Inspiration for a transitional two-storey yellow house exterior in Other.

Design ideas for a large country two-storey brown house exterior in Other with wood siding, a gable roof and a shingle roof.

Sedona is home to people from around the world because of it's beautiful red rock mountain scenery, high desert climate, good weather and diverse community. Most residents have made a conscience choice to be here. Good buildable land is scarce so may people purchase older homes and update them in style and performance before moving in. The industry often calls these project "whole house remodels". This home was originally built in the 70's and is located in a prestigious neighborhood beautiful views that overlook mountains and City of Sedona. It was in need of a total makeover, inside and out. The exterior of the home was transformed by removing the outdated wood and brick cladding and replacing it stucco and stone. The roof was repaired to extend it life. Windows were replaced with an energy efficient wood clad system. Every room of the home was preplanned and remodeled to make it flow better for a modern lifestyle. A guest suite was added to the back of the existing garage to make a total of three guest suites and a master bedroom suite. The existing enclosed kitchen was opened up to create a true "great room" with access to the deck and the views. The windows and doors to the view were raised up to capture more light and scenery. An outdated brick fireplace was covered with mahogany panels and porcelain tiles to update the style. All floors were replaced with durable ceramic flooring. Outdated plumbing, appliances, lighting fixtures, cabinets and hand rails were replaced. The home was completely refurnished and decorated by the home owner in a style the fits the architectural intent. The scope for a "whole house remodel" is much like the design of a custom home. It takes a full team of professionals to do it properly. The home owners have a second home out of state and split their time away. They were able to assemble a team that included Sustainable Sedona Residential Design, Biermann Construction as the General Contractor, a landscape designer, and structural engineer to take charge in their absence. The collaboration worked well!

Photo of a beach style yellow house exterior in Other with concrete fiberboard siding, a gambrel roof and a shingle roof.

Design ideas for a large country one-storey brown house exterior in Other with wood siding, a gable roof and a metal roof.

Dawn Sparks Photography
Large transitional three-storey yellow house exterior in Denver with a gable roof and a shingle roof.

Photo: Eastman Creative
Two-storey brick yellow house exterior in Richmond with a gable roof and a shingle roof.

Our 2018 Home of the Year is a beautiful beach home featuring “Spalding Tudor” brick exterior with a White Brushed mortar and a distinct stairway leading into the front entrance and back exit of the home. The home also features brick pavers as an exterior pathway accent.

Graceful arches contrast with high gables for a stunning exterior on this Craftsman house plan. Windows with decorative transoms and several French doors flood the open floor plan with natural light. Tray ceilings in the dining room and master bedroom as well as cathedral ceilings in the bedroom/study, great room, kitchen and breakfast area create architectural interest, along with visual space in this house plan. Built-ins in the great room and additional room in the garage add convenient storage. While a screened porch allows for comfortable outdoor entertaining, a bonus room lies near two additional bedrooms and offers flexibility in this house plan. Positioned for privacy, the master suite features access to the screened porch, dual walk-in closets and a well-appointed bath, including a private privy, garden tub, double vanity and spacious shower.

Inspiration for a large beach style two-storey yellow house exterior in Raleigh with wood siding, a gable roof and a shingle roof.

Photo of a small transitional two-storey brown house exterior in Denver with wood siding, a gable roof and a shingle roof.

David Agnello
This is an example of a large contemporary two-storey brown house exterior in Salt Lake City with wood siding and a gable roof.

Photo of a traditional two-storey yellow exterior in New York with wood siding, a gambrel roof and a shingle roof.

Small country one-storey brown house exterior in San Francisco with wood siding, a gable roof and a metal roof.

Small traditional one-storey yellow apartment exterior in Grand Rapids with wood siding.

Photo of a large transitional two-storey yellow house exterior in Los Angeles.

Marvin Windows - Slate Roof - Cedar Shake Siding - Marving Widows Award
Inspiration for an expansive arts and crafts two-storey brown house exterior in Minneapolis with wood siding, a gable roof and a mixed roof.

Lincoln Farmhouse LEED-H Platinum, Net-Positive Energy OVERVIEW. This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse ties into the cultural landscape of Lincoln, Massachusetts - a town known for its rich history, farming traditions, conservation efforts, and visionary architecture. The goal was to design and build a new single family home on 1.8 acres that respects the neighborhood’s agrarian roots, produces more energy than it consumes, and provides the family with flexible spaces to live-play-work-entertain. The resulting 2,800 SF home is proof that families do not need to compromise on style, space or comfort in a highly energy-efficient and healthy home. CONNECTION TO NATURE. The attached garage is ubiquitous in new construction in New England’s cold climate. This home’s barn-inspired garage is intentionally detached from the main dwelling. A covered walkway connects the two structures, creating an intentional connection with the outdoors between auto and home. FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. With a modest footprint, each space must serve a specific use, but also be flexible for atypical scenarios. The Mudroom serves everyday use for the couple and their children, but is also easy to tidy up to receive guests, eliminating the need for two entries found in most homes. A workspace is conveniently located off the mudroom; it looks out on to the back yard to supervise the children and can be closed off with a sliding door when not in use. The Away Room opens up to the Living Room for everyday use; it can be closed off with its oversized pocket door for secondary use as a guest bedroom with en suite bath. NET POSITIVE ENERGY. The all-electric home consumes 70% less energy than a code-built house, and with measured energy data produces 48% more energy annually than it consumes, making it a 'net positive' home. Thick walls and roofs lack thermal bridging, windows are high performance, triple-glazed, and a continuous air barrier yields minimal leakage (0.27ACH50) making the home among the tightest in the US. Systems include an air source heat pump, an energy recovery ventilator, and a 13.1kW photovoltaic system to offset consumption and support future electric cars. ACTUAL PERFORMANCE. -6.3 kBtu/sf/yr Energy Use Intensity (Actual monitored project data reported for the firm’s 2016 AIA 2030 Commitment. Average single family home is 52.0 kBtu/sf/yr.) o 10,900 kwh total consumption (8.5 kbtu/ft2 EUI) o 16,200 kwh total production o 5,300 kwh net surplus, equivalent to 15,000-25,000 electric car miles per year. 48% net positive. WATER EFFICIENCY. Plumbing fixtures and water closets consume a mere 60% of the federal standard, while high efficiency appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer also reduce consumption rates. FOOD PRODUCTION. After clearing all invasive species, apple, pear, peach and cherry trees were planted. Future plans include blueberry, raspberry and strawberry bushes, along with raised beds for vegetable gardening. The house also offers a below ground root cellar, built outside the home's thermal envelope, to gain the passive benefit of long term energy-free food storage. RESILIENCY. The home's ability to weather unforeseen challenges is predictable - it will fare well. The super-insulated envelope means during a winter storm with power outage, heat loss will be slow - taking days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. During normal conditions, reduced energy consumption plus energy production means shelter from the burden of utility costs. Surplus production can power electric cars & appliances. The home exceeds snow & wind structural requirements, plus far surpasses standard construction for long term durability planning. ARCHITECT: ZeroEnergy Design http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse CONTRACTOR: Thoughtforms http://thoughtforms-corp.com/ PHOTOGRAPHER: Chuck Choi http://www.chuckchoi.com/

Lincoln Farmhouse LEED-H Platinum, Net-Positive Energy OVERVIEW. This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse ties into the cultural landscape of Lincoln, Massachusetts - a town known for its rich history, farming traditions, conservation efforts, and visionary architecture. The goal was to design and build a new single family home on 1.8 acres that respects the neighborhood’s agrarian roots, produces more energy than it consumes, and provides the family with flexible spaces to live-play-work-entertain. The resulting 2,800 SF home is proof that families do not need to compromise on style, space or comfort in a highly energy-efficient and healthy home. CONNECTION TO NATURE. The attached garage is ubiquitous in new construction in New England’s cold climate. This home’s barn-inspired garage is intentionally detached from the main dwelling. A covered walkway connects the two structures, creating an intentional connection with the outdoors between auto and home. FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. With a modest footprint, each space must serve a specific use, but also be flexible for atypical scenarios. The Mudroom serves everyday use for the couple and their children, but is also easy to tidy up to receive guests, eliminating the need for two entries found in most homes. A workspace is conveniently located off the mudroom; it looks out on to the back yard to supervise the children and can be closed off with a sliding door when not in use. The Away Room opens up to the Living Room for everyday use; it can be closed off with its oversized pocket door for secondary use as a guest bedroom with en suite bath. NET POSITIVE ENERGY. The all-electric home consumes 70% less energy than a code-built house, and with measured energy data produces 48% more energy annually than it consumes, making it a 'net positive' home. Thick walls and roofs lack thermal bridging, windows are high performance, triple-glazed, and a continuous air barrier yields minimal leakage (0.27ACH50) making the home among the tightest in the US. Systems include an air source heat pump, an energy recovery ventilator, and a 13.1kW photovoltaic system to offset consumption and support future electric cars. ACTUAL PERFORMANCE. -6.3 kBtu/sf/yr Energy Use Intensity (Actual monitored project data reported for the firm’s 2016 AIA 2030 Commitment. Average single family home is 52.0 kBtu/sf/yr.) o 10,900 kwh total consumption (8.5 kbtu/ft2 EUI) o 16,200 kwh total production o 5,300 kwh net surplus, equivalent to 15,000-25,000 electric car miles per year. 48% net positive. WATER EFFICIENCY. Plumbing fixtures and water closets consume a mere 60% of the federal standard, while high efficiency appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer also reduce consumption rates. FOOD PRODUCTION. After clearing all invasive species, apple, pear, peach and cherry trees were planted. Future plans include blueberry, raspberry and strawberry bushes, along with raised beds for vegetable gardening. The house also offers a below ground root cellar, built outside the home's thermal envelope, to gain the passive benefit of long term energy-free food storage. RESILIENCY. The home's ability to weather unforeseen challenges is predictable - it will fare well. The super-insulated envelope means during a winter storm with power outage, heat loss will be slow - taking days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. During normal conditions, reduced energy consumption plus energy production means shelter from the burden of utility costs. Surplus production can power electric cars & appliances. The home exceeds snow & wind structural requirements, plus far surpasses standard construction for long term durability planning. ARCHITECT: ZeroEnergy Design http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse CONTRACTOR: Thoughtforms http://thoughtforms-corp.com/ PHOTOGRAPHER: Chuck Choi http://www.chuckchoi.com/