Home of the Month

The sixth annual Home of the Month program, a cooperative venture of the American Institute of Architects Minnesota (AIA Minnesota) and the Star Tribune newspaper, announced their 12 selections on March 25. This group of projects will be featured monthly on the first Saturday of each month, May 3, 2008 – April 4, 2009, in the Star Tribune‘s Homes section.

View the 2008 Home of the Month Press Release

2008 Home of the Month Selections

Projects are in alpha order by firm and include firm, architects/ designers and project, and selection panel comments:

Cable Lake Cabin Albertsson Hansen Architecture, Ltd. Photo: Peter Bastianelli-Kerze Christine Albertsson, AIA, Ryan Fish, AIA, Laura Cayere-King, Assoc AIA, Sonya Carel, Assoc AIA A 1920s cabin renovated as a red Swedish summer cottage while maintaining the original intimate scale.
Sun and Stone Choice Wood Company Leffert Tigelaar, AIA Photo: Dana Wheelock Wood frame additions grouped around the pool opened up a traditional stone house that had never been remodeled.
Urban Weehouse Alchemy Architects Geoffrey Warner, AIA Photo: Geoffrey Warner The box-like pieces of the house arrived by truck and were craned into place to create a contemporary house that respects its traditional neighborhood setting
Bussey Residence Wessel Design Kerrik Wessel, AIA with Heather Sexton Photo: Scott Gilbertson The minimalist house reaches out into the five-acre site; the L-shaped plan gives it both privacy and openness to nature.
Madeline Island Retreat SALA Architects, Inc. Dale Mulfinger, FAIA, with Dan Wallace, AIA Photo: Dale Mulfinger Walk into the house and the big room opening to the lake feels like a loft in the woods. A gallery leads to a guest room and tree-height office.
Balsam Lake Retreat TEA 2 Architects, Inc. Tom Ellison, AIA, Charlie Witzke Photo: Dan Nepp This contemporary shingle style house is beautifully planned and detailed, from the curved screen porch connecting the house and the garage to the subtle eyebrow window.
St. Paul Residence Albertsson Hansen Architecture, Ltd. Christine Albertsson, AIA, Laura Cayere-King, Assoc AIA Photo: Adan Torres How to expand a small house without overwhelming it? Push out the back to enlarge the kitchen and the porch and add a playroom upstairs.
Queen Anne David Heide Design Mark Nelson, AIA Photo: Susan Gilmore Photography The Queen Anne of all restorations! The new spaces added carry out the detailed Victorian style of the original 1892 home.
Minnetrista Farmhouse SALA Architects, Inc. Michaela Mahady, AIA with Jessica Wilder and Maury Stenerson Photo: Nick Gorski Photography This crisp new house uses the farmhouse vernacular to fit in with existing buildings on its site. Inside, the layout provides a variety of spaces from open to an intimate reading nook.
The Art Ranch Choice Wood Company Leffert Tigelaar, AIA Photo: Troy Thies A typical closed-in rambler was expanded and opened to light and views while maintaining a ranch feel, particularly in the retro kitchen and breakfast nook.
White Bear Lake Residence Altus Architecture + Design Ltd. Tim Alt, AIA, CID, Tammy Angaran, AIA, CID, Roger Cummelin, AIA, Chad Healy and Carl Olson Photo: Peter Bastianelli-Kerze Three bluestone pavilions connected with wood sun shades create an elegant house that sits quietly in the landscape.
Riverhouse SALA Architects, Inc. Katherine Hillbrand, AIA and Meghan Kell Cornell, AIA, with Deb Kees and Jim Larson Photo: Chabrielle Cartrette Like a Usonian house, the design takes a simple concept and carries it out. A beautifully executed design that has great flow and harmony with nature.