Living roofs go beyond any other roofing option when it comes to the multitude of benefits they provide to those who own, work and live under them. Green roofs are beautiful, create habitat, promote health and well-being, reduce stormwater runoff, protect building envelopes and conserve energy.
Recently, SZ specified LiveRoof’s Standard modular system on a home in Mercer Island. Here’s the skinny.
Read More
Whether you are a supporter of early childhood education, performing arts, youth development through horsemanship, or preservation of historical places - you can check all those boxes with this one special cause.
Built in 1918, the teacher’s Cottage and the adjacent Lakeview Schoolhouse (home to Sunnybeam) are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The fire it suffered 3 years ago left the dwelling uninhabitable. As a very rare gem of island history this cottage can’t be left to rot!
In the early 60’s, community-based Pioneer Park Youth Club, took over the property as a land trust with a mission to foster the learning of children. This goal already has a rich history through occupants Sunnybeam, Children’s Dance Conservancy, and MI Saddle Club, plus newcomer MI Pony Club. We need this cottage as a home for a caretaker to oversee safety and maintenance for this lively place which has seen hundreds of kids and families go through its gates for a century and will for decades to come!
Please consider donating to our grassroots fundraiser: ‘Care for the Cottage’! We’re asking you, our Mercer Island neighbors, to make a tax-deductible contribution to fund the cottage restoration.
Read More
Five years ago today (March 31st, 2016), I proudly swung open my Design | Build doors on Mercer Island, with an idea towards changing the way I both approached and regarded my profession. My talented team and I ventured down the creative path with a diverse array of residential clients, and while each home was as unique as their owner, commonalities emerged. Slowly but surely, a new design and lifestyle approach began to take shape in my mind – one that, despite its name, is actually very forward-thinking. I call it ‘Modern Nostalgia.’
Though the pandemic helped to accelerate my outlook, it occurred to me that the fast-paced, ever-changing demands of modern living can be tempered by our collective longing for simpler times through thoughtful design. Think about all the things you ask of your home - especially these days. Does it nurture you, or sap your energy? Do you move through your daily routine with ease (even when the outside world is turbulent and stressful)? Or is your home hectic instead of restorative?
The brave new world of post-pandemic America will demand our time and attention in unprecedented ways. Lines will continue to blur between our personal and professional lives. As an Architect and Builder, I feel the urgency to create authentic spaces that allow us to heal, regroup and emerge stronger and more grounded.
Home is as much a state of mind as a physical space. In shifting our design focus towards the intangible, ephemeral, soulful qualities of our built environment, we make room for the transformative impact our homes could have on the quality of our lives.
In celebration and honor of our Five-Year Anniversary, here are five recent works that each exemplify the Five Tenets of ‘Modern Nostalgia’ Homes.
Grounded | Soulful | Transformative | Authentic | Sexy but Practical
Read MoreNo less an American icon than Walt Disney himself was drawn to Smoke Tree Ranch, a ranch-style housing community in Palm Springs. He loved it so much he built not one but two homes there, several cabins, and a community recreation center. In fact, every statue of Walt and Mickey Mouse holding hands (this statue is called “Friends,” and it’s in every Disney park) features Walt wearing a necktie with the Smoke Tree Ranch logo on it.
Smoke Tree Ranch had been long established as the winter home of some of America’s most prominent families, and some feared that Disney’s admittance to the laid-back, cowboy and girl way of life there would change it forever – that Walt would bring too much Hollywood glitz to the area. But he quickly proved himself to be a perfect fit to the grounded, western lifestyle, and found genuine solace, healing and harmony in the community.
When it came time for me to design a modern ranch within Smoke Tree, I was intent on integrating the architecture with its natural surroundings - creating a space where your shoulder’s instantly drop when you enter. This single-story rambler grows out of the ground, anchored by thick stone walls and a heated concrete floor. It opens towards the Southern light and views, with enough shade to make it comfortable year-round. This environmentally sustainable home more than respects Mother Nature, it tries to emulate her.
Read More