House on Stilts | Bay House | Long Island | New York | Leroy Street Studio

Situated in a flood plain on the barrier island off of Long Island, this house is elevated on piles, allowing the beach landscape to run through the site. A wood boardwalk, running the length of the site from the entry road out to the rear yard boat dock, splits the house, providing dramatic views of the bay and marsh grasses. The house's massing is a composition of solid and void, with solid walls to the ground and others on piles left exposed........more

Beach House | Wynnum | Queensland | Australia | AR:2

A concise addition to an eclectic post war beach house. Living, reading, washing, storage, serving and dining areas are housed over two levels in the compact footprint, adjacent a new pool......more

Writer's Studio | Mt. Desert Island | Maine | New England |

The Writer wanted his working space to take advantage of the beauty of the site and views while respecting the fragile landscape of Somes Sound on Mt. Desert Island, Maine. The studio was built with minimal impact on the shoreland and vegetation. With the bark-like texture of the red cedar shingles and the transparent connection to the ground, the architecture becomes a part of the Maine woods. The cantilevered daybed looks into an Eagle’s nest on nearby Bar Island.....more

House on Stilts | Christian Arnold | Kansas City, Missouri

In a leafy residential area a few miles from downtown Kansas City, Missouri, an enterprising architect saw opportunity where others saw trouble. He took a sloping, triangular lot and designed a new home for his growing family—an open, tree house–like structure on stilts that hovers at the quirky edge of a conventional neighborhood.

A primary goal of the project was to keep the process and the house itself as green as possible—–to “touch the earth lightly,” as Australian architect Glenn Murcutt famously says. Despite the sloping lot, no dirt was added to the site, minimizing the need to bring in exhaust-spewing trucks during the construction. Trees were left in place, providing shade for the hot summers but allowing warm sunlight indoors in the winter once the leaves have fallen. The Arnolds chose long-lasting materials like slate tiles for the house’s exterior and a recycled metal roof with an estimated 50-year life span. The construction itself yielded some materials, like extra rebar from the foundation now used as railings.

With tall windows on all sides of the house, the Arnolds worried that heating and cooling bills would be very expensive, but a radiant floor heating system, along with natural light and a much-used fireplace, have kept costs down. “We haven’t changed a lightbulb since we’ve been here,” Julie notes, nearly a year after moving in.......

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