From wide-open prairies to dense northern woods, from cities abuzz with exercise to nation escapes with a permanent calm, our regional panorama stitches collectively like a wealthy tapestry. It’s a magnificence mirrored in how we stay—and in our structure. The place else can you discover houses that commemorate the agrarian roots of a farmstead, sensitively meld into a surprising lakeshore, or soar to new heights with out including even one sq. foot? Proper right here, due to native architects who steadiness model, sustainability, and each brilliant concept underneath the solar. And Mpls.St.Paul House & Design is proud to honor their skills with the seventeenth annual Residential Architects Imaginative and prescient & Excellence (RAVE) Awards.
Scenic Overlook
2020 Winner: Snow Kreilich Architects
New House, Extra Than 3,500 Sq. Toes | Marquette, Michigan
Memorable summers spent on the shores of Lake Superior on Michigan’s Higher Peninsula drove the design of a household residence for a number of generations—and reminiscences to return. Two intersecting spans steadiness on a rocky promontory, jutting each towards the water and into the woods. Stone, blackened wooden, and glass make up the majority of the restrained palette, quietly connecting indoors and out. “The house defines transparency, not solely within the literal/materials sense however within the construction, kind, and performance,” a decide stated. “There may be an plain stillness to this place that permits for a elegant existence inside the panorama. The constructing’s pure geometry contrasts with its environment in a method that marks the panorama, heightening its textures.”
The Snow Kreilich Architects Group: Julie Snow, FAIA ; Matthew Kreilich, FAIA; Tyson McElvain, AIA, LEED AP, CCCA // Inside Designer: Snow Kreilich Architects // Builder: Gregg H Seiple Building in collaboration with Corridor Contracting
Agrarian Fashionable
2020 Winner: D/O Architects
New House, Much less Than 2,000 Sq. Toes | Glenwood metropolis, Wisconsin
The vernacular of a historic farmstead knowledgeable the elegantly easy design of this residence within the Driftless Space of western Wisconsin. A part of Everwood Farmstead Basis, an agrarian arts heart that features a barn relationship to the 1850s, the design superbly balances what could seem to be two solely totally different types and situations. The clean-lined but comfy consequence—with interiors painted white and full of heat wooden floors and structure particulars—befits the countryside as a lot as the gathering of artwork. “A transparent linear group and massing of this residence have fun the agrarian heritage of the positioning,” one decide stated. One other famous that the house’s orientation and play “comply with sound passive photo voltaic ideas, which can assist with the power efficiency of the house.”
The D/O Architects Group: John Dwyer, AIA; Colin Oglesbay, Affiliate AIA; Edward R. Eichten, AIA; Aaron McCauley-Aburto, AIA // Inside designer: Snow Kreilich Architects // Builder: Lee Theorin
Reinvention and Respect
2020 Winner: CityDeskStudio
Transform/Addition, Extra Than 3,500 Sq. Toes | Excelsior
In-built 1857 as a college earlier than serving for years as a boarding home, this constructing, affectionately referred to as “The Beehive,” is believed to be the oldest construction in Excelsior. Now with three residential models—the biggest on the primary ground, with one unit above and one under—it’s been reworked with a contemporary enlargement off the again. The architectural staff labored carefully with Excelsior’s Heritage Preservation Fee on this replace, which made room for the standout main-level kitchen with a palette of walnut, travertine, and metal. “The mission honors its historical past, reworking whereas holding the beliefs of historic preservation,” a decide stated. “There’s a subtle composition of previous and new, with every area holding reminders of the constructing’s time. There may be love and respect on this place.”
The CityDeskStudio Group: Ben Awes, AIA; Chris Bach // Inside designer: Sheila Holleran The D/O Architects Group: John Dwyer, AIA; Colin Oglesbay, Affiliate AIA; Edward R. Eichten, AIA; Aaron McCauley-Aburto, AIA // Inside Designer: Snow Kreilich Architects // Builder: Lee Theorin
Principled Type
2020 Winner: SALA Architects
New House, 2,000–3,500 Sq. Toes | Tonka Bay
Though the top result’s a spa-like retreat, appreciable work went into making this slender lakeside residence stay surprisingly giant, together with designing partitions of home windows that absorb each doable sq. inch of lake views. These home windows are triple-paned, becoming a member of different sustainable options equivalent to a 40-panel photo voltaic array, staggered wall development, and 4 Tesla Powerwall models that retailer extra electrical energy. “This residence checks all of the packing containers for me,” a decide stated. “Sustainability was extremely thought of and prioritized. Growing older-in-place concerns have been made. The design staff overcame a number of obstacles—a slender web site and excessive water desk—with sensible design options. And a wealth of clerestory home windows and a relatively ingenious exterior display screen wall permit for privateness with out obscuring idyllic lake views.”
The Sala Architects Group: David O’Brien Wagner, AIA; Joe Messier; Jody McGuire, AIA; Ben Dose // Builder: Showcase Renovations
New Outlook
2020 Winner: CityDeskStudio
Transform/Addition, Much less Than 800 Sq. Toes | Minnetrista
Renovation strikes rooted in basic fashionable design made this residence’s as soon as dated exterior look glossy and sensible. Updates embrace bay home windows that have been rebuilt and squared off with new roofs that match the house’s current shed roof and an outsized door and window tied to a brand new overhead cover to have fun the monumental entry. Cladding was divided prime to backside, as nicely, with a waist-height beltline creating a transparent base anchored to the bottom and vertical siding emphasizing the vertical nature of the home above. “This design resolution brings readability, unity, and order to the outside,” a decide stated. “The composition offers each horizontal and vertical curiosity. Unifying shapes convey a way of order, whereas the brand new entry provides vertical curiosity and invitations interplay. Fashionable supplies give the house new life.”
The CityDeskStudio Group: Ben Awes, AIA; Chris Bach // Builder: John Holm Building, Inc.
Cut up Determination
2020 Winner: SALA Architects
Transform/Addition, 800–3,500 Sq. Toes | Golden Valley
The Twin Cities enjoys its fair proportion of Sixties split-levels. If solely extra of them may benefit from the problem-solution situation offered by this renovation for longtime owners who liked their neighborhood, which re-imagined areas with out ripping them to items. Updates embrace a proper entrance lounge re-imagined as a book-lined library with a window seat, and a cook dinner’s kitchen and art-filled household room with new image home windows open to the yard. “The pièce de résistance is the entry lobby,” one decide stated. “This much-needed bifurcation/splitting of the unique residence into two balanced however nonsymmetrical volumes … on both facet was a lot wanted.” One other decide famous, “It additionally doesn’t decide the split-level, however embraces it as a design alternative, discovering magnificence in its particular eccentricity.”
The Sala Architects Group: David O’Brien Wagner, AIA; Marta Snow, AIA // Builder: Showcase Renovations
Sensible Ingenuity
2020 Winner: CityDeskStudio
Kitchen | Minnetonka
With out including a single sq. foot of area, the architectural staff behind this renovation used a kitchen to anchor and join key areas. Cabinetry does double obligation, with higher cupboards within the kitchen turning to grow to be the stair touchdown and an equipment cupboard offering the bottom for a lounge artwork show. A easy palette of white oak, white partitions, and metal structural parts displays the owners’ Scandinavian heritage. “The sheer simplicity of the strains on this kitchen gained me over,” a decide stated. “The way in which by which the oak is carried all through the open floorplan—to the stair touchdown, lounge, and that brilliantly sculptural and utilitarian entryway design—connects all of the dots.”
The CityDeskStudio Group: Ben Awes, AIA; Chris Bach // Builder: Jeff Genser, New Design Properties
Stepping Up
2020 Winner: McMonigal Architects
Outbuilding/Element/Particular Challenge Much less Than 800 Sq. Toes | Cornucopia, Wisconsin
Overarching efforts to decelerate, simplify, and deal with the encircling Lake Superior panorama take form in architectural parts all through this residence, together with the steps. Black structural metal channels are fixed on to the construction and stair stringers, and threaded stainless-steel rods stretch vertically between the channels. The open design permits for lake views from the steps. The backdrop, a concrete mass wall, is a part of an insulated envelope that permits for the house’s year-round use. “This stair proves that much less is extra and fact in materials is impactful,” a decide stated. “Clear particulars and a minimalist aesthetic resonate with the aesthetic of this residence.” One other decide added, “A fancy meeting matched with constructing code constraints is expressed in a method that hides nothing however stays elegant.”
Architect: Rosemary McMonigal, FAIA, LEED AP, CID // Builder: Pete Brownlee
Second-place Winners
New House, Greater than 3,500 Sq. Toes
Clearings // CityDeskStudio
New House, 2,000–3,500 Sq. Toes
Rural Retreat // Rehkamp Larson Architects
New House, Lower than 2,000 Sq. Toes
Huron Haven // SALA Architects
Transform/Addition, Greater than 3,500 Sq. Toes
Tudor Revival // James Dayton Design
Transform/Addition, 800–3,500 Sq. Toes
From the Ashes // David Heide Design Studio
Transform/Addition, Lower than 800 Sq. Toes
Minnetonka Fashionable // PKA Structure
Outbuilding/Element/Particular Challenge, Much less Than 800 Sq. Toes
Respite within the Metropolis // McMonigal Architects
RAVE 2020 Judges
John Dwyer, AIA, is an affiliate professor at Dunwoody Faculty of Expertise and a training architect. In each apply and academia, he believes within the capability for structure to handle local weather change and social fairness. Recipient of the 2018 Metropolis Pages Artist of the Yr Award, he has additionally been honored with the 2018 AIA Minnesota Louis Lundgren Award for Service, 2015 AIA Minnesota Honor Award, 2013 AIA Nationwide Younger Architect Award, and 2008 AIAS Nationwide Rising Apply Award.
Jenny Bradley Pfeffer, a longtime design editor for shelter magazines, together with Conventional House, heads Domicile Artistic, a content material and technique consultancy for the luxurious design trade. Whereas at Conventional House, she styled, produced, and wrote tales about among the design and journey industries’ most lovely places. She additionally launched digital journal TRADhome with Lonny journal and labored for magazines equivalent to Luxe Interiors + Design, Milieu, Higher Properties & Gardens, and Home & Backyard UK.
Trina Sandschafer, AIA, vp and design principal at Kahler Slater, leads the Chicago agency’s studio and residential and hospitality practices. An lively alumnus of the College of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she offers her time and expertise as a reviewer, lecturer, mentor, {and professional} apply liaison. In 2020, she was named distinguished visiting professor for the UIUC College of Structure and tapped to guide its Chicago Studio, the place she works with college students to handle essential design points in cities.
Malini Srivastava, AIA, DDes, is an assistant professor of Resilient and Regenerative Design, and director of the Masters of Science in Analysis Practices program within the Faculty of Design on the College of Minnesota. A 2018 recipient of the AIA Younger Architect Award and 2014 recipient of the Bush Fellowship, in 2017 she acquired the Excellent Educator Award from the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at North Dakota State College. Co-Principal of Dandelab and a licensed architect in Minnesota, she accomplished her doctoral work at Carnegie Mellon College, titled “Purposeful Play,” in 2020.
Presenting Sponsor: The recipients of this yr’s RAVE Awards have been acknowledged at a digital occasion in October offered by John Kraemer & Sons. Since 1978, this family-owned enterprise has established a fame for constructing and transforming among the most interesting architecturally designed houses within the state. Its collaborative, clear, and moral strategy has earned its being named Builder of the Yr a document 4 instances by House First Minnesota.
