CASE STUDY #1

Project: Margaret Residence
Location: Austin, Texas
Architect: Kristopher White, DCA
Builder: Vinson & Radke

The Project: This distinctive home, named Margaret, was designed by architect Kristopher White of DCA. It’s located in the Zilker neighborhood, in the heart of Austin. The area is coveted by locals because it’s family friendly, close to parks, walking distance to downtown, and it has a vibe that attracts individuals with a passion for expressing modernity. Inspired by Scandinavian farm homes and the Texas Hill Country style, the home’s signature offset roof nods to the iconic farmhouse vernacular without wearing its influences on its proverbial sleeve. The quirky asymmetry is almost irreverent, as if pushing against the more formulaic interpretations of the modern farmhouse trend.

The Design Solution: Exterior glass doors, known for their versatility, provided diversity in product options that allowed the architects to meet the kind of contrasting design needs this house required. “Exterior glass doors not only provide a quality build and energy efficiency, but they also aid in the contemporary feeling of the home and deliver design flexibility in a range of architectural styles,” Architect White said.

The home’s interior lot heavily informed White’s design and influenced the selection and placement of the contemporary windows and doors. One of his main objectives was to create a strong connection to the backyard and really celebrate the notion of indoor/outdoor living, so he knew he needed a lot of glass. The centerpiece is the wall of glass featuring a multi-slide door. The massive door seamlessly connects the interior to the backyard oasis, invites in a lot of warm natural light, and frames beautiful sunset views. Big glass and narrow frames further dramatize the visual impact of seeing straight through the home from the front door. “What I like to do with my windows and doors is use them to bring in beautiful light, but also to frame perspective,” White said.

This door is so significant to the overall design that the direct glaze contemporary windows on the second story were spaced to match the multi-slide door’s vertical mullions. When the door is closed, the window’s vertical mullions line up. They do not, however, terminate at the apex of the hemlock-lined roof ridge, where the eye expects. Instead, there’s a slight offset that mirrors White’s playful asymmetric interpretation of the farmhouse silhouette.

Another distinctive element is the 14-foot cantilever that shelters the patio from the hot Texas sun. The plan originally called for it to extend out from the exterior wall of the home, but White opted to cut out a 4-foot section near the home to allow sunlight to penetrate the lower level through the large multi-slide door allowing an influx of natural light through the large glass.

CASE STUDY #2

Project: A Modern Home Designed for Aging in Place
Location: Tonka Bay, Minnesota
Architect: Charlie & Co. Design Ltd.
Builder: John Kraemer & Sons, Inc.

The Project: Call it what you like: a forever home or a last home, the homeowners of this lakeshore residence in Tonka Bay, Minnesota, call it the dream of aging in place. And they’re doing it in purely modern fashion.

This 5,536-square-foot home, designed by Colby Mattson of Charlie & Co. Design Ltd., built by John Kraemer & Sons Inc., with interior design by Carrie Ellington of Ellington&Co. Design, showcases top-of-the-line solutions for maintenance-free, adaptive living and accessible home design while embracing a beautiful modern aesthetic.

“This client was an empty-nester couple wanting a last home with some key design elements,” said John Kraemer, of custom builder Kraemer & Sons. "They were very clear about wanting as little maintenance as possible.”

The beauty of the lake and the verdant scenery deeply resonated with the homeowners. As they thought about aging in place and creating a home that would enable happier, healthier living over the coming years, an inspiring view of nature was a big part of their plan. The Tonka Bay home site faces west and offers a front-row seat to gorgeous lakefront sunsets every night.

Design Approach: The home balances an aging-in-place agenda with beautiful design. It is built with maintenance-free materials, including brick, stone, and stucco. The driveway’s motor court and entire front patio features snow-melt technology, ensuring that the homeowners can avoid shoveling piles of snow during the sometimes-harsh Minnesota winters. The asphalt roof has a lifetime warranty, and the selected windows promise low maintenance and high performance. The homeowners opted for high-performance glass to further improve window performance and thermal efficiency in the Minnesota climate. Meanwhile, the home’s interior design accommodates main floor living, with guest rooms and an entertainment center located in the lower level. The living room, dining room, and kitchen comprise an expansive and open floor plan, with stunning views of Lake Minnetonka. And a stainless steel elevator, with a style to match the modern aesthetic, enables easy access between floors if stairs ever become a challenge.

Optimizing Windows and Exterior Glass Doors: “The homeowners wanted as much glass as possible” Kraemer said. The precision of the window design, narrow sightlines, leading thermal performance, and expansive glass characterize the selected product line and make it ideal for homes seeking a thoroughly modern vibe. The walls of floor-to-ceiling glass windows and doors capitalize on the stunning landscape of Lake Minnetonka. “With all that glass you can really take in those views, no matter where you’re standing on the main level,” Kraemer said.

The homeowners were also excited to implement a modular system to blur the lines between inside and out on the deck off the back of the home. A multi-panel sliding glass door glides seamlessly open to merge the path from the white oak hardwood floor in the kitchen to the stone of the outdoor patio. Once outside, there’s a dining area and an entertainment center, featuring an all-season large-screen TV, outdoor patio furniture, infrared heaters in the ceiling, and a fireplace to enable year-round entertainment while breathing in the fresh air.

The Results: The beauty of the lake was very much a part of the design and build of the home, and intentional modern features framed the water through vast windows. Pulling into the home’s driveway, for example, it’s possible to look straight through two massive sets of ebony-clad windows to see the lake behind the home.

“Imagine coming home from work or an event, driving up the driveway, and being able to see the lake before you even get into the house,” Kraemer said. “It’s so cool.” With architecture featuring clean lines and uncluttered spaces, windows and doors framing pristine lake views, and plenty of opportunity to enjoy fresh air, the Tonka Bay home embraces the prospect of happier, healthier living in a space carefully designed for aging in place with a beautiful modern aesthetic.