This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

Front elevation - a mix of brick, stucco, and Cumaru wood
This is an example of a large contemporary two-storey white house exterior in Houston with a flat roof and wood siding.

Galina Coada, Architectural Photographer
Inspiration for a large modern two-storey grey exterior in Atlanta with stone veneer and a flat roof.

Fully integrated into its elevated home site, this modern residence offers a unique combination of privacy from adjacent homes. The home’s graceful contemporary exterior features natural stone, corten steel, wood and glass — all in perfect alignment with the site. The design goal was to take full advantage of the views of Lake Calhoun that sits within the city of Minneapolis by providing homeowners with expansive walls of Integrity Wood-Ultrex® windows. With a small footprint and open design, stunning views are present in every room, making the stylish windows a huge focal point of the home.

Nick Springett Photography
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Photo of a mid-sized contemporary one-storey brown house exterior in San Francisco with wood siding and a flat roof.

This is an example of an expansive modern two-storey white exterior in Los Angeles with mixed siding and a flat roof.

Client’s brief A modern replacement dwelling designed to blend seamlessly with its natural surroundings while prioritizing high-quality design and sustainability. It is crafted to preserve the site's openness through clever landscape integration, minimizing its environmental impact. The dwelling provides five bedrooms, five bathrooms, an open-plan living arrangement, two studies, reception/family areas, utility, storage, and an integral double garage. Furthermore, the dwelling also includes a guest house with two bedrooms and one bathroom, as well as a pool house/leisure facility. Programme The original 72-week programme was extended due to COVID and lockdown. Following lockdown, there were issues with supplies and extra works were requested by the clients (tennis court, new landscape, etc.). It took around two years to complete with extra time allocated for the landscaping. Materials The construction of the building is based on a combination of traditional and modern techniques. Structure: reinforced concrete + steel frame External walls: concrete block cavity walls clad in natural stone (bonded). First floor has areas of natural stone ventilated facade. Glazing: double glazing with solar protection coating and aluminium frames. Roof and terraces: ceramic finish RAF system Flooring: timber floor for Sky Lounge and Lower Ground Floor. Natural stone for Upper Ground Floor and ceramic tiles for bathrooms. Landscape and access: granite setts and granite stepping stones. Budget constraints The original project had to be adjusted which implied some value engineering and redesign of some areas including removing the pond, heated pool, AC throughout. How the project contributes to its environment Due to the sensitive location within the Metropolitan Green Belt, we carefully considered the scale and massing to achieve less impact than that of the existing. Our strategy was to develop a proposal which integrates within the setting. The dwelling is built into the landscape, so the lower ground floor level is a partial basement opening towards the rear, capturing downhill views over the site. The first-floor element is offset from the external envelope, reducing its appearance. The dwelling adopts a modern flat roof design lowering the roof finish level and reducing its impact. The proposed material palette consists of marble and limestone; natural material providing longevity. Marble stone finishes the lower ground floor levels, meeting the landscape. The upper ground floor has a smooth limestone finish, with contemporary architectural detailing. The mirror glazed box on top of the building containing the Sky Lounge appears as a lighter architectural form, sitting on top of the heavier, grounded form below and nearly disappearing reflecting the surrounding trees and sky. The project aims to minimize waste disposal by treating foul water through a treatment plant and discharging surface water back to the ground. It incorporates a highly efficient Ground Source Heat Pump system that is environmentally friendly, and the house utilizes MVHR to significantly reduce heat loss. The project features high-spec insulation throughout to minimize heat loss. Experience of occupants The clients are proud of the house, the fantastic design (a landmark in the area) and the everyday use of the building.

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional brown townhouse exterior in New York with four or more storeys and a flat roof.

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Inspiration for a large modern multi-coloured house exterior in Other with four or more storeys, mixed siding, a flat roof, a tile roof and a grey roof.

Transitional brick apartment exterior in DC Metro with four or more storeys and a flat roof.

This beautiful riverside home was a joy to design! Our Aspen studio borrowed colors and tones from the beauty of the nature outside to recreate a peaceful sanctuary inside. We added cozy, comfortable furnishings so our clients can curl up with a drink while watching the river gushing by. The gorgeous home boasts large entryways with stone-clad walls, high ceilings, and a stunning bar counter, perfect for get-togethers with family and friends. Large living rooms and dining areas make this space fabulous for entertaining. --- Joe McGuire Design is an Aspen and Boulder interior design firm bringing a uniquely holistic approach to home interiors since 2005. For more about Joe McGuire Design, see here: https://www.joemcguiredesign.com/ To learn more about this project, see here: https://www.joemcguiredesign.com/riverfront-modern

Boat garage converted into a 2-story additional dwelling unit with covered parking.
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary two-storey brick exterior in DC Metro with a flat roof and a shingle roof.

Modern Contemporary Villa exterior with black aluminum tempered full pane windows and doors, that brings in natural lighting. Featuring contrasting textures on the exterior with stucco, limestone and teak. Cans and black exterior sconces to bring light to exterior. Landscaping with beautiful hedge bushes, arborvitae trees, fresh sod and japanese cherry blossom. 4 car garage seen at right and concrete 25 car driveway. Custom treated lumber retention wall.

Nearing completion of the additional 1,000 sqft that we Studio MSL DESIGNED & BUILT for this family.
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Large contemporary three-storey white house exterior in Barcelona with mixed siding, a flat roof, a mixed roof and a white roof.

Yandina Sunrise is conceived as a small scale two-bedroom home for a Pilates practitioner in the woods of the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Photography by James Hung

Outdoor deck at Custom Residence
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary two-storey black house exterior in Los Angeles with wood siding, a flat roof and a mixed roof.