“MA03 Library House was designed to meet the requirements of a ceramicist and a lawyer in need of a home capable of holding their extensive book collection as well as providing them with spaces for work and creative activity,” say Fria Folket, the architect behind this cabin in Sweden.
Garcia clad the ADU’s exterior with a local Texas limestone, similar in color and texture to the main house, “just to tie the two together visually,” says the architect.
Winkelman Architecture delivers grown-up summer-camp vibes with this unassuming retreat on the coast of Maine.
The O-asis house is set on an elongated 1.7-acre site on a horse property area of Phoenix, north of Piestewa Peak within the Phoenix Mountain Preserve.
The French Norman–style home was built in 1927 and sits on over half an acre in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. The architects preserved much of its original detail in a 2018 remodel.
The architects removed two small closets (necessitating supports in their place) and added a new fireplace surround that mirrors those downstairs.
The wet room has a venetian plaster wall finish and 2" marble hex tile for a backsplash. The floors are also plaster.
The focal point is a deep soaking tub clad in marble. Abundant walnut cabinetry and a marble counter adhere to the predominant material palette. The flooring is stained oak.
Existing oak flooring was custom stained to match the preserved mahogany woodwork.
The project team excavated a portion of the backyard to create a sunken patio that seamlessly meets the grade of the interior living spaces. The interior flooring is large-scale honed basalt tile (24" x 48" in size), which becomes 24" x 48" flamed basalt tile at the exterior patio.
The sink wall faces south, and the architects sought to bring in natural light while filtering the view to the driveway. Their solution was to create a "living screen" with solid walnut shelves, suspended with blackened-steel frames, that showcase glassware and plants while allowing space for a solar roll shade. Custom, laser-cut steel glass racks are mounted under the lowest shelf.
The counters and backsplash are Imperial white marble, and the hood vent received a custom metal surround.
The expansive new kitchen has a generous sliding glass door to the yard and cabinetry is outfitted in plain-sawn walnut. "The wood is close in tone to the existing mahogany woodwork, but it has a more expressive grain," says Chadbourne. "We used it at all new cabinetry in flat, flush panels. The walnut’s grain character is the design element rather than the cabinetry construction details."
The addition houses a kitchen and family room on the main level, and the master bedroom and roof deck above. Sliding glass doors now allow generous sightlines to the yard, and also convey a lightness to the new architecture that contrasts with the character of the old.
For the new addition, new brick syncs with the old, while blackened steel provides a modern counterpoint to the historic facade.
Against the backdrop of the mountains, the home’s upper volume appears from afar to float weightlessly in a sea of native grey rock, cacti, deep green agave, ocotillo, and yuccas that blanket the hillside.
The home’s elevated upper volume dramatically perches above a canyon 30 feet below. Horizontally stretched Series 670 Fixed Windows offer postcard views of downtown El Paso and Juarez. At the end of the hallway, another fixed window precariously overlooks a steep drop to the canyon below. “There are constantly little nose smudges on the window because the best way to experience this lookout point is to press yourself right up to the glass and feel like you’re flying,” say Dale and Darci.
“The landscape disruption and grading were kept to a minimum so the desert feels like it grows right up to the threshold of the home,” reflect Darci and Dale. “The terraces to the east are meant to be a transition from the wild and rugged desert landscape to a more cultivated desert garden that becomes more curated and manicured as you get closer to the home.” State-owned land to the east offers both inspiring beauty and built-in privacy for the master suite.
The home’s master suite integrated a Series 600 Multi-Slide Door to flexibly connect with the outdoor space beyond. “In the bedroom, we wanted the ability to open the sleeping area to the garden or to open the bathroom to the garden. The Multi-Slides were perfect for this flexibility,” explain Dale and Darci of their selection.
When the multi-slide door is open, the kitchen’s barrier to the outdoors completely disappears. “The kitchen is one large open space that almost acts as a ‘stage’ for the nightly cooking process,” say Darci and Dale. Walnut millwork and polished concrete floors anchor the family cooking and gathering space.
An expansive Series 600 Multi-Slide Door seamlessly connects the kitchen with the outdoor pool and terrace. “Some spaces like the kitchen and dining want to have a nearly unobstructed connection to the exterior and the view beyond,” explain Dale and Darci. “The large expanse of glass here makes it feel as if you are right outside.” The sizable opening allows sunlight to pour into the home, while the deep overhang mitigates solar heat gain.
The stacked basalt stonework, a traditional building technique in the local architectural vernacular, beautifully marries a modern corner window from Western Window Systems in the home’s living room. Viewed straight on, this low corner opening frames southwest views of the horizon with Mount Cristo Rey at the center.
The stone and stucco volumes of the home meet, creating a sheltered “outdoor living room” underneath. The lower volume contains public space including kitchen, living, and dining rooms, while the elevated stucco volume houses the family’s private sleeping quarters and a play area for the kids.
Perched high on the mountainside, the home is sited to take advantage of unobstructed views to the south of downtown El Paso and Juarez, Mexico, beyond.
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