Michael Graves' St. Coletta School of Greater Washington

Iconic contemporary architect and designer Michael Graves is in the spotlight once again: The Virginia Center for Architecture in Richmond is showcasing a broad selection of Graves’ work in a special exhibition called “From Towers to Teakettles: Michael Graves Architecture and Design,” now through March 31.

Graves and his two firms—Michael Graves & Associates and Michael Graves Design Group—have been in the forefront of contemporary architecture and design since Graves founded his practice in 1964. He is perhaps best known for bringing modern design to the masses through a longstanding partnership with Target.

Whistling Bird Teakettle for Alessi

The exhibition features a number of legendary projects in architecture, interior design, and product design, including the Whistling Bird Teakettle (for Alessi) and a life-size rendering of the Prime TC Transport Chair (for Stryker Medical).

Among the architectural gems being showcased are the recently completed Resorts World Sentosa, a 3.5 million-square-foot luxury resort in Singapore designed from top to bottom by Graves and his team. Other projects on view include the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, VA, the St. Coletta School of Greater Washington, and the U.S. Courthouse in Washington, DC.

Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore

One of the most important and culturally significant projects featured in the exhibition is the Wounded Warrior Home project. Located at VA’s Fort Belvoir, the project, aimed at improving the quality of life for disabled soldiers on active duty, makes universally accessible homes available on the base.

The hope is that Wounded Warrior homes will become models for other military bases and beyond. “As a paraplegic myself, I was inspired to rethink how the design of comfortable, well-functioning living spaces could better meet the unique needs of our wounded military,” Graves states.

Michael Graves' Wounded Warrior Model Home. Photo: Jim Kirby

The single-story Patriot and Freedom Homes include such architectural elements as open floor plans, sliding interior doors, low windows, wide hallways, level thresholds and solid surface flooring. Some of the technological enhancements include home automation systems, window and door sensors, entry-door intercom systems, video monitoring systems, enhanced HVAC and illuminated rocker switches.

Wounded Warrior Model Home bathroom by Michael Graves. Photo: Jim Kirby

According to the design team, “The Freedom and Patriot homes not only respond to the unique physical and emotional needs of these deserving soldiers, but also reflect the service and sacrifice these Wounded Warriors have given in the line of duty. It is our hope that this endeavor contributes to a broader dialogue on how developers and builders can leverage thoughtful, human-centered design to better accommodate all persons with disabilities.”

Wounded Warrior Model Home kitchen designed by Michael Graves. Photo: Jim Kirby

The Virginia Center for Architecture is located at 2501 Monument Avenue in Richmond, VA’s historic Fan District. The Center is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The exhibition will be open through March 31, 2013.

For more on innovative architecture, consider:

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Contemporary Cachet: Exhibition Celebrates Michael Graves Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: raleighdurham.about.com

Most homes built in the U.S. these days are done by developers. Which can be great: contractor-built homes are energy efficient, contain the latest features and technologies, and look brand new! But, depending on your taste, that brand-new look can be awesome… or totally bland.

So if you want all the benefits of contemporary living but prefer an old-home feel, check out these tips on adding some architectural details to give a new house lots of character.

 

1. Install (Lots of) Architectural Molding 

Photo: Greenside Design Build, LLC

Built-in decorative features are an almost guaranteed escape from “model home syndrome.” Crown molding, ceiling coffers, baseboards, chair rails, transoms, cornice molding, wainscoting and recessed panels all impart new drywall with loads of vintage charm. Note: The earlier you install molding in a new house the better, as walls and floors are likely to become less square over time.

2. Change Up Your Cabinet Pulls 

Photo: Cabinet Cottage

You know what they didn’t have in the days of antique houses? Brushed aluminum and acrylic. So you know what you should replace in your house? The same! In your kitchen and bathroom, consider using glass knobs, which came to popularity in the early 1900s (when metal was in short supply due to the Great Depression and World Wars). To echo the look throughout your home, do the same with your door knobs, desk drawer handles, and dresser pulls.

3. Address Your Staircase

Photo: Gast Architects

Most new houses are modeled after Colonial-era homes, with the staircase front-and-center and the various rooms stemming off a main hall. Consider replacing the handrails and newel post with more elegant woodwork. Check local salvage yards, classified ads, and online sites to snag pieces that will make an impression. And if you really want to go for it, rip up your wall-to-wall carpeting and install a stair runner for a signature antique look.

4. Upgrade Your Light Switch and Outlet Plates

Photo: My Knobs

For very little time and money, you can easily upgrade all your switch plates and outlet covers. Look for nickel and brass finishes to stay era-appropriate. You can check antique shops if you’re a purist, but there are plenty of reproduction pieces that’ll do just fine.

5. Switch Up Your Lights

Photo: Free House Interior Design Ideas

Nothing screams contractor-built home like contractor-grade lighting. Though energy-smart and inexpensive, such fixtures make everything look as generic as can be. Neutrality is the goal when you’re trying to entice buyers, not when you want to create a beautiful space. Look for antiques like chandeliers—but old wiring can be problematic, so consider reproductions. Wall sconces especially will evoke the era you’re after.

For more on adding old-house charm, consider:

Bob Vila Radio: Historic Trim
10 Great Looks in Tin Ceiling Tiles
Bob Vila’s Guide to Historic Paint Colors 

5 Ways to Give a New House Architectural Charm Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: ideabox

A small space can house some very big design ideas—witness the new aktiv line of houses designed by ideabox, a six-year-old architecture and design firm based in Salem, OR, and filled with furniture, appliances, and accessories by global giant retailer IKEA.

The design collaboration came about through social media, when ideabox and IKEA Portland connected through Twitter, according to ideabox principal Jim Russell. “ideabox focuses on modern, energy- and resource-efficient prefab design solutions,” he comments. “With an emphasis on lifestyle and a goal of staying cost effective, we’re always looking for ways to offer our clients fun, personality-driven options.

Like countless thousands, we’ve always been intrigued by IKEA’s clever small-space solutions, often visiting their stores for inspiration. We thought it would be interesting if we put together a house with IKEA Portland featuring IKEA systems as a design component inherent to the house.”

Photo: ideabox

The aktiv model home measures 745 square feet with one bedroom and one bathroom. The current model is typically priced at $86,500, having debuted at the Portland Home & Garden Show in early 2012.

Efficiency and environmentally friendly considerations are the dominant design principals in ideabox houses, aktiv included. Its exterior features fiber cement siding with corrugated metal and a standing seam roof, all made from recycled content. The interior also boasts green building staples like bamboo flooring and VOC-free paints.

Photo: ideabox

Appliances, windows, and lighting are Energy Star-rated; heating and cooling systems use ductless heat pumps; and dual-flush toilets, faucet aerators, and low-flow shower heads are standard. The clever floor plan ensures there is no wasted space. Every room features sliding glass doors and window openings with casements and clerestory awnings to let in fresh air and natural light.

According to Russell, consumer reaction to the aktiv house has been extremely positive, and the company is incorporating many of that design’s successful elements into other model homes. “Our originating tag line, ‘the right amount of everything,’ states our operating philosophy,” he notes. “ideabox was formed in 2006 with a premise of offering a residential solution that embraces design, energy efficiency, and responsible construction at an affordable price point.”

For more on prefab housing, consider:

Downsizing with Style
Mobile Homes: Then and Now
House Arc: Stylish and Flat-Packed for Shipping

Dream House for IKEA Lovers Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

1. Christmas at Biltmore

Photo: ashvillencnews.com

In fitting fashion, it was Christmas Eve of 1895 when George W. Vanderbilt officially welcomed his family and friends to Biltmore, his 250-room country retreat overlooking the Great Smoky Mountains. Today, this National Historic Landmark (and America’s largest home) still welcomes guests for the holidays for daytime and candlelight evening visits through December 31. On the self-guided tours, check out the stunning 35-foot-high tree, miles and miles of festive lights and garlands, and Antler Hill Village—where Santa holds court on weekends to decide who’s been naughty or nice. Want to learn how to make a wreath? Holiday craft classes are also held daily. Pricing varies; visit biltmore.com to learn more.

2.  Holiday Evening at Vizcaya

Photo: viscayamuseum.org

December 19, from 6 to 9:30 pm, experience Vizcaya—the Italian Renaissance-style winter villa of American industrialist James Deering (of tractor fame)—as it would have looked at Christmas time in the early 20th century. The main house, which overlooks Biscayne Bay, will be dressed to the nines in twinkling lights and holiday decoration (much like Deering, who moved in on Christmas Day in 1916, would have liked it). There will be holiday tunes played on the home’s custom-built pipe organ as well as holiday treats and libations available for purchase. Tickets will be available on-site beginning at 5:30 pm for $25; visit vizcayamuseum.org to learn more.

3. A Christmas City Stroll

Photo: historicbethlehem.org

Every Thursday to Sunday until December 23, explore Christmas City USA on 45-minute walking tours through beautiful downtown Historic Bethlehem. You’ll learn about the town’s Colonial and Victorian architecture, as guides in period dress explain the famous candle-in-every-window tradition and shed new light on the well-known Bethlehem Star. If you go, book a horse-drawn carriage ride and remember to swing by the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem on Church Street to see some of the oldest holiday decorations in the country. The town’s famous sugar cookies and Moravian stars also make perfect stocking stuffers! Admission costs $12 for adults; $6 for youths six to 12; carriage rides are $50 for four people. Visit historicbethlehem.org to find out more.

4. Christmas at the Newport Mansions

Photo: newportmansions.org

Through January 1, The Breakers, The Elms, and Marble House—three icons of the Gilded Age—will be decked out in spectacular Yuletide finery and open for tours. Thousands of poinsettias, fresh flowers, evergreens and wreaths can be expected, while each window in the three homes will be lit with a white candle. Dining tables will also be set for Christmas dinner with period silver and china. Admission to all three houses is $28 for adults and $9 for children six to 17. Visit newportmansions.org to learn more. 

5. Christmas at the Castle

Photo: Judy Watkins

In 1919, publishing baron William Randolph Hearst sent a simple note to San Francisco architect Julia Morgan: “Miss Morgan we are tired of camping out in the open at the ranch at San Simeon and I would like to build a little something.” The resulting estate, with its 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens and walkways, will be decorated for Christmas in appropriately festive Gilded-era style. Expect glittery lights, garlands, wreaths and twin 18′ Christmas trees in the Assembly Room. Plus, docents will be suited up in 1930 period clothing. To find out more about tour options, visit hearstcastle.org.

For more on historic homes, consider:

Tour of Olana (VIDEO)
10 Ways to Bring Historic Style Home
Hasbrouck House: Reclaiming the Past at Washington’s Headquarters

5 Historic Homes Open for Christmastime Tours Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: homedesignarchive.com

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Listen to BOB VILA ON KIT HOUSES, or read the text below:

Now most kit homes are delivered by trailer, or sometimes they’re even made of shipping containers, but the idea is the same: These small, simple, lightweight panelized modules are designed to save money and construction hassle and literally, because they don’t require heavy equipment, can go where no home could go before.

Many kits with prebuilt and completely finished wall panels slide down onto tracks on elevated platforms; they require very little site work and can be built in a week.

Solar and wind technology can free a kit home from the grid, so they can be built in places with infrastructure challenges. And some kits come as modules that are meant to work together, so you only build as much house as you want to pay for. Build one, then add on later as you need more space.  

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 60 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.

For more on alternative construction, consider:

Modular Construction
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Bob Vila Radio: Kit Houses Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Andersen Arts & Crafts Window Styles

Interpreting historically accurate home design can be confusing, but a new series of free pattern books should help homeowners comprehend the dynamic language of style.

Developed by Andersen Windows, this new series of Home Style Pattern Books is designed as a tool to help homeowners, architects, designers, builders, remodelers and contractors easily re-create historical home design elements.

Whether homeowners are building a new home or remodeling an existing house, the Home Style Pattern Books provide a common framework for communication between everyone involved in the architectural, design, and construction process.

Andersen Arts & Crafts Window Styles

Each pattern book is dedicated to a single home design style and is structured to give homeowners the tools they need to help them communicate their vision. The first two books cover the Craftsman Bungalow from the Arts & Crafts era in the early 20th century, and Georgian/Federal Homes that date from Colonial times.

The pattern books contain illustrations and photos of the key architectural elements that are important to each particular house style, everything from windows and doors to accessories, trim, and hardware. Exterior color palettes, proportional considerations, and decorative options are covered as well.

Andersen Georgian Federal Style Windows

Each pattern book references examples from the Andersen Architectural Collection of windows, doors, and accessories and is drawn from Andersen’s Home Style Library, a collection of illustrations and descriptions of the 10 most popular residential building styles in the US, including Tudor, Spanish Colonial, French Eclectic, Queen Anne and many more.

Andersen plans to release additional pattern books covering other styles in the future.

The spiral bound, 26-page books can be ordered—free for a limited time—at Andersen. You can also view the information online or download a PDF.

For more on preservation and restoration, consider:

Historic Paint Colors
10 Ways to Bring Historic Style Home
Bob Vila’s Guide to Historic House Styles

Free Pattern Books for Home Restorers Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Bosco Verticale building in Milan by architect Stefano Boeri.

After years of planning, Italian architect Stefano Boeri of Stefano Boeri Architetti has taken the idea of the vertical garden one ambitious step further with his Bosco Verticale, the world’s first “vertical forest”.

Now under construction in Milan’s Isola neighborhood, the urban reforestation project includes two residential towers (one is 27 stories tall, the other 20), both of which incorporate a network of plants, shrubs, and trees on cantilevered balconies. Each building will be planted with 900 trees that range in height from 10 to 30 feet, emulating the mix of species at different maturity levels to be found in a true forest.

Bosco Verticale, Milan

According to Boeri, “Bosco Verticale is a project for metropolitan reforestation that contributes to the regeneration of the environment and urban biodiversity without the implication of expanding the city.” Indeed, if the units in his vertical forest apartment buildings were laid out on level terrain, they’d cover roughly 12 acres of land, with the trees occupying yet another 2.5 acres of open space.

In terms of green building, Bosco Verticale is much more than a lavish beautification stunt. The trees, which include deciduous oaks and amelanchier among others, provide dramatic energy savings year-round (shade in summer; sunshine in winter), plus they improve air quality by releasing humidity and converting CO₂ into oxygen.

Tree foliage also provides a windscreen, captures dust particles circulating in the air, and helps filter noise pollution from the street—significant quality-of-life benefits for residents of one of Europe’s busiest and most polluted cities.

In addition to rainwater, Bosco Verticale’s stunning array of greenery will be irrigated by the building’s gray water recycling system.

Trees being lifted for planting at Bosco Verticale. Photo: Marco Garofalo

If all goes as planned, Bosco Vertical will be the first step in Boeri’s grand sustainability plan, BioMilano, in which he envisions a sheltering green belt of trees around the city and some 60 abandoned farms restored for community use.

When completed, Bosco Verticale will be a “model of vertical densification of nature” within Milan, according to architect Stefano Boeri.

For more on sustainability, consider:

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Architect Stefano Boeri’s Vertical Forest in Milan Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Man’s best friend gets the royal treatment at Barkitecture Houston. 

Being in the doghouse isn’t such a bad thing when you’re from Houston! On October 27, some of the city’s best architects, designers, builders and artists unveiled their super-stylish takes on the doghouse at the fourth-annual Barkitecture Houston.

Open to the public (and their pets), the free event included “yappy hour” as well as a silent designer doghouse auction benefiting Pup Squad, an animal rescue group dedicated to finding adoptive homes for stray and abandoned dogs and cats. Following are this year’s top Barkitecture winners.

 

Best in Show

RdLR Architects

The 2012 Best in Show award went to RdLR Architecture for its chic “Le Dog Hausss”, a luxury suite inspired by the elegance of Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye. Form follows function in the colorful structure, which features a covered eating area and an oval interior that mimics the shape of a dog in the resting position.

2^nd Place

Philo Wilke

Architecture firm Philo Wilke grabbed second place for its “simply complex” design, whose contemporary slant-roof design and ventilated wood details ensures the lucky canine resident stays cool and comfortable even on the muggiest summer days.

3rd Place

John Ruelas

Third place went to designers John Ruelas and Jeff Erlich, who incorporated a graphic sign and a row of columns into their charming “Good Dog” pavilion.

People’s Choice

Leslie Elkins Architecture

This versatile wooden structure from Leslie Elkins Architecture (winner of the coveted People’s Choice award) does double duty as a doghouse and an outdoor table. The tabletop shades Fido, while the slotted sides allow him to enjoy the breeze.

Kid’s Choice Award

John Gay

Created to honor all those who rescue—from the Coast Guard to Houston’s Pup Squad—engineer (and very accomplished woodworker) John Gay’s cedar rescue helicopter was the clear favorite with younger attendees.

To learn more of download information on how to build your own doghouse, visit Barkitecture Houston.

For more on doghouses, consider:

Fab Doghouses
“Best in Show” Doghouse Contest Winners
The Doghouse Frank Lloyd Wright Built

Bark If You Love Architecture! Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: newhomeportfolio.com

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Listen to BOB VILA ON UNIVERSAL DESIGN, or read the text below:

The real estate market is seeing huge demand for one-level living and open floor plans:  you don’t have to be a senior citizen to appreciate being able to roll your suitcase or stroller right into the house without navigating stairs. You can add more specific features later for use by an aging parent or an injured loved one if you’ve thought about universal design up front. Best of all, you and your family “age in place” without having to give up your home or your neighborhood.

Universal design goes beyond the obvious accessibility features like grab bars and ramps. It means wider doorways, lever locks instead of knobs, and stair-free access to at least one bedroom and bath. These features don’t just benefit wheelchair users; they also make life easier for kids, parents carrying groceries, moving furniture– everyone living in the house benefits!

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 60 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.

For more on construction and design, consider:

Modular Construction
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The Rough Construction

Bob Vila Radio: Universal Design Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

John Russell Pope won the competition to design the American Museum of Natural History’s Central Park West facade. Photo: AMNH

This past Saturday, the American Museum of Natural History unveiled its newly restored Theodore Roosevelt Memorial and Hall of North American Mammals. The $40 million project included the restoration of the museum’s main entrance and grand main hall, as well as of its world-famous dioramas of animals in their natural settings.

Unlike Presidents such as Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln, whose monuments dot the National Mall in Washington, D.C., it was decided in 1924 that New York State would honor its most famous native son with a memorial at the American Museum of Natural History. The museum, which Roosevelt’s father helped found in 1920, has long had an association with the 26th President, an avid naturalist who was born and raised in New York City.

“Most Americans are familiar with Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy as President of the United States, but few fully appreciate his lifelong passion for conservation and the American wilderness,” says David Hurst Thomas, curator in the museum’s Division of Anthropology.

Roosevelt poses on a 1903 trip to Yosemite with naturalist John Muir.

Nicknamed the ‘Conservation President’, Teddy Roosevelt frequently turned to the museum’s scientists for guidance on environmental policies during his two terms in office. Thanks in part to their concerns and recommendations, Roosevelt placed some 230 million acres under federal protection during his tenure, including Muir Woods, Mesa Verde, the Grand Canyon and Florida’s Pelican Island, the nation’s first bird sanctuary.

Roosevelt also passed the Antiquities Act of 1906, progressive legislation that has safeguarded countless priceless artifacts. Following are a few of the improvements made to this venerable New York City landmark during the restoration:

Photo: AMNH/D. Finnin

Energy-efficient lighting was installed along the American Museum of Natural History’s Central Park West entrance (above), which includes a newly cleaned and restored pink granite triumphal arch and an expansive terrace, the center of which is a 1936 bronze equestrian statue of Roosevelt by Earle Fraser. The statues at the top of the façade depict great American naturalists and explorers Daniel Boone, John James Audubon, William Clark and Meriwether Lewis.

Photo: AMNH/D Finnin

In the museum’s imposing main entrance hall, with its 100-foot-tall vaulted ceiling, conservation firm EverGreene Architectural Arts restored the three monumental murals painted in-situ by William Andrew MacKay in 1935. The paintings depict milestones in Roosevelt’s life, including the building of the Panama Canal and his African expeditions. Because the plaster under two of the murals was compromised, the canvases were removed, cleaned, and restored, then carefully reapplied to the newly fortified walls.

Photo: AMNH/D Finnin

In addition to updating interpretive text and installing energy-efficient lighting, the c. 1930 Hall of American Mammals dioramas were given a complete overhaul by artists, conservators, taxidermist and designers. Above, a museum artist applies a dye mixture to the fur of an Alaska brown bear. Besides re-coloring faded fur on the animals, the team dusted, and in some cases replaced, plants and foliage, restoring the hand-painted backdrops, many of which re-create scenes from national parks Theodore Roosevelt’s forward-thinking conservation policies helped to save for future generations.

To learn more about what went into refreshing the 80-plus-year-old dioramas, watch the video below:

To learn more about the museum’s programs, log onto amnh.org.

For more on historic preservation and restoration, consider:

A Farm Grows in Brooklyn
House Tour: Stone Farmhouse Addition
Restoring the Brooklyn Academy of Music (VIDEO)

Visiting the Newly Renovated Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com