Japanese Houses

The house is also Build it Green Certified, beating the sustainability requirements of Title 24 (guidelines issued by the California Energy Commission Building Energy Efficiency Program) by over 50%. The house’s laundry is hooked up to a grey water irrigation system and its gutters drain rain into barrels for reuse. The concrete also incorporates 25% fly ash.

Architect Janna Levitt devised a creative emellishment for a residence in Canada. Photo by: Philip Cheung

Unassuming by day, the exterior glimmers in the evening thanks to punctures that mimic the night sky. Photo by: Philip Cheung

“From the day we got our house, I knew exactly how I wanted it done,” says Mia Dalgas, who led the renovation of her family’s 1880s home in Copenhagen’s Potato Rows district. One of the biggest transformations was the addition of a glass-enclosed lacquered wood staircase.

Thanks in part to landscape architect James C. Differding, the residents can enjoy the outdoors on all four levels, from the pocket garden that buffers the house from the street.

Lutron smart controls manage the new kitchen’s abundance of lighting options, including an Axis twin-beam pendant that hangs directly over the island.

Inspired by the client’s affinity for Donald Judd’s metal boxes and her request for a surface that could handle heavy use and abuse, Lubrano and Ciavarra wrapped the kitchen island, the counters, and the backsplash behind the Viking range and Miele hood in brushed stainless steel. The integrated shelving accommodates the resident’s expansive cookbook and tableware collection. The kitchen’s HVAC system is located in the cellar and blows through vents set into the concrete floor.

Architect Jayna Cooper had never designed a house before, much less played general contractor, when she broke ground on her new home in the middle of Los Angeles in 2009. After a grueling four months of hands-on work—managing subcontractors, sourcing materials, driving the front loader—she moved in. With a façade made of corrugated sheet metal, Cooper walks us through her completed home and reveals what it took to make this $200-per-square-foot abode a reality.

Architect Ben Waechter wrapped the upper floor of Nick Oakley’s house in inexpensive black corrugated steel. By rounding the corners, Waechter avoided unsightly trim at the edges.

In the basement lounge area under the stairs, Lee had a giant sofa is upholstered in 18 Peruvian blankets that JHID collected over several months. The paintings are by Heather Watkins, a Portland artist. The coffee table is custom design in solid fir, which adds a lighter counterpoint to the Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal paint used in the alcove.

The roof features a cool roof, which reflects heat back to the sky rather than having it absorbed into the house, and 26 solar panels that often cause the meter to roll backward.

Rather than go with the expected hardwood treatment, Scenario installed springier vinyl flooring on the home's top level. Its open circulation incorporates areas for study, eating, and lounging—a key fulfillment of the client’s directive for an engaging environment that maximizes contact and interaction.

The historic apartment has been updated throughout with white paint and minimalist accents, adapting its rustic character to the 21st-century.