Posts Tagged With: craftsmanship

Putting a friendly face on Gentle Density

Attached housing is a really smart way to increase density and provide affordable, small housing in walkable neighborhoods, but it is illegal in most places. Duplexes don’t have to be ugly! This is a gallery of lovely examples where attached housing not only fit well into an existing neighborhood, but is also really attractive. Help normalize and re-legalize missing middle housing by adding your pictures to and sharing galleries like these!

Put a Friendly Face on Gentle Density

Categories: Architecture, Design, New Urbanism, Tiny Housing | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Green Crozet Houses: Orchard Dr

Attached Greenhouse

Just a few blocks from Crozet’s downtown district is a little one acre parcel of land that was once the home to part of a much larger apple orchard. A few of the old apple trees remain and a tenacious grove of bamboo has colonized the stream bank. Today this plot is completely surrounded by houses, has public water, sewer and electricity, and is an easy walk from coffee shops, post office, a new Library, restaurants, stores and loads of small town charm.

The concept for this one acre parcel just north of the intersection of Jarman’s Gap Rd and Orchard Dr (two lots) in Crozet is to build two houses that have attached accessory units that even though they are attached, feel like their own completely separate houses. This is done by clever house and window placement, utilizing the existing topography as an advantage. The houses are designed to be net-zero ready, using such

Entrance from Orchard Dr

little energy that a few solar panels on the roof or mounted remotely can power them while providing superior indoor air quality and comfort for the residents. The houses are placed on the site to capture their outdoor spaces, making them comfortable and loved. The grounds will be planted with native plants as well as non-invasive food producing orchard trees. The existing street will be lined with shade trees and rain gardens. The houses are also designed to fit in with the existing neighborhood’s one and two story ranches in scale, color and texture.

See the full designs here and contact me if you would like to buy one or design something like this for somewhere else!

 

Categories: Architecture, Design, Tiny Housing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Crozet Pocket Neighborhood #2: St George Cottages

Crozet, Virginia is becoming a vibrant, bustling, livable and walkable center. Within walking distance of all the amenities that this growing town has to offer in the heart of an existing neighborhood is the possibility of yet another community that shifts the focus away from the personal automobile to personal interaction. Click here to see the full design.

If you want to live here, invest in the concept, or help make it a reality please contact us.

Categories: Announcements, Architecture, Communities, Design | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Crozet Pocket Neighborhood

Crozet, Virginia is becoming a vibrant, bustling, livable and walkable center. Within walking distance of all the amenities that this growing town has to offer in the heart of an existing neighborhood is the possibility of a community that shifts the focus away from the personal automobile to personal interaction. Click here to see the full design.

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If you want to live here, invest in the concept, or help make it a reality please contact us.

Categories: Announcements, Architecture, Communities, Design | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Local Furniture

Have you bought furniture lately? The first problem is finding something that will last a long time. The second problem is finding something that hasn’t traveled around the world twice. A lot of furniture and cabinetry is made halfway across the world, and to make things worse, some of that wood comes from forests right here! There are still local carpenters making amazing pieces and it doesn’t need to be a dying art; there is plenty of demand. I have spent a lot of time talking with Thomas Johnson about how we need to bring carpentry back as a respected craft. The best way to do that is to support your local artisans with your business instead of the big box stores, but he wants to do more. He has a vision of creating a wood products manufacturing school called Mayflower Landing and rekindle the interest of young people to become masters of this timeless craft.

TJTable

 

This is the custom table and bench that Thomas Johnson built just for us. It is solid oak, crafted and finished beautifully, as well as costing less than furniture of comparable quality from overseas.

Categories: Announcements, Communities, Materials, Resilience | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Tiny House Blog

In the quest to live simply, there are many online resources available. The Tiny House Blog is a great one, focusing on living in small spaces. They have compiled a fantastic directory of tiny house designers, builders, blogs, and more. If you’re really into exploring the vastly different styles and construction types of small housing, then this is a great place to start!

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Categories: Architecture, Design, Tiny Housing | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Wild Treehouses in Oregon

Robert Harvey Oshatz designs some wild residences, and these two treehouses in Oregon are just too awesome not to share!

Elk Rock Road Residence

Wilkinson Residence

elkrock Audiophile Treehouse

Categories: Architecture | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Hobbitat Tiny Homes

With the same passions and roots, but a bit more funky than Tumbleweed’s houses; Hobbitat has plenty of creativity to go around. For some tiny inspiration, head over to their website

hobitats

Think Big, Live Small

Categories: Architecture, Tiny Housing | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Magical Dome House built for $8000

Dr. Suess would be very proud. Amazing details! Imagine living in such a wild structure!

Magical Dome House

Magical Dome House

Categories: Architecture | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

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