2007 Home of the Month Selections

AIA Minnesota is pleased to partner with Minneapolis's StarTribune newspaper to celebrate the fourth annual Home of the Month program. Twelve entries were selected from 43 submissions and will be featured in the newspaper's "Homes" section, appearing the first Saturday of every month beginning on May 5, 2007.

The purpose of the competition is to:

    * educate and inspire the public about the value architects bring to home-building;
    * support ideas of what a Minnesota or Wisconsin home can be;
    * expand understanding of the many housing choices for potential homeowners;
    * represent a diversity of price-range for architecturally designed homes;
    * and support a growing residential architectural community.


The jury gathered on March 21, and included Duo Dickinson, AIA, Duo Dickinson Architect, Madison, Connecticut; David Dimond, AIA, Perkins+Will, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Nina Ebbighausen, AIA, Architectural Alliance, Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Linda Mack, architecture critic, StarTribune.


Following are the 2007 Home of the Month projects selections with jury comments:
(click on image to enlarge)

Tyrol Hills Rambler, Golden Valley, Minnesota Mark Larson, AIA, Rehkamp Larson Architects “This home has everyday-appeal yet it’s very sophisticated. The architects kept the rambler feel of this home and with some simple gestures really opened it up.”	Troy Thies
Kenwood Addition/Remodel, Minneapolis, Minnesota Dan Nepp, AIA, TEA2 Architects “The new exterior of this home remodel melded seamlessly into the old, elevating the 1920’s vernacular while creating a more modern layout for the interior.”	TEA2Architects
Lakeside Retreat, Western Wisconsin Katherine Hillbrand, AIA, SALA Architects, Inc. “This newly constructed home cleverly worked with its site, reaching out through the courtyard and deck areas to give it a settling presence while the interior detailing was a bit quirky and refreshing for a retreat space.”	Troy Thies and Chabrielle Cartrette
Roseville Residence, Roseville, Minnesota Ben Awes, AIA, CityDeskStudio “Cost-effective design at its best. A showcase of strong images and clean lines clearly fit the graphic designer and landscape architect clients it was designed for at $175 per square foot.”
Creek House, Minneapolis, Minnesota Scott Wende, AIA, Lunning Wende Associates, Inc. “On a modest budget and an environmentally-friendly approach, this urban remodel transformed a city dwelling into a simple and rustic gem of an urban contemporary cabin.”	Lunning Wende Associates, Inc.
Cannon Falls Residence, Cannon Falls, Minnesota Todd Hansen, AIA, Albertsson Hanson Architects “This contemporary country home expresses a mix of disciplined plans, traditional rural forms and details collectively that remain true to the farmhouse, inside and out.”	Exterior: Peter Kerze, Interior: Dana Wheelock
Seamless Neighbor, Minneapolis, Minnesota Dan Nepp, AIA, TEA2 Architects “The amount of natural light in this home is terrific! It does everything well – it fits into its context while proving very accessible; it creates a sense of tradition without going overboard – and its not as insanely expensive as one might think.”	TEA2Architects
Knife River Residence, Knife River, Minnesota Ben Awes, AIA, CityDeskStudio “At all levels this home is working. It sits in its site with two expressive, well-divided living areas. Internally, it’s clever and conveys a sense of action and movement in so many well thought-out details wherever you turn.”	Don Wong
Great Lake Discovery, Two Harbors, Minnesota Dale Mulfinger, FAIA, SALA Architects, Inc. “This is truly a discovery. This home on Lake Superior unfolds slowly in the approach and reveals a complexity in materials, scale and layers, topped off by a 30-foot high moondeck.”	SALA Architects, Inc.
House Addition, Minneapolis, Minnesota Christian Dean, AIA, CityDeskStudio “This urban remodel played with the vernacular of house to add a contemporary twist. Great patterns and sleek interiors of the addition allow for ever-changing experiences of light and materials and compliment the homey appeal of the parent building.”	CityDeskStudio
Klocker House Geoffrey Warner, AIA, Alchemy Architects “Drawing inspiration from the pole barns of rural America, the architect used energy-efficient materials and a simple plan to create a high level of design, allowing the clients to live in a light-filled box.”	Alchemy Architects
Destination Home, Grey Eagle, MN Eric Odor, AIA and Bryan Anderson, AIA, SALA Architects, Inc. “Rooted in tradition and true to the lake home, the three building forms all work in their own right with steeply pitched gables and fir lined dormers, and together for all current-day cabin necessities.”	Dan Nordstrom