“The staircase is the hub, the soul of the project,” Rogers says. “It’s meant to be enjoyed.” From the ground, the steps start with the cool colors of the earth, then get warmer as they reach up to the sky.

“We tried to pare down [in the kitchen],” says Zach, “so even our appliances are small and compact.” A Summit FF923PL Refrigerator and IKEA cabinets outfit the efficient space.

“A building can have far greater impact than the space it stands in.”—William Carpenter, architect and resident

The Jorgensen's Menlo Park home is a model of green design with features that are smart for everyone to consider. "Every project is different, but there are some universal things that will apply from project to project," says Feldman about designing a green home. "The first—and most obvious thing—is to always try to build less, to have a smaller house and be smart about how the rooms are designed and oriented so that you can get by with less space. Smart design will lead to a smaller building, but it won't feel smaller."

New zoning allowed for a zero-lot-line structure, but required a public storefront, which Carpenter uses as an art gallery.

Slater Bradley, Nobody Sings on All Souls Day, 2002 chromogenic development print mounted on plexiglas

ff

ff

Rian and Melissa Jorgensen's 2 Bar House in Menlo Park boasts all the usual green design suspects: energy-efficient lighting, good insulation, renewable material finishes, radiant heat, and the roof is pre-wired for future PV panels. Executed by Feldman Architecture, the house requires only natural lighting during the day which keeps energy costs way down. Still, the most stunning aspect of the green design is the living roof planted with succulents, aloe, viviums, and ice plants. "I'm absolutely glad that we did it," says Melissa. "It turned out so well and I really enjoy sitting up there and taking advantage of it as much as I can. It's very peaceful." Read more about this total remodel here.

FF PLAN

The countertops in the kitchen are a mix of quartz surfaces and custom and salvaged stainless steel. "We use the kitchen all of the time, it turned out really nice," says Melissa. "It's very open, certainly one of the central focuses of the house, and is fun for entertaining."

The living room, dining room and kitchen are in one open space. The flooring is bamboo. The cabinetry is a mix of bamboo, walnut, and maple, and was fabricated by City Cabinetmakers out of San Francisco.

A couple enlist Butler Armsden Architects and Leverone Design to reimagine their home as a multigenerational meeting point. In 1963, landscape designer Lawrence Halprin devised a master plan for a community that would live in harmony with the natural environment. The resulting Sea Ranch, which stretches 10 miles along the Pacific coastline in Sonoma County, California, is characterized by timber-frame, wood-clad structures that are in dialogue with the local climate and terrain. Sited on a bluff within this pioneering community is the vacation home of a lawyer couple. After purchasing the residence in 2007, they lived in the home as it was for four years, even keeping the previous owners’ furniture. Envisioning a retreat that would accommodate their extended family and guests, they then recruited Butler Armsden Architects and Leverone Design to help guide the project.

The W.W. Stool by Philippe Starck.

The historic heyday of this property was the 60’s and 70’s which inspired the FF&E to take on an up styled spirit and color to feel vaguely familiar and yet newly minted.

Sleeping nooks that look like the grooves in a block of cheese.

FF Bau by Christian Schwartz, as used in Strange Plants I designed by Zioxla

Sketch of Soma Water

Shelter No. 2, Broisson Architects, 2008 This prefab made mostly of recycled materials is modest, but not too modest for a spiral staircase. Three levels culminate in a large skylight, which filters natural light all the way down to the ground floor's hydroponic garden.

It Will Get Loud: A Small Speaker That's Big on Sound Home audio companies are managing to make speakers smaller, more portable, and more wallet-friendly while keeping sound quality as robust as their larger (and pricier) brethren. Soundfreaq's co-founder and creative director Matthew Paprocki will demo and deconstruct the award-winning Sound Stack and demo Sound Platform 2 to let you in on the technology behind making big sound come from a tiny package. See this Saturday, June 22, at 12:30 p.m. on the Demonstration Stage.

The couple asked Bryan Richards of Real Natives Landscape Design to incorporate drought-tolerant plants into the landscaping. Surrounding a table from CB2 are chairs from Design Within Reach.

“Hidden between the sea and the sand, the museum emerges as a shelter, intimate to the body and soul—a place to thoughtfully contemplate both nature and art,” explains the firm.

The interior is furnished with Lubi Daybeds from CB2, which Howell and Porter designed to include hidden cubbies behind and beneath the cushions.

"4x4," S2 Architecture This modernist cube by S2 Architecture features transparent Plexiglas windows that emit a warm glow from the interior.

NC10FF

A passage between the walls for hide and seek.

These oak house numerals are the perfect home accessory for modern architecture enthusiasts. The streamlined font is a welcome respite from traditional metal house numbers, and the oak wood will stand out on a painted façade or brick. Created in the FF DIN font, these numbers are a modern improvement of traditional metal house numbers. The FF DIN typeface was designed in 1995 by Dutch typeface designer Albert-Jan Pool, and is characterized by its balanced width.

For privacy and quiet, the home's three bedrooms are situated the furthest from the street. Each faces its own courtyard.

The courtyard is a secure space with a double-height window that offers seamless interior-exterior connection. “It gives a nice sense of containment and peace, while still engaging interior spaces,” says Cashman.

Steel strips form a security screen on the street side of the scullery. One can also hang pots and pans from them. A skylight filters illumination through glass block flooring to the basement below.

The kitchen is accessible from a raised courtyard across from the main living space. “The double exhaust hood looks like an old industrial gantry,” remarks Cashman. Sandblasted brick and sandstone from the original warehouse dialogue with floating white and grey cabinetry.

Olivia: FF Orlin Culture Shop As a renter, I tend to splurge on art rather than furniture, so I am always on the lookout for up-and-coming artists. I currently love Colorado-based Orlin Culture Shop’s 80s inspired graphic illustrations.

With its open-joisted, gabled ceiling, the upstairs bedroom is cozy but bright. Bedside tables from Kartell and Tizio Lamps from Artemide flank the bed, while a midcentury credenza, purchased at Old Soul Antiques sits beneath the window.

“The biggest design challenge was the facade,” says architect Mark Cashman. “It had to step back from the street and recede to give prominence to the heritage status warehouse facade.” Above the translucent bedroom level, a balcony with a herb garden steps back further. From the rooftop garden, downtown Sydney comes into full view.