I’m always proud to watch Blackburn designers excel in their work, even after leaving the firm. That’s why I have to share that one of our former project designers, who left the firm to earn his Masters in Architecture at the University of Virginia, is a finalist in the “Who’s Next” design contest run by Free Green.
As part of a team of UVA grad students called ReSource 7 (they also offer design services in the Charlottesville area), the design made the top 50 from over 400 overall entries. The next phase of the competition is a public vote, which will be worth 25% of the final judging scores.
The contest challenged designers to create a 1,600 square foot residential design that offers “affordable luxury” and utilizes sustainable and affordable strategies within a practical plan. ReSource 7’s design centers around a “modernist retreat” theme for a couple planning to build a lakeside home.
The group designed a two bedroom, two bath residence that ties the indoor with the outdoor for an open yet intimate space. The “Re-Vive” home design offers flexible studio and guest spaces, which allows the owners – a married couple – to grow within the space should their needs change. Clerestory windows throughout allow the owners to control the abundant natural light within the home, while built-in seating and shelving in a library room add a customized touch to the residence. A greenhouse is built in to the south wall of the kitchen, offering access from the kitchen itself. The seamless meld of the indoor and outdoor is further emphasized by a shaded porch with an outdoor fireplace off the master bedroom and stepped planting beds that nestle a boardwalk path leading to a lakeside deck.
For more information and to vote, view ReSource 7’s entry on Free Green’s website. The deadline to vote is Saturday, January 29, 2011.
