Architect Magazine: Residential Architect Design Awards

Architect Magazine’s annual Residential Architect Design Awards yielded 10 winners and 10 runners-up in categories ranging from new builds of more than or less than 3,000 square feet to multifamily and affordable housing complexes. I got to cover these 20 and naturally have developed some serious real estate envy, particularly of the houses that boasted a tons of outdoor living areas! There were also six honors in special categories that were reported on by staff. Here are snippets from the 10 winning projects I profiled. Click on a photo to be taken to the full write-up. (And check out the merit projects while you’re there.)

Designed for a retired but still active couple, this 6,000-square-foot home overlooking a bay in Victoria, British Columbia, was intentionally planned with the main living quarters spread out over a single accessible floor. But, as the clients also host large family gatherings and have friends over, the decision was made to create a secondary guest suite afforded some amount of privacy. Since the construction site was a steep rocky setting, the architects situated the home up toward the back of the site, allowing them to create a lower level for the garage and guest suite without excavating.

Rethinking the ADU in this era of rapid densification, the architects recognized and addressed the lack of views characteristic of typical ADUs due to proximity to existing houses and changes in zoning regulations. This project in Austin, Texas, solves the issue by eliminating all openings on the perimeter of the unit, save for the entry and garage door, and redirecting focus to two courtyards.

Positioned west of the client’s main home, this pool house is perched atop a bluff overlooking the Willamette River in Newberg, Oregon, and was designed to support the property’s new pool and spa. The structure is minimalist, defined by clean lines and a flat roof unifying two volumes: One is opaque to screen a steam shower, bathroom, and pool equipment storage, while the other is largely glazed and contains a lounge and kitchenette. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls slide open to transform the lounge area into a covered terrace and to facilitate flow between the kitchenette and an outdoor dining and grilling area protected by a wood-slat overhang.

Part of a larger youth education program in West Tennessee, this lodging component comprises four cabins with each pair laid out in a U-formation to share a common mudroom, bathhouse, and gathering space. Each cabin in turn accommodates 16 campers and two counselors and holds a flex bedroom for a special-needs camper or extra counselor; flex activity space; kitchenette equipped with a fridge, sink, and microwave ovens; an accessible bathroom; and an outdoor covered porch, the latter of which is elevated on columns as the project sits on uneven hilly terrain.

Taking biophilic design to the extreme—in a good way—this 7,660-square-foot home overlooking downtown Austin features a unique U-shaped plan encircling a sloping tree-landscaped garden that leads to the property’s pool, lawn, and breezeway, the latter of which is fully furnished and equipped with an outdoor kitchen. Sections of floor-to-ceiling windows on either side of the U thoughtfully frames views of the garden and of Austin, bringing the outdoors into various public and private zones, and an outdoor “bridge” facing the inward part of the U allows the homeowners and guests to take tranquil elevated strolls within the garden.

On a secluded lot in West Los Angeles, the architects completely transformed a young family’s small post-war bungalow into a 2,700-square-foot contemporary home replete with spaces that promote outdoor living and, as a result, feel much more expansive and loftier. Largely constructed of concrete, wood, and glass, the house is organized around a series of beams running front to back, inside and out for visual continuity and the blurring of boundaries.

Built on a central Austin hilltop, this nearly-5,400-square-foot home for a young family holds surprises, both inside and out. Upon arrival, visitors round a sculpted concrete wall enveloping an interior courtyard, in the process getting a sneak peek of what’s to come, before reaching the entry to the house. Once inside, the spectator is greeted by a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that command sweeping views of the Barton Creek greenbelt, a popular destination for local outdoor enthusiasts.

Although this midcentury modern home designed by Tucson icon Tom Gist had floor-to-ceiling picture windows framing views of the Santa Rita Mountains in the distance, the interior still felt inhospitable and dark due to oppressive elements such as a low mechanical bulkhead just above head height, a beamed ceiling infilled with white plaster, and four large masonry piers. By doing away with those features, as well as updating many of the interior finishes, this renovation brought the house into the 21st century while preserving the essence of the original design.

A collaboration with nonprofit developer Holos Communities, this 35,000-square-foot project comprises 54 affordable housing units and an adjacent paseo on a pie-shaped site near one of Los Angeles’s busiest freeway interchanges. The complex is arranged as 16 staggered towers formed by stacking the units, the latter of which are constructed with recycled steel containers welded together to provide each unit with 480 square feet.

Working with an unusual triangular site in Victoria, British Columbia, the architects devised this Brutalist-style compact cluster of six rowhouses in a staggered and angled formation in order to give each residence a street view while also enhancing privacy for both the Pearl Block residents and neighboring households. To that end, the project team implemented additional strategies: The exterior is clad in chunky stucco walls that jut out to function like horse blinders, editing views in and out; modest-sized bedroom windows are oriented away from neighboring homes; small balconies on the south elevation are low and screened with railings to limit views between the rowhouses; and each home has its own roof deck with high parapets to allow children to play and residents to relax, grill, and eat in privacy.