1Fall 2005

architecturean AOME Architects design publication

volume one Fall 2005 | www.aomearchitects.com

Special Features:Tips on selecting a contractorDesign trends that endureAOME recent projects…and more!

1Fall 2005

Feature Articles 4 The Best Design Trends Endure

Mark Elster, AIA—AOME Architects

9 Choosing a Contractor Mark Elster, AIA—AOME Architects

10 Building with Style Kathleen Williams—Design by Kathleen Williams

12 Your Dream Home Deserves a Dream Team Coughlin Porter Lundeen

14 Home Theater—the Ultimate Ride Tony Welch—Magnolia Hi Fi

18 Custom Homes are Tailor-Made Pamela Pearce—Pamela Pearce Designs with Mark Elster, AIA— AOME Architects

architecture

www.aomearchitects.com marke@aomearchitects.com

80VINE ST.

SUITE 202SEATTLE WA

98121-1369

206-622-3304

AOME thanks the following participants for their support in publishing this magazine:

Ohashi Landscape

Pratt & Larson Tile

Puget Sound Wood Windows

Richard Grandy Marble & Tile

Seattle Cabinet & Millwork

Skagit Millwork

Strode Construction

Stonecreek Homes

Timberland Construction

Toth Construction

TRC Contractors

Villa Fine Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry

Cardinal Heating & Air Conditioning

Cello Technologies

Coughlin Porter Lundeen

Design by Kathleen Williams

Edifice Construction

Fairbank Construction

G. Rodney Johnson Construction

Gradwohl Construction

Kenneth Philp Landscape Architects

MWR Construction Company

Magnolia Audio & Video

Nygard Cabinets

Vendor Showcase

architecture is an AOME Architects Design Publication, self published by AOME Architects, Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.

Hello:

WELCOME to the inaugural edition of Architecture, our new AOME Architects publication. With each new edition (ap-

proximately twice a year) we will explore the latest in design trends, technical issues, helpful tips and hints, in depth project tours and current work on the boards at AOME.

AOME Architects PS, AIA is a full-service custom resi-dential design firm that has been successfully

making people’s dreams come true for nearly twenty years. Our services begin before our clients find their property and continue long after they’ve moved in. The many Clients who’ve come back to us again and again for additional residences or new additions are a testament to our successful approach.

When you contemplate building a home, the first daunting step is finding the right property. As land prices skyrocket and regula-tion becomes more complex, it is ever more critical to predict what can be done with a particular property. AOME can help you evaluate the feasibility of your project goals for a specific prop-erty—how high? how wide? how big? how close to the water? how much view? which trees can come down?... these questions and more can be addressed before you buy. AOME and their consul-tants will help you find the answers you need so you can buy with confidence.

Once the property is in hand the fun can begin. AOME’s design philosophy balances architectural ideals with the individual needs of our clients. We believe in an approach to design that respects tradition but acknowledges the many modern developments that enhance comfort, livability and enjoyment. An abiding sense of proportion, massing, scale, light, volume, and a rigorous—almost lavish attention to detail and process have lead to our repeated design successes.

The consultants and contractors featured in this edition have all regularly collaborated with AOME to bring our client’s dreams to fruition. Just let us know how we can do the same for you...

On the Cover

THE western character of this mountain vacation residence

evokes a certain coziness that is almost startling for a space of such grand scale. In future issues we will further explore this fine home. See page 18 for an article by the interior designer of this project.

© Phillip Clayton-Thompson

2 architecture

3Fall 2005

4 architecture

THE WORST DESIGN TRENDS ARE MERCIFULLY BRIEF and superficial in nature. Very few will produce positive change in home environments. But some trends legiti-mately have more endurance. Your design team can help

you evaluate the staying power of trends that interest you and incorporate them in creative and effective ways that capitalize on their virtues while avoiding the inherent pitfalls. The fol-lowing examples illustrate the subtle differences that separate trendy from the enduring.

Open Plans: The concept of an open plan has been around since the Greeks, but more recently has been employed unsatisfactorily by design-ers that apply the concept in a trendy way—one doesn’t simply remove walls between rooms and label it as ‘open’. Spaces that

accommodate separate functions should maintain their own dis-tinct identities even in an open plan. A good designer accom-plishes this by manipulating the volumes, lighting, colors, and materials, and by incorporating cabinetry and furniture group-ings that take into account the different circulation patterns of an open plan. The designer also needs to be aware of the unique impacts to some spaces when they’re included in an open plan. A kitchen, for example, needs special attention to replacing stor-age that would have otherwise have gone along walls.

Color and Pattern: The reintroduction of color into the typical interior, after years of too many ‘safe’ off-white schemes has been a welcome improve-ment in today’s homes. Dramatic and elegant use of color is one of the primary elements that immediately distinguish a custom

An open plan kitchen design needs to compensate for storage that otherwise might have gone on a wall. In this kitchen, the full height columnar cabinets on either side of the sink contain as much storage as upper cabinets but don’t block the opening to the family room and view beyond.

© Mike Jenson Photography

“TODAY’S sophisticated homeowners are wary of design trends for good reason. Trends by their very nature tend to fall from favor as tastes

change and media attention wanes at an evermore rapid pace.”

The Best Design Trends EndureMark Elster, AIA—AOME Architects

5Fall 2005

designed residence from one that is not. The most successful applications of bold color and wall coverings occur when the architect and interior designer have planned for color changes properly, particularly in open plans which present unique chal-lenges to designers. They must pre-plan for a way to end one color scheme and pick up another between spaces that aren’t separated by walls. Trim elements, columns and other archi-tectural elements provide a graceful transition that is far more successful than simply ending the color at a corner of a wall or opening, or some worse alternative.

Decorative and Accent Lighting: The trend toward more sophisticated lighting design and lighting fixtures is a welcome one. Lighting gives form to interior (and exterior) space and is a key component of the best architec-ture. Daylighting, general, task, and accent lighting; decorative fixtures, special effects lighting, and lighting-as-art can all be used to make living spaces more functional, comfortable and enchanting. A good understanding of the appropriate roles of the available light sources will prevent some of the mistakes common to typical lighting design—indiscriminate fixture selec-tion, improper placement, over-lamping or lack of dimming, and under and over-lighting of spaces amongst others.

Recessed lighting fixtures are too often poorly placed to light task areas without glare, or highlight art on a wall for example. Decorative fixtures (which rarely do a good job at task and gen-eral lighting of spaces) are frequently lamped at too high a watt-age without a dimmer because they are the chief light source for a space, most often in the entry or dining room. The result is a fixture that is too bright and glary to look at comfortably that does a poor job of lighting the space.

Talented architects and interior designers or lighting designers (and some contractors) have an understanding of proper lighting techniques that will enhance your living environment and reveal the beauty of your home.

Traditional Style Revivals: It takes a dedicated devotee to accept the compromises of liv-ing with truly traditional residential architecture from centuries gone by. When most people speak of traditional home styles, they really have in mind a contemporary home that evokes a style from the past—they want to revive and emulate the best elements of a stylistic direction—not reproduce it. The trick is determining which elements of an architectural tradition are es-

Providing architectural elements that bound and contain color and pattern areas will enhance visual interest in a space.

© Michael Shopenn Photography

Dramatic lighting transforms a space that has both traditional and contemporary elements.

© Mike Jenson Photography

6 architecture

sential and finding ways of adapting them to modern needs and building techniques.

One of the more common conflicts between modern and traditional design occurs with access to view and light. We want more light in our modern homes than was possible with old construction techniques. Finding the right balance between wall and window is the key, because simply adding more windows to a traditional form of architecture can spoil the pro-portions unless it handled very carefully.

Big House/Small House: As the economy erupted during the nineties, so did the size of homes. Now, more people are question-ing this trend because of a growing awareness of the downside to large homes—without careful plan-ning they can be overly complicated and difficult to live with. In reaction some are even gravitating towards the latest trend — the “Small House.” They are likely to encounter another set of problems that are unique to smaller custom homes. Both large and small homes have their place in today’s life-styles, and both require unique design responses and compromise. Fortunately talented architects and designers can help alleviate the compromises that are necessary at both ends of the scale.

Large homes allow for more rooms that are dedicat-ed to specific activities, hobbies and purposes; and more potential for large dramatic spaces. But they also introduce inconveniences for living comfortably that must be dealt with. With rooms further apart, circulation must be handled carefully and efficiently

as possible—ideally the circulation space enhances the drama and procession of the rooms it connects. Even with efficient circulation, it simply takes longer to get from one end of a large home to another. A simple matter like turning off a light in the garage becomes an annoying inconvenience if lighting controls aren’t designed for remote operation. The other systems in large homes are also more complicated, however, if the user interface is handled thoughtfully they shouldn’t be intimidating or com-plicated to use and can make it much easier and more comfort-able to live in a large home. Even your kids and parents should find system controls easy to use.

Smaller homes naturally have the built-in intimacy and coziness that suits the image of home most of us carry in our heads, plus they’re just simpler than a large home. But they introduce their own obstacles to comfortable living that a good architect and designer can overcome.

Cozy spaces really put the pinch on storage; creative design

Traditional-style homes evoke the best design elements of the past and com-bine them with such modern amenities as plenty of windows oriented to the view.

© Northlight Photography

The great entry hall of this large vacation home adds drama and invites exploration of the spaces beyond.

Phillip Clayton-Thompson

7Fall 2005

can find efficient ways to build in storage that doesn’t gobble up available floor space. Smaller homes also necessarily have fewer rooms. Creative arrangements of spaces allow for more efficient, overlapping multi-use rooms that accommodate con-temporary expectations. Opening up plans and creating some

taller spaces can make a smaller home seem spacious. Your designer and architect will be able to suggest solutions no mat-ter what course you desire—large or small.

Feng Shui: Many trends, like Feng Shui, are ideas adopted from other coun-tries and cultures. Our media-driven attraction to these ideas can border on being a fad. If you’re interested in the potential benefits of Feng Shui it is impor-tant to weigh how these ideas apply in your own situation. Feng Shui, is based upon centuries of tradition and spiritual beliefs that are often not well understood in the context of popular Amer-ican culture. Designers, media gurus and practitioners too often advocate applying principals of Feng Shui (and other trends) as if from a rule book that applies universally to any home and any family. But even in Feng Shui, rules are meant to be broken, because no set of rules can account for every situation in some-thing as complex and personal as home design.

Fortunately, many of the underlying concepts of Feng Shui are based in good design and common sense that have relevance to many homes—although these concepts can be difficult to

uncover when they’re stated in spiritual terms. Acceptance of the spiritual component of these sorts of concepts isn’t a neces-sary prerequisite to realize their benefits, because they are also

simply good ideas for design. A talented architect or designer can help you sort the various principles of Feng Shui between those that relate to good design versus those that are strictly spiritual and that may not be applicable to your situation. It is

this basis that can make the principals of Feng Shui applicable universally and why they are instinctively attractive to so many home owners.

A carefully selected team of talented designers will know how to help you sort the trendy from the enduring; the dated from the classic, the fashionable from the timeless.

Together they will help you incorporate elements and design features that are destined to join our architectural heritage and help your home achieve a timeless elegance.

Built-in Storage in the window seat daybed in the great room of this small home makes efficient use of the available space.

© Michael Shopenn Photography

Many of the principals of Feng Shui relating to color palettes, access to view, cir-culation, ventilation, decorating and symbolism simply embody good design.

feng shui

noun: (in Chinese thought) a system of laws con-sidered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (qi), and whose fa-vorable or unfavorable effects are taken into account when siting and designing buildings.

ORIGIN Chinese, from fēng ‘wind’ and shuĭ ‘water.’

© Michael Shopenn Photography

8 architecture

Puget Sound Wood Windows603 Market Street, Kirkland, Washington 98033

Tel: 425-828-9736 • Fax: 425-827-1757

ARCHITECTURE, of all the arts, is the one which acts

the most slowly, but the most surely, on the soul.

—Ernest Dimnet

9Fall 2005

When should you start looking? How do you narrow the list to a manageable set of qualified candidates? What clues will help you discover the one to hire? Are there ways to verify what your gut is telling you? Fortunately your architect can help you find the answers.

Since most successful custom projects involve the contractor from nearly the beginning of the design process it should be one of the first steps taken. The preconstruction services the con-tractor provides are a key component you and your design team will use to evaluate the plans as they evolve. By making an early choice you also have an opportunity to test the relationship before construction begins.

Developing a List: Many of the readily available sources of contractor names aren’t much better than the phone book. You’ll need more to go on to be confident in your choice. While a recommendation from a friend is a valuable lead from someone who knows and cares about you, it is im-portant to weigh these referrals for relevance to your proj-ect. These leads can end up in disappointment and wasted time because the contractor isn’t qualified for your project in some critical way.

For a more direct approach, ask your architect to recommend a few of the contractors they prefer to work with. These can-didates have demonstrated an ability to collaborate with your design team, and a good architect will also consider the types of contractors that will work well with you. The archi-tect will also be one of your best resources for qualifying any other contractors you decide to interview.

Making the Choice: Once you’ve prequalified three or four candidates the tough work be-gins. You need to select the contractor you can place your trust in, one that will be able to work as a team member along with you and your consultants. They need to be capable of working well with building officials and your neighbors too—even the difficult ones. Your architect can help evaluate the choices, but it will ultimately come down to chemistry—which candidate feels right? As with your design team, you will be working in collaboration and partnership with the contractor for many months so you need to be able to get along well with them. When problems crop up a good relationship may be all that separates a successful resolution and a disaster.

What’s next: Although a contract for the work can be negotiated at this point, many con-tractors are willing to provide preconstruction services under a separate agreement that will be folded into the cost of the work if they get the job to build your home. As they work with you and your design team, your confidence in your choice should grow so no doubt remains once construction begins.

Finding the Right ContractorMark Elster, AIA—AOME Architects

“WITH SO MANY CONTRACTORS TO CHOOSE FROM, it can be an intimidating and quite daunting

task determining the right one to build your home.”

Prequalifying the candidates

• Can they handle your job and time frame?

• Can they provide references of satisfied customers?

• Do they have plenty of experi-ence with jobs like yours?

• Are they licensed and insured?

Interviewing

• When each general contractor arrives, look for clues to his or her professionalism. Are they dressed appropriately? Is their truck well maintained?

• Discuss all of the work you intend to have done.

• Ask the contractor how many jobs he or she may have ongoing at a given time, in order to get an idea of how much direct supervi-sion your job will receive.

• How will changes or additions to the plans be handled?

• Ask for proof that he or she is licensed or certified and is in-sured against worker and liability claims.

• How financially solvent is he or she? You can call bank or credit references to find out. If you get the impression that the contrac-tor will be stretching to hold on from one payment to the next, this may foretell future problems.

• How will workers protect your property and valuables and mini-mize disruption during construc-tion?

• How do they handle relations with your neighbors?

• What will be the extent of debris cleanup at the end of each day?

• What hours will they typically work?

• Will the contractor be on site most of the time?

• Look at the photographs of their work, check for signs (or a lack) of quality work and care remem-bering that they are not design-ers—even an ugly home can be well built. In particular, look for projects of similar scope and scale to what you propose.

Your architect and contractor will work closely on site.

10 architecture

THE INTERIOR DESIGNER IS A CRITICAL MEMBER OF the design team, stepping into the picture soon after the preliminary house plans are drawn up by the architect. The ability to “see the whole picture” allows the design

professional to help define your style through guided exercises, lifestyle questionnaires, collected images, and finish samples — assuring your home will be a true reflection of your tastes and lifestyle while remaining esthetically cohesive.

The technical expertise and access to resources provided by the interior designer will help eliminate costly mistakes. Collaborat-ing with the architect, other consultants, the contractor, manu-facturers, showrooms and vendors, product specifications for lighting, plumbing, hard surfaces, cabinets, hardware, flooring

and more are produced and refined to ensure a cohesive flow of color and material throughout the house.

Interior designers have access to a wide array of products not readily available to the general public, thus expanding your cre-ative options. In addition, a designer’s expertise will help avoid the problems of conflicting choices that may otherwise occur.

THE DESIGNER’S CREATIVE TALENT, MANY SKILLS AND artistic perceptions will help make your home unique. The selection of furnishings, artwork, rugs and accessories will

make your home a source of pride, enjoyment and comfort. The results are worth the effort. Count on your design team to make your dreams come true.

Building with StyleKathleen Williams, ASID—Design by Kathleen Williams

Interior designers see the whole picture: from colors, textures, fabrics, window treatments, furnishings, lighting, tile, carpet, cabinets to accessories and more. Working with AOME Arhcitects, Kathleen Williams brought all of these elements together to create a warm and inviting family room that reflects the client’s taste and interests.

© Laurie Black Photography

“BUILDING a new home or undergoing an extensive remodel can be exciting yet overwhelming. Selecting the right team of professionals will

ensure design integrity and make the process more enjoyable.”

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© Northlight Photography

11Fall 2005

©Northlight Photography

Design by Kathleen Williams, Inc.

Award Winning Interior Design(425) 455-1818

12 architecture

Your Dream Home Deserves a Dream TeamBy Coughlin Porter Lundeen

“ASSEMBLING THE RIGHT design and construction team

is critical to building the home of your dreams. The right team of spe-cialists will ensure a less stressful process, fewer delays, and better value dollar for dollar.”

YOUR NEW HOME WILL BE UNIQUE. YOUR DESIGN, THE location’s stringent regulations, and neighborhood concerns

will also be unique. To address these issues you will need con-sultants and builders skilled at dealing with every element of your project. Assembling the best possible design and construc-tion team may be one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make during this process. Like any team, performance, chemistry, and experience are extremely critical to success.

From the beginning, the design and construction of your new home should be a collaborative process that will include you, AOME, and specialized engineering experts. Coughlin Porter

Lundeen pro-vides the spe-cialized struc-tural, civil, and seismic e n g i n e e r -ing services which your new home deserves and needs. Over the past nine years, our firm

members have worked with the architects at AOME to provide structural and civil engineering designs for more than a dozen residential projects.

While AOME brings your ideas to fruition, we figuratively and literally provide the foundation and support needed to construct your dream home. Beginning early in the process, our civil engi-

neers research and provide the technical support to ensure the site you are evaluating will feasibly meet your needs. As good building sites become more and more scarce, this feasibility phase becomes more and more critical. Working hand-in-hand with geotechnical engineers, our civil engineering experts help owners and architects address such issues as governmental regulations and permitting, erosion and steep slopes, utilities, and construction logistics. We help owners evaluate and an-ticipate potential conflicts and the time requirements and cost implications that may be associated with each.

Because a building’s structural system may cost one-quarter of the construction cost, your structural designers will be critical in realizing your dream home and in realizing AOME’s design intent. At Coughlin Porter Lundeen, it is our mission to provide designs and construction documents that ensure the most eco-nomical construction of your new home while clearly supporting the architectural design intent. This collaborative process begins as we develop potential options to address AOME’s proposed

The creativity of Coughlin Porter Lundeen’s structural designs makes soaring spaces like this entry seem effortless.

© Mike Jenson Photography

The team at Coughlin Porter Lundeen has collabo-rated with AOME for over ten years.

13Fall 2005

initial concepts. This solution-based process supports their cre-ativity.

Our goal is to help bring their conceptual ideas to fruition while developing designs that provide the function and comfort. Our approach focuses on how to make the design work and not to impose or influence that design with our own values. We do this by sizing building elements uniformly, which ensures economy of the structure and decreases waste. It is also our responsibility to design your home’s structural elements simply so that they are not ‘overbuilt’. Our work goes far beyond most engineers’ standard framing plans by focusing on the details. Elements we always address include how important architectural elements will mesh with the structure and how to incorporate building materials which fit the design. We also show detailed connec-tions of structural and architectural elements so the builder does not have to guess at the design intent. This attention to detail helps avoid costly delays in construction and prevents the need for cumbersome change orders due to unclear construction documents. It also greatly enhances productivity of the general contractor, suppliers, and subcontractors.

Special attention is paid to the conservation of building materi-als, which directly contributes to less expensive construction. We assist the architect and the general contractor with safety and durability issues.

Because your site and structure are intricately entwined, using the same firm for both civil and structural makes the most sense. It provides continuity and ensures maximum coordination of all of your home’s design and construction elements.

The bottom line when selecting your Dream Team? Hire firms with a history of successfully completing similar projects as a collaborative team. The right design team will pay for itself by anticipating and dealing with issues before they become prob-lems. By focusing on the right team, instead of the least expen-sive, you will ultimately save money that excess materials, un-clear documents, and extra job-site visits will cost. Remember, including your Dream Team members from project inception through construction completion will ensure you and your family will have the dream home you have always wanted.

13Fall 2005

SKAGIT ARCHITECTURAL MILLWORK800 north first street tel: 360.336.9587p.o. box 2297mt. vernon, wa 98273 fax: 360.336.5490

14 architecture

For years we’ve been singing praises of the home theater expe-rience. But how do you bring that experience into your home? Where do you start? This article presents a summary of the ele-ments that go into an exceptional home theater. For best results, you will need to work with an audio/video company that has the technical capability to design, engineer, install and support the project and all of its parts. Remember, any A/V company can sell you expensive equipment—the best A/V companies design a system that is high-performance and easy to use.

Layout refers to the physical placement of speakers, chairs, source components, screen and projector. It is best to consider all

Home Theaterby Tony WelchSystem Designer- Magnolia Audio Video Design CenterTony Welch | 206.985.7191 | awelch@magnoliaav.com

“EARLY PLANNING CAN MAKE exceptional home theater

something you can and should ex-perience.”

15Fall 2005

1

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these layout elements from the beginning of the design process. An A/V designer can work with architects, interior designers and system engineers to put everything to-gether. Of the many decisions that your team will have to make, projector place-ment is most critical. The projector is usually mounted on the ceiling, but can also be placed on a lift within the ceiling and automated to lower when you turn the system on. It may also be possible to have it placed in the back of the room in a projection box with port-glass.

The shape and construction of the room will have an acoustical effect, and dif-ferent rooms will demand different treat-ments. Construction techniques and interior acoustical elements have ad-vanced over the years to the point that they can be integrated in a functional yet cosmetically pleasing manner. Like layout, room considerations are best incorporated into the de-sign process from the beginning, with the help of your architect and A/V system designer.

You and your A/V designer will collaborate on equipment selec-tion. DTS, HDCP, DVI, HDTV, DLP—what does it all mean? Your A/V specialist can explain the industry jargon in terms that make sense, and help you sort out what’s best for you and your budget. The equipment will probably consist of five to seven speakers, matched subwoofer(s), identical amplification to all speakers, surround processor, source components (DVD, VCR, Satellite, Cable TV, Computer), video display (projector & screen) and audio/video switching. Your screen size will depend on the viewing distance from the screen to the primary seating position and the quality of the video equipment you invest in.

The size and shape of your chairs determine the audience’s ear and eye height, which is critical for the best sound and video performance. The chair you choose will determine row spacing, capacity of the theater and riser size. When choosing a chair, keep in mind its position in the room and its relationship to sound and sightlines. Another detail, and one overlooked sur-prisingly often, is basic comfort—you’ll be sitting in the theater chair for a long time during a typical movie. It needs to be com-fortable for several hours, and the reclining position shouldn’t leave you staring awkwardly at the ceiling.

Calibration is a critical part of the final set-up and should be performed by the installation technician or a certified audio and

video service technician. The installation technician will set all the speakers to the same acoustical level (referred to as Sound

Pressure Level—SPL) and adjust the time alignment between speakers with adjust-ments in the surround processor. Proper calibration allows for accurate playback of film soundtracks. For high-end home the-aters with state-of-the-art equipment and acoustical treatments, a certified audio/video service technician should fine-tune the audio with spectrum analyzers and calibrate the video with a color analyzer, both to professional broadcast quality standards.

The software is what enables your system to duplicate material faithfully whatever its original format. The system should allow you to watch movies in color or black and white, and to hear soundtracks in the origi-nal mono, stereo or surround. Many direc-

tors use the Cinemascope widescreen aspect ratio, which is a special relationship between the height and width of the movie image. It is important that your system be able to display these images correctly.

The user interface is one of the most important aspect of any home theater—and the greatest point of frustration for people who only know it as a basket full of five or six remotes. There are excellent solutions that incorporate all of the remotes into one, and allow you to activate all of your components with the touch of a single button. Many of the better systems use a radio frequency remote with an LCD touch-screen that is easy to use and allows the equipment to be hidden out of sight. The best A/V integration companies will have a Programming Specialist whose job is to work with you to tailor the user interface to your particular system. I tell my clients that it should take two button-pushes to play or our Programmer hasn’t done their job.

Now you’re ready! Investing in a personal home theater is the ultimate in entertainment: It’s like riding the latest attraction at Disneyland without having to leave your home. What other investment returns so many hours of enjoyment for your family and friends all year long?

“Pop the popcorn, pick the movie, and prepare for the ultimate ride!”

The seven elements of home theater:

1. The Layout

2. The Room

3. The Equipment

4. The Chair

5. The Calibration

6. The Software

7. The User Interface

16 architecture

17Fall 2005

For more than a decade, Cardinal has been designing complete HVAC systems including radiant floor heating, hydronic radiators, geothermal, as well as forced-air cooling systems.

With a highly educated staff trained in the most advanced, energy-efficient techniques in the industry, you can be sure your new home will be comfortable year-round.

For information, call 425-827-9997

719 Kirkland Avenue, Kirkland, Wahsington 98033

Cardinal Heating & Air Conditioning

Ensure a comfortable climate in your new home with a heating and cooling system designed and installed by

18 architecture

Twain expressed a sentiment about his home that we all can (and should) aspire to. As you embark on the process of building a custom home, bear in mind that the design can be “tailor-made” for you and your fam-ily. You are an indi-vidual and your family is unique—your home should be as individual as you are. Creating a home that reflects your individuality requires imagination, creativity, planning, and under-standing—choosing the right architect and interior designer will be key to your success. Although their work should include designs you admire it is often more important that you sense a develop-ing rapport and chemistry with them.

The design team you choose is responsible for listening to the requirements for your home and translating them into a design program. The program includes activities, interests, family mem-bers, collections, your site, pets, and potential future changes in these requirements. Through meetings and/or questionnaires, we’ll glean an understanding of the personal, physical, and in-trinsic needs for your home. The design team is then charged

to synthesize and interpret this information, respond-ing by illustrating the solu-tions in the form of draw-ings, sketches, models, and samples, providing the best “picture” of your home possible, so that you can visualize for your-self living and using your new or remodeled home. Pamela Pearce Design has collaborated with AOME Architects on numerous projects that demonstrate success at achieving tailor-made solutions that stir in our clients the sentiments Twain so eloquently ar-ticulated.

To illustrate we’ll examine our responses as a design team to our clients’ spe-cific requests: one design team, three individual cli-ents, and three very differ-ent responses to the indi-vidual programs provided.

A Country HouseThe first project was designed for a large family who wanted to build an American Shingle Style home on their country acreage. The large scale of the home provided the opportunity for many of the charming detail elements a Shingle style home incorpo-rates, without creating a busy facade.

As design work on the exterior and architectural elements

The interiors of this country house reflect the personal tastes of the owner. The entry provides a transition between formal and informal wings of the house.

© Michael Shopenn Photography

Custom Homes are Tailor-MadePamela Pearce, ASID—Pamela Pearce Design LLC Mark Elster, AIA—AOME Architects PS

Interior design by Pamela Pearce Design, LLC Architecture by AOME Architects

“TO US, OUR HOUSE WAS NOT UNSENTIENT MATTER— IT HAD A HEART, AND A SOUL. It was of us, and we were in its confidence and lived in its grace and in the peace of its

benediction. We never came from an absence that its face did not light up and speak out its elo-quent welcome—and we could not enter unmoved.”

—Mark Twain, 1896

19Fall 2005

progressed we discovered the owner’s affinity for Country French furnishings that immediately be-gan to suggest an approach to the interiors that would incorporate them into the architecture, begin-ning with a palette of colors and materials that would create an enhanced setting for the furnish-ings. Refined interior finishes and detailing evoked French character with details like the combination of stone and wood flooring in the main entry, antique French light fixtures, “parchment” wall finishes, and herringbone hardwood floors. The Family Room fireplace com-bined the used brick that the cli-ent had requested in parts of the home with the sandstone used for flooring in the entry, dining room, and terraces. This fusion of ma-terials and details created a very personal style for the interior of the home, providing a stunning background for the collection of French Country antiques that was procured for the new home. The collection appears to have been assembled over generations, rather than just during the design and construction process, and provides the setting the owner desired for both formal space for entertaining larger groups, and in-formal spaces for extended family gatherings.

When our clients asked us to remodel their 1970’s home we relished the challenge. Their desire to create a more serene environment, and a comfortable space for serious music ap-preciation and performance in the living room was a particular challenge. The existing character of the space had badly missed its potential. They wanted a more serene Japanese-influenced environment with display space for their Asian art collection, and more dramatic spaces for entertaining. Our goal was to create a sophisticated Asian atmosphere, and a stronger character for the

living room pavilion and bridge to the entry. As a design team, we made a concerted effort to achieve a seamless integration of interiors, architecture, and landscape.

The existing fireplace was off-axis in the eight-sided room, creat-ing a feeling of being off-balance, and a difficult space for furni-ture arrangements that would include a baby grand piano. Their existing large audio speakers required placement away from a wall surface for ideal performance. Pamela Pearce Design

© Seattle Times

The new fireplace of antique chinese limestone provided needed focus to the 8-sided room and graciously displays the ultra-modern translucent speakers.

Northwest Pavilion

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proposed adding a new fireplace bay on the long side of the room, to provide a visual focus and central axis without decreas-ing the room’s depth. The antique Chinese granite fireplace, an-chors the open feel of the room, while creating a unique tex-tural contrast to the wood, and establishes hierarchy for the space. It also allowed space for the transparent speakers on the raised hearth, using them as sculptural-architectural ele-ments in front of windows flanking the fireplace. Custom walnut and wenge display cabinets were added opposite the fireplace for balance, and to provide display for the client’s Japanese Samurai helmets. Oxidized brass tops provide a slight reflection and a compatible background for artifacts. A second cabinet houses the client’s music equipment at the far end of the room. A lighter staining and glazing treatment of the existing and new wood elements created a softer, more unified surrounding than the original severe, almost black stain. The carpet is a custom wool interpretation of Japanese matting, and the dark woods used in the furniture and cabinetry are reminiscent of Japanese

farmhouses.

To satisfy the client’s desire for an intimate music appreciation space, six chairs were centrally ar-ranged, capitalizing on the pavilion feel of the space. The chairs are a custom design of wood lattice backs, inspired by the rhythms of Japanese fences. The custom-designed coffee table is fashioned after a Japanese hibachi

New lighting, architectural details, and carefully chosen color and material palettes transform the living room into a haven for music appreciation and the owner’s collection of Asian art and artifacts.

© Seattle Times

The home’s new Asian character is reflected on the exterior also.

© Seattle Times

21Fall 2005

form, with a recess to provide space for our client to “bury” his pre-Columbian artifacts in the sand, under glass. End tables are in walnut and wenge, similar to the surrounding cabinets. The clients love their Asian retreat in the trees, which became a very inspiring space for listening to music.

Summer HouseAnother client purchased a turn-of-the-century home in Medina, Washington. AOME recognized its original romantic character, that had been all but obliterated by a series of bad remodels and urged our client to restore the structure to its original “sum-mer house” character rather than remodel it in an ill-advised colonial style.

AOME Architects proposed a solution that included large cov-ered wrap around porches for outside living, and a return to a Craftsman house character with reproportioned massing, cedar shingles, exterior bracket details, and a strong integration with the mature landscaping. The house required an addition to pro-vide a new kitchen and family room space downstairs, and a new master bedroom and bath suite upstairs and a whole new roof to allow for full-height ceilings on the upper floor (formerly an attic). The remodel is seamless, unless you are aware of the addition, it is next to impossible to tell the old from the new.

A new wrap-around porch and gabled entry steps establish a new charming character for this remodeled home.

© Northlight Photography

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The circa 1960 remodels were out of character, so we redesigned the living room fireplace, cabinets, and the stair railings with details more appropriate to the earlier part of the century. Our clients re-quested light interior col-ors, creamy trim, neutral materials, and the com-fortable look of an old family home with well-traveled owners. Fur-nishings include pieces from France, England, China, Tibet, and India, as well as Oriental rugs, which add the richness and character of a home occupied by a family for generations.

When we commence projects, we recognize how difficult it can be for the homeowner to com-municate what they’re looking for. Sometimes they know how it “feels” based on their travel experiences, and some-times they know how it

“looks”, but cannot iden-tify the style. More often, they will know what they like when they see it.

As we begin designing a new or remodeled home, a reciprocal process occurs—the client educates us about their lives and goals, while we in turn educate them about the appropriate responses in design and architecture, antiques and art, etc. Together we develop a style that is original yet connected to architectural precedents, while truly a reflection of the client’s individual tastes and character.

Our goal is to provide you with your own unique home, by lis-tening to you carefully, rather than focusing on our own design agendas. We want your home to be a peaceful, satisfying and inspiring environment that also meets the practical requirements of your busy life so that when you return home, you too can ex-perience the emotions Twain so eloquently expressed.

The new kitchen addition for the “Summer House” incorporates modern amenities in a classic Crafts-man-inspired setting that blends seemlessly into the turn-of-the-century home.

© Laurie Black Photography

Your own home should be tailor-made…

“TOGETHER we develop a style that is original yet connected to architectural

precedents, that is truly a reflection of the client’s individual tastes and character.”

23Fall 2005

STRODE CONSTRUCTIONDedicated to the pursuit of excellence

We have been building the finest homes in the Northwest for three generations. We like the team approach to building, working closely with the owner and architect to visualize and create beautiful homes for people who appreciate excellence. We want to build your home, not just contract it. In award winning concrete, wood, stone, metal, and glass we invite the chal-lenge. As owners of Strode Construction we believe it is our “hands on” approach to building that sets us apart from all others. Using the latest technology our team of mature experienced craftsman will build your home from start to finish with a pursuit of excellence and attention to detail unmatched in the industry. You can have craftsmanship the way it used to be. We invite you to call us or visit our website.

STRODE CONSTRUCTION (425) 882-2092Jim Strode (425) 445-2848 • Steve Strode (425) 864-4640

Web Site: www.strodeconstruction.com

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AwardsAlthough our exclusive and very private clientele are often reluctant to participate in awards programs, AOME has garnered a number of awards through the years.

Excellence in Concrete Design, 1st place Masonry Institute, Bellevue Washington

An American Home Design, 1st & 2nd place Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan

Master Bedroom & Bath, 1st & 2nd place Seattle ASID Awards Program

Kitchen, 2nd place Seattle ASID Awards Program

Living Room, 2nd place Seattle ASID Awards Program

PublicationsAOME projects have been frequently published (too numerous to comprehensively list here) in regional magazines, newspaper supplements and nationally distributed magazines since it’s inception in 1986.

Sandwich Islands Magazine Honolulu, Hawaii

Kauai Business and Real Estate Magazine Kauai, Hawaii

Pacific Magazine, Seattle Times Seattle, Washington

Seattle Home and Garden Magazine Seattle, Washington

Seattle Homes and Lifestyles Seattle, Washington

Portland Up Close Portland, Oregon

Better Homes and Gardens Portland, Oregon

Better Kitchens and Baths Des Moines, Iowa

Bedroom and Bath Interiors Des Moines, Iowa

Remodeling Magazine Chesapeake, Virginia

Design & Living Seattle, Washington

Look for upcoming articles in: Seattle Homes and Lifestyles and Coastal Living

Pulications & Awards

25Fall 2005

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Look for this recently completed project in an upcoming issue of Seattle Homes & Lifestyles® and

in Coastal Living® in 2007.