and contemporary living environment on Lake Union in Seattle. The proposal draws from Seattle’s tradition of floating homes, reimagined through a modern lens that emphasizes efficiency, light, and a strong connection to the water.

 

Design Philosophy

The design is firmly rooted in the cultural and physical context of Seattle’s floating communities. It balances innovation with tradition, embodying the adaptability required for life on the water. The project celebrates the city’s history of alternative housing while embracing modern design principles.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The boat is organized over two primary decks, with open-plan living spaces oriented toward large, glazed openings. The relationship between interior and exterior spaces was a guiding principle, ensuring constant connection to the water and views beyond.

The lower deck accommodates bedrooms and private areas, while the upper deck features a light-filled living room, kitchen, and dining space. An exterior stair leads to a rooftop deck, maximizing outdoor living and providing panoramic views across Lake Union. The layout balances compactness with openness, using efficient planning strategies to ensure comfort within a small footprint.

 

 

Material Palette

The material strategy combines marine-grade steel, durable cladding, and warm timber finishes. Steel construction ensures longevity in the marine environment, while wood elements provide domestic warmth. Large windows and skylights maximize natural light, emphasizing transparency and reflection.

 

Desert and city

Located on a three-quarter-acre parcel with views of the Las Vegas Strip to the east and Red Rock Canyon to the west, this site endures strong winds, cold, dry winters, and harsh, hot summers with monsoon rainstorms. Protection from the sun and wind, as well as durability and privacy were the simple constraints that shaped the formal direction and materiality of the house.

 

Design Philosophy

The residence repeats the spare behavior of the desert in material and form. A subtractive process left a wind-protected court to the east and provided an opportunity for an elevated basin of water that mirrors the dimensions of the living space. The distant view of the city calls out its ephemeral nature and delicate relationship with water. Entry to the house is gained via a narrow opening in the concrete mass. The threshold, at eye level with the water, leads to a closed and shaded passage that ramps up slightly to an entry court, open to the sky and inhabited by a vertical landscape of native plantings. The architecture represents a contextual conversation between the desert landscape and the city.

 

 

Materials & Ventilation

Locally sourced sand, gravel, and fly ash mix concrete floors and walls in the harsh desert light take on a buff hue that associates with the distant mountains, rising from below grade to build a habitable landscape. Over half of the built area is below grade, ventilated, and lit with openings in the structure to introduce sunlight, including several submerged under the basin’s water level.

 

 

Sustainability Approach

The mass-heavy house sports a reflective roof, 45 KW photovoltaic array and high-efficiency glazing, mechanical, and lighting systems. Upper level sleeping rooms inhabit a screened framework sheathed in perforated weathering steel and elongated along the east/west axis to shield the pool from wind and sun. A south-side shaded deck screened with perforated mesh extends over the form to shade the structure and cars below. Open to the Red Rock Canyon to the west and the city lights of the east, the cantilevered form balances the sculptural weight of the basin and water. The earth-like ground form, fitted with its layer of weathered steel, is a nod to the geology of the Las Vegas Valley and Red Rock Canyon beyond.

 

Material inflections

The renovation of the historic Montgomery Ward building is an interplay between the minimalist and the material, blending the apartment’s architectural qualities with the owner’s collection of contemporary art, antiques, and modernist furniture.

 

Design Philosophy

The main living space is experienced as a single spatial volume oriented towards an expansive terrace through subtle changes in the ceiling plane, gradually stepping up to meet the floor-to-ceiling windows. The articulation of the building’s structural grid divides the interior living space into different activities and uses. Large openings between rooms extend to the ceiling, and are positioned to emphasize orientation and passage, and to frame specific views between rooms.

 

 

Material Palette

The minimalism of the spatial enclosure is contrasted by dramatic material inflections. Natural stone slabs, selected for their painterly qualities, are used throughout the apartment. A monolithic porcelain kitchen defines the north wall of the living space and frames a mural-like installation of book-matched marble. Stacked slabs of vein-cut stone compose an intimate sitting area, and the primary bath is wrapped in mixed slabs of green-and black veined marble.

 

 

Custom structures

Millwork elements soften the boundary between architecture and furnishing. In the home office, oxidized oak millwork was designed to complement a live-edge antique desk, and to conceal equipment behind panels of ribbed solid wood. The sitting area is foregrounded by a lighting installation and custom console table that delineate the apartment entry and offers a prelude to the sinuous and organic geometries of the apartment’s mid-century and contemporary furnishings.

 

Contextual negotiation

The Boulder Public Library issued an open Request for Proposal in 2018 for a new branch library in North Boulder, a project the community had anticipated for over two decades. The proposed vision was to create a library whose iconic status would stem from its sustainability and its positive impact on the community and environment.

 

Context Integration

The North Boulder Library is situated within a diverse neighborhood that blends new developments for young professionals, art studios, galleries, and two manufactured home communities that include Boulder’s largest Spanish-speaking population. The chosen site is a triangular plot bordered by Broadway to the west and Three Mile Creek to the south, with stunning views to the Boulder Flatirons.

Boulder’s unique geographical position at the intersection of the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains has historically shaped its rugged architectural vernacular. Consequently, the design celebrates this context, acknowledging the area’s complex relationship with the natural environment. Through its connections with the urban surroundings, the library not only reflects its environment but also enhances its visual and functional relationship with the local community.

 

 

Design Philosophy

The design of the North Boulder Library was directly informed by the community’s input, leading to the inclusion of key programs such as Boulder Reads, which supports literacy development for children and adults, and a “Maker Kitchen,” which evolved from the community’s desire for a maker space together with ideas for a community garden and kitchen area.

The building negotiates the triangular site that includes a seasonal creek running diagonally through it with a building that respects the scale of its residential neighbors to the north while opening up to views of the Flatiron Mountains and Rocky Mountain foothills to the south and west. The library is designed with the major community spaces on the second floor. The lower northern side integrates a shallow, fully- accessible ramp that allows these second-floor community and ESL classrooms to open at night when the library is closed, reinforcing the library’s role as a community hub. The building’s design is both intriguing and unexpected. Its irregular geometry, a convergence of triangular forms, mirrors and influences the internal layout. This interplay of shapes creates a series of surprising spatial experiences.

 

 

Spatial Organization

The main public floor is divided into a large reading room for adult patrons and a children’s area with a private nook for story-reading and windows on to a slide that can be accessed through a rope climbing structure, allowing kids to climb up through the building and slide down into the library’s new playground. Other key areas on the ground floor include the Maker Kitchen, which connects to an edible garden and playground, and large windows that offer breathtaking views of the mountains. The interior design incorporates custom elements like a wallpaper by graphic designer Andrew Freeman, principal at afreeman, featuring historical photos from Boulder’s archives, celebrating the region’s indigenous heritage. The building’s exposed ceiling structure adds to the space’s acoustic performance and aesthetic richness.

 

 

Sustainability Approach

Sustainability is a central focus of the project, with initial plans aiming for net-zero energy. Although some features were scaled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic challenges, Boulder’s stringent sustainability regulations ensured that the library maintained its high green building standards. A rooftop solar array supplies a significant portion of the building’s energy, while the site includes a rainwater garden planted with native, butterfly-attracting flowers and shrubs to protect the seasonal creek from runoff.

 

Visual dialogue

The 7,000 m² residence is situated on a unique forest plot bordered by a river on both sides. This natural environment creates a sense of complete privacy, akin to being on an island.

 

Design Philosophy

This project explores new ways to integrate organic forms into contemporary private architecture. The concept of smooth, wavy roofs serves as a metaphor for the movement of water, resembling a natural cascade. This dynamic roofing design defines the boundary between private and public spaces, ensuring privacy while protecting the bedrooms and bathrooms from external views, all while maintaining a visual dialogue with the surrounding landscape. Fully panoramic glazing emphasizes the transparency and openness of the residence’s interior, creating a powerful fusion between interior and exterior.

 

Roof Design

A notable feature of the project is the sculptural roof made of natural slate. Its geometry and materials are inspired by the natural context, reflecting the soft lines of the riverbanks and the smooth contours of the landscape. The spatial structure of the residence is built on principles of openness and integration. The building is conceived as a single volume rather than being divided into separate blocks, enhancing the overall architectural integrity.

 

Context Integration

The central courtyard, which preserves existing pine trees, serves as a key compositional element. The design aimed to protect these trees while also integrating the natural landscape as much as possible into the living space. The panoramic glazing allows the natural surroundings to be perceived as an extension of the interior, making it an integral part of everyday life.

Fabricated nature

This new destination hotel represents the next evolution in mountain architecture: familiar forms reimagined through a composition of precision-fabricated natural materials for a 21st century solution.

 

Project Aim

Located 1.5 hours northeast of Spokane and set within the Rockies of Northern Idaho at the nexus of two distinct ranges, the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains, the location offers ready access to year-round recreation opportunities. Developing a masterplan for future development, including the hotel and support facilities, the design redefines the mountain experience. Leveraging the properties of mass timber construction -beauty, sustainability, and structural efficiency- the complex brings together tradition and innovative materials in a contemporary, future-forward expression.

 

 

Context Integration & Materials

The 31-unit, 60,200m2 hotel is a ski-in, ski-out hotel that provides on-slope accommodations as well as hospitality and support services to reframe Schweitzer as a year-round destination. Anchoring the Schweitzer village, the bar-shaped hotel takes advantage of the steep site by nestling into a notch cut into the slope, creating space for a covered parking garage. The hotel’s exterior is shaped by an exposed wood structure, board-formed concrete, metal panels, and large expanses of glass. Primary gathering spaces feature exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT), including ceiling planes and glulam beams and columns to evoke a familiar lodge-like aesthetic.

 

 

Interior Design & Layout

The lobby and welcome area are situated atop the below-ground parking area. Inside, the interiors take inspiration from classic ski equipment and fashion, including the bright ski suits of the late 20th century. Guest rooms are arranged over three floors offering views of nearby Lake Pend Oreille. Bracketing the hotel are two amenity areas, the Glass Room -the hotel’s family/living area and a place for guests to relax and play games- and on the opposite end of the building, the Crow’s Bench -the hotel’s signature 50-seat restaurant- where guests are able to make the most of après-ski or -bike, or take advantage of the adjacent 15-seat bar and lounge areas, which cozies up to a grand fireplace. Other amenities include an indoor retreat/co-working space, and a small fitness facility. A third floor outdoor terrace features an oversized hot tub affording views of the surrounding mountain landscape and Lake Pend Oreille below.

 

Below the roof

The project is a 450m2 single-family home on a working ranch outside of Fredericksburg. It is a testament to rigorous modern design found in central Texas, vernacular in its form as well as finishes.

 

Design Approach

The clients wished to escape city life and move to the countryside, where they would sustainably raise bison and turkeys, while residing in a local ranch. The residence, apart from all the typical functions, had to provide spaces for the business operation, including podcasts and educational events. The design aesthetic retains the original ranch feel, while, accommodating modern accents and amenities. Additionally, the two existing buildings situated on the property are preserved, featuring a kitchen and dining area as well as a detached bedroom.

 

Spatial Layout

The spatial organization preserves an uninterrupted flow, where the communal spaces, the offices, the bedrooms along with the carport and gym reside under a single roof. This linear plan emerged from pragmatic constraints in the construction phase, during which the architects considered the need to occupy the space at all times and thus resulting to a fully resolved and clean structure.

 

Materials & Construction Details

The roof is made of corrugated polycarbonate material, creating a stunning architectural form, while allowing ample natural light in the rooms. At the same time, a discrete steel structure provides additional support at the compound cantilevers. The material selection is primarily based on natural tones and textures: dark wood is used throughout the space, while concrete, tiles and local stone clad an array of accent walls.

Connected workspace

The Serena Williams Building -a workplace for 2,750 occupants at 93,000m2 – is the largest structure at Nike World Headquarters.

 

Project Challenges

Beyond its sheer scale, the project presented three principal challenges: creating a new prototype for a design-focused workspace that fosters chemistry and collaboration on an enormous scale; leveraging regenerative principles to design for both the site and the building occupants; and finally, capturing the ethos of sport, Nike’s heritage, and the spirit of Serena Williams, the ultimate warrior-muse and the building’s namesake.

 

 

Interior Layout

The office space consists of four parts: an underground parking garage and loading dock; a merchandising center for prototype retail spaces, integrated design studios for multiple product categories and a 12-story tower with shared amenities for the campus. Integral to the design is the concept of flow i.e., a fluid design strategy that is both efficient and enlightened. By creating gathering spaces in a variety of scales, the building fosters connectivity, organized around the principle that all brand designers occupy a single level, while the services stack vertically between levels. This particular layout allows products to move from sketch to prototype to final design to retail fixture all under one roof.

 

Landscape Design & Materials

In its former life, the building site contained a parking lot and an access road to an adjacent building, all next to a beautiful wetland that is currently disjointed from the main campus. In order to connect the natural landscape more efficiently, the existing access road is buried lower into the ground, minimizing the visual presence of cars and trucks, while each of the building’s wings feature green roof terraces that overlook the wetland. Finally, stormwater is also collected and returned to the wetland, while energy efficient mechanical systems include displacement ventilation and radiant sails. Courtyards, gardens, plazas and a sunken tennis court break down the scale of the building and provide informal outdoor spaces for work, recreation and relaxation. Natural light floods the workspaces through large openings and skylights. The interior is clad primarily in raw concrete, while the building’s structure remains partially exposed.

 

Ground reflections

The aim of the project is to craft a design concept that emerges from an extensive understanding of the site as well as creating a series of spaces that provide privacy and sensory experiences throughout the residence.

 

Functional Organisation

Programmatically, the spaces are arranged in regard to how “open” and “public” their functions are. A main circulation axis is established, creating multiple solids and voids that offer views to the north garden. As a result, the residence is read as an interplay of dense volumes from the street that conceal any point of entry to its interior.

When crossing the main entrance, a central axis gradually leads to the house interior, eventually arriving in a large, open space that guides the visitor to the garden and provides views to the golf course beyond the immediate building. Moreover, a wooden staircase offers access to the first floor, where the bedrooms are located.

 

 

Landscape Design

A series of stone tiles loosely define a route amidst the sloping lawn in the garden, which is filled with different tree species as well as a shower, a hot tub and built-in planters. More specifically, the landscape is carefully crafted to allow for the greenery to “take over” the house. Additionally, water becomes a primary element in the design, since the structure is surrounded by a swimming pool as well as an array of smaller pools that playfully reflect natural light during the day.

 

Material Palette

The material palette is subtle and simple: all the wall finishes are made of chukum, a natural plaster from Mexico that adds character, crispness and texture to the architectural volumes. Furthermore, a set of carefully placed wooden screens contrast the solid exterior, while marble and wood are used throughout the interior surfaces.

 

Into the ground

Located at the eastern edge of the Texas Hill Country along a secluded bend of the Blanco River, this private wine cave serves as a unique destination for wine enthusiasts.

 

Structural Integrity

Excavated into the north face of a solid limestone hillside, this lined “tube” is protected on the east and west by tall oak and elm trees, allowing it to seamlessly disappear within the native landscape, while heavy limestone boulders, collected from the excavation, and lush vegetation further camouflage the entry.

A tasting lounge, bar, wine cellar, and restroom are all tucked into a 45cm tall by 178cm deep tunnel. A door made of concrete boards leads to the interior of the cave and attaches to the irregular surfaces of the limestone, while structurally retaining the artificial opening. The concrete erodes naturally over time as native moss and ivy climbs onto the flanking limestone walls to further blend the entrance with its surroundings.

 

Material Palette

Once inside, white oak clads the walls and ceilings, acting as a warm contrast to the more rugged concrete and stone surfaces. Custom, thermally insulated windows separate the interior and exterior along with the entertainment lounge and cellar. Reclaimed cedar was salvaged and used for the countertop surfaces and restroom vanities, while all wood components are deliberately kept away from the existing cave walls so that the room remains adaptable.

 

Thermal Insulation

The private cellar is surrounded by casework providing storage for an ever-expanding private collection of +/-4,000 bottles. This space is thermally controlled by the naturally colder subterranean temperatures as well as supplemental cooling to help maintain an optimal atmosphere of 12-15 degrees Celsius.

Central island

Located in downtown Oakland, the project reflects the second generation of Bay Area brand, Mr. Espresso, serving as an example of how a diverse cultural landscape can heavily nourish a community’s heritage identity.

 

Functional Design

The design is inspired by Italian culture, using minimalism and contrast to create an experience similar to that of a traditional Italian caffe ritual. The espresso bar becomes the central feature of the space to accommodate the large number of people. It is designed as a central island, featuring a custom, elegant pastry display, reminiscent of a jewelry shop.

 

Material Palette

The material selection is inspired by the Italian tradition, which is masterful at creating spaces with great complexity using minimal elements, thus leading to carefully choosing materials such as natural wood, stone and marble. The term “chiaroscuro” -the Italian notion of contrast- provides further inspiration. More specifically, hand polished copper contrasts with the organic nature of wood and stone and acts as a reflective backdrop for the espresso bar.

Architectural Sculpture

Above the bar, a lightweight, wooden sculptural form highlights the verticality of the space and defines the heavy, wooden island. The sculpture also serves as a gestural move, acting both as an object -a nod to the domes and arcades of the Renaissance and Baroque periods- as well as a spatial boundary that constructs an interplay between solid and void surfaces.

The sculpture is composed of 272 slats formed from a total of 528 pieces, all made of birch plywood, designed and laid out to minimize waste. An array of prototypes are made and tested, focusing primarily on the staining process, which is eventually achieved with Ethiopian Shantawene coffee.

Glass peninsula

Located on one of California’s last remaining undeveloped coastal areas, this modern guest house resides on a wildlife preserve, exemplifying a successful balance of residential development and ecological preservation.

 

Landscape Integration

Nestled into a steep hillside, the 170m2 residence was designed for low visual and environmental impact on the surrounding landscape. Designed as a low-rise, single-story building with a green roof, the house invites panoramic 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean as well as the adjacent hills. Its most prominent design feature is a series of expansive decks that cantilever over the steep cliff, providing a direct view of the canyon below.

 

 

Morphology & Materials

In an effort to blur the line between the built and the unbuilt, the residence is designed as a “glass peninsula”, with three-way operable glass walls that seamlessly integrate the building into the landscape. The material palette is comprised of highly weather resistant materials such as steel, concrete and glass, while the custom furniture and fixtures are made of warm walnut wood.

 

 

Energy Performance

The residence is 100% powered by a photovoltaic energy system, due to its remote, off-grid location. LED lighting and low-usage appliances are selected to reduce energy demands, while a combination of radiant floor heating, cross ventilation and the highly insulated green roof regulate the interior temperature. Finally, a private well and a custom water treatment system are used to recycle rain and wastewater.

 

Reverse trajectories

The 370m2 residence’s architectural form follows two existing walls with reverse trajectories, with the aim to guide the user into a dynamic pre-entry space that acts as a threshold between the interior and exterior.

 

Circulation Space

The design intention is to create an experiential circulation route throughout the building. Large window openings and thin dividers lead from the courtyard to the entrance, while a water feature compliments this slow sense of transition and establishes a connection with the pool and hillside view. Angular volumes and linear voids on the roof, subtly separate the open-plan spaces and allow natural light to enter the interior.

 

Spatial Organization

The communal spaces are organized around a fireplace, which acts as an element that conceals the existing structural columns. Each room is oriented towards a different section of the property: the kitchen faces a private garden to the east; the living room leads to the pool and an exterior lounge, and the master bedroom hovers over the garden. A sloped overhang provides shading, continues into the interior space and is interrupted by consecutive skylights creating beams of strong light in the living and dining space, while the kitchen, hallway and bedrooms are illuminated more subtly. The roof’s construction was one of the most challenging aspects of the design due to its size, shape and integration with the existing structure.

 

Material Palette

Parts of the façade are cladded with fiber cement panels in white color, to ensure that the residence complies to all the necessary fire regulations. In contrast, dark stone is used to clad the walls creating a sense of depth to the space and separating the vertical from the horizontal elements.

Urban impact

The hotel is located in the Plaza Saltillo neighborhood and includes eighty-three rooms situated within a five-story, L-shaped tower and an adjoining two-story podium which houses two restaurants, three bars, a coffee shop, leasable street-side retail space and a parking lot.

 

Design Philosophy

The project’s philosophy questions the established luxury hotel “requirements”: the grand entry, the hotel restaurant and the spacious -albeit regularly empty- lobby. Instead, the design features a dynamic, functional layout inspired by the material typologies of the surrounding 1920s warehouses as well as the masonry and concrete construction found at Huston Tillotson University, a facility situated next to the project. The resulting building becomes a synergy between high-quality architecture and cost-conscious design strategies.

 

Façade Morphology & Materials

The facade morphology acts as a playful response to the area’s construction regulations, in which buildings longer than 30m should include, at least, 0.6m by 6m overhangs. As a result, the design employs a series of articulated concrete “ribbons,” formulating long awnings, protected overhangs and corner balconies for hotel guests. The discrete horizontal lines made of concrete are interrupted by a series of carefully selected materials in shades of black.

 

Contextual Design

The ground floor includes a mix of restaurants situated adjacent to a low-rise brick building with great historical significance. The existing structure is preserved, featuring a bar and a restaurant, and connects to the new addition via the kitchen space. By referencing the architectural language still present in East Austin’s built environment, the project becomes a powerful and original response to an urban context comprised of largely homogenized residential buildings.

Self-sufficient Operations

The project is located in a 15-acre site, within a lush forest. The surrounding context as well as the environmental conditions such as the solar and wind patterns and local wildlife were the determinant factors that informed the design.

 

Architectural Form

The residence follows the ridge of the terrain, creating an interplay between the landscape and the architectural form. A series of porches blur the lines between inside and outside, large openings allow an abundance of natural light and cross-ventilation to enter the building, while louvres provide shade throughout the space.

 

Layout Organization

The 362m2 residence is organized in an open-plan layout, featuring a pitched ceiling with exposed wooden beams, thus creating a sense if spaciousness. The kitchen, designed with a modern aesthetic, includes a large island at its center, perfect for hosting guests. An open-air pathway connects all the bedrooms, which are located in a separate wing, offering privacy and tranquility to the residents. Finally, the pool house, carport and covered terrace serve as additional 65m2 utility spaces.

 

Material Palette

The material selection is comprised of natural textures and tones, such as exposed concrete, natural wood, plaster. Black metallic lighting fixtures and furniture become accent elements throughout the space, while dark and white marble is used for the kitchen and bathroom countertops.

 

Energy & Fire-Protection Systems

The building is self-sustaining, generating energy from photovoltaic panels, drawing water from a well, and operating through a propane gas supply. It also uses solar panels to heat water for the pool as well as for building up additional battery storage. The residence is cladded with a protective, non-combustible outer shell and is equipped with a fire protection system.

Sloping roof

The project’s aim is to create a small guesthouse and rental unit, replacing an old, abandoned garage, situated on a steep forest hill.

 

Design Morphology

The new Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is constructed by retaining the original footprint of the garage, while the overall design is inspired by the existing topography. More specifically, the roof mirrors the slope of the site and is comprised of a large clerestory window above the cabinetry wall that provides ambient natural light to the interior space. A smaller window, shaped by the roof’s playfully designed form, provides impressive views of the forest.

 

Fire Prevention Strategy

Cement boards are used to provide a fire-resistance cladding and reduce any additional maintenance requirements. A deck is added to the front of the ADU to create a large, inviting exterior space, thus allowing visitors to enjoy the mild California climate.

 

Layout Organization

The 38m2 guesthouse is carefully organized through flexible programming: a movable kitchen island maximizes working surfaces in both the interior and exterior, while a large murphy bed transforms the space into a bedroom. The loft is accessed through a wooden ladder that tucks into the wall. The bathroom is split into two smaller rooms: a wc and a separate shower cladded in forest-green tiles and isolated through a door that doubles as a full-size mirror.

Changing levels

The Flexman Library is located in the Sharp building, designed in 1902 by Holabird & Roche Architects. The project aim is to create an engaging environment and connect students from various art programs in a multi-level library.

 

Circulation Space

The new design reconfigures the school’s existing main and special collections library on the fifth and sixth floor and exposes the building’s original steel frame structure. A narrow 20cm by 2.5m atrium connects the two levels, establishing a visual and physical connection of the two floors. A new multi-use space named “Corridor+” is constructed to create better circulation and access to the library, while also providing semi-private reading nooks, becoming a flexible public space for meetings, study sessions, exhibitions, and performances.

 

 

Layout Configuration

Corridor+ connects the 4 programs: the reading room, the librarian offices, the main collection and special collection spaces. The transparent facade offers visual access into each of these spaces as well as an abundance of natural light. All mechanical piping and ductwork are concealed by perforated steel plates. The new concrete slab defines an interior communal “plaza”, where students can gather and interact. The original clay tiles and plastered columns are exposed, preserving the building’s historical character.

 

 

Custom Designs

The reading room is lined with custom millwork made of Garnica birch plywood, serving as the backdrop for colorful objects and books. The room is also an area dedicated for independent researchers. A new “floating” staircase, supported by a single column, is fabricated out of 13mm-thick steel plate, and finished with natural patina. Handrails made of oak become accents within this dark, steel sculptural piece. Linear lighting is used to illuminate the space. Finally, all bathrooms are renovated and turned into a single-gender neutral space, clad in green and dark grey terrazzo tiles.

 

Permeable barrier

The project objective is to expand an existing property near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The site sits on a north facing slope, looking down to the Martis Valley and up to Lookout Mountain through a dense forest comprised of 100-year-old Jeffrey pine trees.

 

Landscape Integration

The design philosophy is to create a residence that responds to its immediate context, employing natural, local materials as well as a sustainability approach that successfully integrates the building in the wild landscape. The color palette derives from the surrounding forest, filled with basalt boulders, sugar pines, and rust colored pine needles creating a sese of calmness and connection with nature.

 

Interior Organization

The bedrooms are organized around an exterior courtyard and maintain a high level of privacy, while the communal spaces connect the courtyard with the landscape and the distant forest views. Glazing is used throughout the space, maximizing the amount of natural light entering the building and adding a layer of transparency to the space. A series of double, 20cm thick, insulated walls made of concrete construct the residence’s exterior shell and extend upwards, reaching a sloped, thin steel roof. Clerestory windows close the gap between the walls and the roof and create a sense of lightness in the space.

 

Natural Materials

Native cedar cladding is used for the interior walls, while basalt tiles are chosen for the flooring. Metallic details made of exposed steel complement the natural materials. The kitchen is constructed from black and is placed at the center of the open-plan space. The furniture selection is discrete, following the same subtle tones and material textures of the residence.

 

Fire Prevention Strategy

Situated in a dense wild forest, the residence incorporates fire-prevention systems during its early design stage as well as its construction. More specifically, non-combustible materials such as concrete and steel-frame tempered windows form a fire resistive barrier, which results to an exterior shell that protects the interior spaces.

Holistic feast

By blending Mediterranean flavors and modern Latin American cooking techniques, the restaurant’s philosophy follows a constant search for perfection, which, according to Aristotle, one can never reach.

 

Multiple Textures

The 98-seat restaurant is divided into three parts: the bar, the chef’s table, and the grand dining hall, each emanating its own unique energy. The design is clearly influenced by Mediterranean patterns, since it oscillates between white and black tones, shades of blue and characteristic warm, masonry terracotta accents. A “staged” background wall, inspired by the Mediterranean marble quarries, is made of multiple surfaces in various shades and textures of white and connects the different restaurant sections. Soft and rough finishes as well as glossy and matt textures reflect light in different ways, imbuing the wall with meaning and symbolism.

 

Custom Furniture

Elegant leather banquettes and round tables are placed within round vaults at the back wall, fostering for more intimate gatherings. Above the main dining room, glass lamps in the shape of water drops, made by glass designer Simon Klenell, provide warm lighting that mimics the warmth of the sun over the Aegean Sea.

Several furniture pieces are custom-made by the architects and are combined with famous design pieces that define the overall aesthetic. The reception furniture is crafted from olive wood, elegantly complemented by handmade ceramic tiles and pottery pieces designed by the artist Melina Xenakis. The bar is decorated with custom-designed light fixtures and a large-scale photograph of a Greek quarry by George Kordakis.

 

Material Composition

Various authentic high-quality materials were used including Greek and Italian marbles as well as clay and wood from different parts of the world, creating contrasts in texture across the space. The amalgamation of natural materials and striking forms culminates in a holistic celebration, endowing it with a distinct identity defined by the unique synthesis of seemingly disparate elements, worlds, and aesthetic motifs.

The award-winning Sparano + Mooney Architects, known for creating sustainable and thoughtful architecture within the American West, has completed three notable buildings on the Utah State University Campus, with another signature building set to open in 2025.

Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (NEHMA)

The original Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (NEHMA) building was designed by American architect Edward Larrabee Barnes and completed in 1982 as an expansion of the larger Fine Arts Center on the campus of Utah State University (USU). Sparano + Mooney Architecture’s design of the museum’s new addition is a quietly restrained form that does not compete with nor mimic the existing museum nor the adjacent signature building, a 2006 Sasaki-designed Performing Arts Center. Rather the addition creates a new public plaza that connects the two buildings in a neutral response to a visually complex context.

Daines Concert Hall

The Newel and Jean Daines Concert Hall project includes the complete renovation of the former Kent Concert Hall to create a new state-of-the-art space for orchestra, band, and choral programs. The renovation includes a new acoustical shell; acoustically reconfigured walls and finishes; and upgraded theatrical, audio, and lighting equipment to enhance the acoustic performance of the venue for both performers and audiences. The new concert hall serves audiences throughout the region with world-class music and programming in a newly renovated and state-of-the-art cultural facility.

Sid Perkes Theatrical Design Complex

Part of the Utah State University Department of Theatre Arts and the Caine College of the Arts, this project includes the expansion and renovation of the existing Scene and Costume Shops, which support the Morgan Theatre and other local theatrical venues. The new 8,000-square-foot addition by Sparano + Mooney Architecture provides the necessary tooling, layout, equipment, and storage space for the design and construction of theatrical scenery, including a new paint booth and dust evacuation system. The upper level of the facility provides new work and teaching space for theatrical costume production, including new sewing stations, layout and worktables, fabric storage, fitting rooms, a dye vat, laundry facilities, and faculty offices.

Art Research & Education Center at NEHMA

Anticipated to open summer or fall 2025, the newest campus work will be adjacent to the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art and accommodate 40% more collection storage for the museum. According to Executive Director & Chief Curator, Katie Lee Koven, one of the important goals for the building is to accommodate the museum’s growing collection and support its 21st-century learning needs by creating learning spaces that are more engaged. Rather than act as additional gallery space, the new building will have a visible storage area that showcases a more accessible experience of stored museum items. Visitors will also be able to see how the museum cares for and stores objects, will allow them to search the database, and open drawers in an effort to engage with and learn about art in a more personal, explorative way.