Watch a typical design meeting. Here Kevin, our architect, and the
owner have a design session on designing a custom built-in.
This is typical of the attention to detail required when you design
and build your home. This home won Best Custom Home of The
Year in McLean for design and craftsmanship.
Here is a custom home in the City of Falls Church. This home is designed with features such as geo-thermal heating and cooling system, energy star appliances, energy star windows.
The new home is located 2 blocks from the retail section in the City of Falls Church. This proximity to stores and shopping contributes to LEED points.
The Falls Creek New Home Plan is Under Construction in the City of Falls Church
Framing using panelized construction techniques
This custom home was designed to fit naturally into the 3 acre wooded building site in McLean, Virginia. Our
goal was to meld the home into the natural wooded setting and to capture the phenomenal views on all sides of the property.
The home was designed so the owner could live and entertain on the first floor and have bedrooms for her
grand children on the 2nd floor. So we created a casual, yet elegant, open floor plan on the first floor.
We designed built-ins with an open feel to divide the dining room from the family room. And the
built-ins around the fireplace we were able to provide focal points and at the same time create and warm
and cozy feeling.
Rooms were laid and organized with the objective of maximizing the wooded views from every room.
This first floor is ideal for entertaining and convenient for the owner to retire to her bedroom suite off
the entry foyer.
The owner also wanted to have a special space just for her grandkids where they could play yet provide
privacy for her. So we created a second floor “kids-family room”. This space could be converted to a
fourth bedroom in the future.
We designed a custom marble curved sink in the powder room. The idea was
To create a unique touch that would set the room off and give it an elegant feel.
Woodmode cabinets in the this new home in McLean add special focal point
McLean new home has 8 foot exterior doors
The homeowner was very involved in all of the decisions and materials selections.
Her sophisticated tastes and style are reflected through out the home. Here is n example of
this custom designed sink in the powder room.
Powder room with custom designed sink with marble top
Here are some of the Features and materials used in this new McLean custom home:
Transitional Style Architecture
Nichiha Sierra Premium Shake Panels
WoodMode cabinets
5 inch clear Maple custom stain color with tung oil finish
ergonomically designed vanity in powder room
Trey ceilings master bedroom, foyer dining room
Custom architectural millwork
10 foot ceilings
2×6 panelized framing
Zip wall system
Second Floor family room/Kids Lounge
Master suite on first floor
Expansive 360-degree views
PVC cornice
Here is a wonderful custom designed new home on 3 acres in McLean. The home design
was created to capture the tremendous views on every side of the home.
The master suite is on the first floor. The ceilings are 10 feet on the main level.
Five inch clear maple floors with custom wood floor stain are one of the many
custom features which set this home apart.
The powder room has a custom designed marble sink. The homeowner was deeply
involved in the entire design process and her refined tastes and sensibilities
are reflected in this custom home.
The structure was designed and engineered using panelized wood framing
techniques. The framing package was fabricated and the panels were assembled
in an indoor facility and then shipped out to the site and erected.
There are lots of custom WoodMode builtins which provide function and design
elements which add to the custom feel of the home.
Business conditions stayed weak through 2009’s 3rd quarter for housing design architects, yet specific segments at the market’s lower end look ready for a 2010 recovery, according to fresh numbers from the AIA.
Since the billings for architects are usually a good prediction of future activity in construction, this could be good news for homebuilders.
Design work for affordable homes for first-time buyers jumped from -64 percent in the third quarter of 2008 to -2 percent in a year over year comparison, according to architects responding to the latest AIA Quarterly Design Trends survey. (Percentages indicate the number of respondents reporting sector ‚improving‚ minus the number reporting ‚ aweakening.‚)
The feeling towards the move-up market had an improved gain that traveled from -57 percent down to -29 percent within the same time frame.
Each market segment has been boosted through decreasing home costs and good mortgage rates. AIA cheif economist Kermit Baker noted the kick-start the affordable market received from such aid as the federal tax credit for those purchasing a home for the first time.
The third quarter of 2009 showed strong gains in remodeling activity, with 27 percent of architects reporting an increased demand for both renovations and additions, up from 13 percent in the year prior. Kitchen as well as bathroom remodeling jobs increased by a very large percentage, from approximately eight percent during 2008 to approximately twenty six percent during 2009, an increase of more than three times the percent for one year.
Additional market segments have not been as fortunate. The townhouse/condo market remained stagnant, with a score of -43 percent in 2009 vs. -49 percent in 2009. Interest in custom/luxury homes and second vacation homes remained extremely low, at -48 percent and -70 percent, respectively.
Through the third quarter of 2009, the AIA‚Äôs residential billings index rose sharply from a score of 20 in the fourth quarter of 2008 to 38 in the second quarter of 2009, but then remained flat at 38 overall. Individual scores not above 50 are indicative of negative activity, however “less bad” categories are those that show scores that are ten or above.
Moving from a score of 35 in the first quarter of 2009 to 47 in the second quarter, new project inquiries at architecture firms remained similarly meager last year, but inched closer to the halfway mark.
Geographically speaking, reports from architects suggest that recovery will be concentrated most heavily in urbanized areas. Some 69 of respondents in the latest survey indicated a rise in demand for infill development, up from 63 percent in 2008.
The source of this article is Builder Online.