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Project: AIA Homes of the Month

  • The Home of the Month program is a partnership between the Star Tribune and the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects. It features architect-designed houses selected by a jury of experts. The houses represent a range of prices, styles and locations.

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This sustainably designed home by architect Ryan Fish and builder Rocky DiGiacomo uses close to zero energy.

To connect the remodeled kitchen to the living and dining rooms, architect Thomas Meyer opened an existing oak slat wall and installed a sliding oak door to close it off when the owners are entertaining.

  • Retro refreshed

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish November 4, 2012 1:00 AM / Update November 3, 2012 3:23 PM

    A midcentury modern home, originally designed for a widow and her maid, was updated while staying true to its '60s sensibility.

    Full StoryFull story

Vibrant green and blue accents greet visitors at the front door.

Holly Ridge Farmhouse in Ellsworth Wis.

Crane Island Cabin

Jeff Schweigert's Golden Valley, MN home on June 21, 2012. The livin...

AFTER: Lakeside view of the 1930s Cedar Lake home renovated by Peterssen/Keller Architecture. The third-story addition is set back from the original exterior, creating a large terrace.

Architect Wayne Branum of SALA designed a St. Croix River cabin with a limestone fireplace to reflect the terrain, heated concrete floors and energy-saving features.

AIA0304: Dining room and kitchen renovation in a Tangletown Minneapol...

Modern remodeled living room showing fireplace and part of kitchen wit...

Erinn and Shane Farrell own a contemporary green home in south Minneapolis designed by architect Eric Odor. Erinn and Shane Farrell with son Oscar Farrell, 2 with the lower floor family living area and kitchen in background.

  • Minneapolis family open to change

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish January 1, 2012 2:00 AM / Update December 31, 2011 2:15 PM

    A growing family was ready to remodel their bungalow. But building a new home with energy-smart features and an open floor plan ultimately made the most of their site and resources.

    Full StoryFull story

Architect Todd Hansen gave his mother's Hastings farmhouse new life wi...

Remodel of SW Minneapolis bungalow, lo...

provided photo / aia1002 - - David Heide -Summit Av renovation ' af...

A family's modern house near the Zumbro River in Rochester melds Asian elements, green features and universal design.

  • Zen on the Zumbro

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish September 4, 2011 2:00 AM / Update September 7, 2011 9:41 AM

    A family's modern house near the Zumbro River in Rochester melds Asian elements, green features and universal design. It will be included in the upcoming Homes by Architects tour.

    Full StoryFull story

Home of the Month: Hayward, Wis. cabin by SALA architect Michaela Mahady.

  • Rustic reimagined

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish August 7, 2011 2:00 AM / Update August 8, 2011 9:12 AM

    AIA Home of the Month: A Wisconsin lakeside retreat intermingles the rustic architecture of national park buildings with comfortable cottage-style character.

    Full StoryFull story

provided photo / aia0703Loft of Ann Kincaid in the Itasca bldg, desi...

Rafter tails give the home on Lake Superior the look of a seaside cottage.

  • A Superior setting

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish June 5, 2011 2:00 AM / Update June 11, 2011 4:30 PM

    A year-round home on Lake Superior captures the feeling of a woodsy getaway, but has all the amenities a busy family needs.

    Full StoryFull story

Shelley and Trent Gilliss, photographed in the kitchen-living room are...

  • Modern family home

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish April 3, 2011 2:00 AM / Update April 3, 2011 4:00 PM

    A couple make a fresh start by building a contemporary-style house that capitalizes on a park-like setting in an older Minneapolis neighborhood.

    Full StoryFull story

Linden Hills bungalow

The Deschamps house in St. Paul

The exterior of Kate Grussing's Cape Cod home in St.Louis Park.

The remodeled porch

  • Phases of the room

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish December 5, 2010 2:00 AM / Update December 4, 2010 6:22 PM

    Patience and perseverance drove the reinvention of a mid-century ranch house that now combines 1960s architecture with Asian influences.

    Full StoryFull story

The kitchen of a remodeled Linden Hills house by Todd Hansen.

The entry side of the eco-friendly Lee lake home features a whimsical swooping roofline that softens the rugged stone and cedar exterior.

  • Eco-friendly escape

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Publish October 3, 2010 2:00 AM / Update October 2, 2010 12:43 PM

    A green-minded couple built an Up North getaway that marries the look of a timeless European cottage with the latest environmentally friendly features.

    Full StoryFull story

Lake Minnnetonka house by Nguyen Architects

  • Clean and green

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish September 5, 2010 2:00 AM / Update September 7, 2010 1:22 PM

    An Orono couple's whole-house renovation is in harmony with their eco-friendly lifestyle and modern sensibilities. See it for yourself at the Homes by Architects tour this month.

    Full StoryFull story

Timber-frame weekend retreat on Lake Sylvia

  • Rustic redefined

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish August 1, 2010 2:00 AM / Update July 31, 2010 5:03 PM

    A timber-frame weekend retreat breaks the mold by combining classic Douglas fir with contemporary walls of glass and cool steel accents.

    Full StoryFull story

Andrea Swan's family fishing retreat

  • Updated A-frame cabin

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish July 4, 2010 2:00 AM / Update July 11, 2010 7:58 AM

    Architect Andrea Peschel Swan designed an updated cabin on Lake Mille Lacs where her family can get away and do what they love - fish for walleye.

    Full StoryFull story

"Before" front exterior.

The screened porch leads to the backyard.

Mixed metals in the kitchen.

  • Mixed metals

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish April 4, 2010 2:00 AM / Update April 5, 2010 9:33 AM

    A St. Paul architect's one-of-a-kind bungalow renovation is an amalgamation of warm wood and shiny steel that preserves the home's character while offering a flexible floor plan for his family.

    Full StoryFull story

The living room of the Stuart home is just off the kitchen.

The new kitchen in the second-floor addition. Clerestory windows are on three sides.

  • SKY-HIGH STYLE

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish February 7, 2010 2:00 AM / Update February 6, 2010 11:32 AM

    A St. Paul architect's second-story addition captures the connected-to-nature feeling of a rooftop patio but with a distinctly modern edge.

    Full StoryFull story

Renovated kitchen

View from the lake

  • Hybrid cabin

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish December 6, 2009 2:00 AM / Update December 5, 2009 3:22 PM

    Architect Christian Dean's modern interpretation of a traditional log cabin features a high-tech green roof, rusted steel accents and glass walls.

    Full StoryFull story

  • Bigger, better, greener

    Article By: JUDY ARGINTEANU , Special to the Star Tribune Publish November 1, 2009 1:00 AM / Update October 31, 2009 1:52 PM

    A St. Paul couple redesigned a traditional home for their family to make it more modern, more livable and more energy-efficient.

    Full StoryFull story

Galvanized steel columns support porches on three sides that offer views of prairies, rolling hills and river bluffs.

Natural blends

AFTER

A-frame form

  • A+ CABIN

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish July 12, 2009 2:00 AM / Update July 27, 2009 2:44 PM

    Architect Marcelo Valdes' compact cabin melds an efficient use of space and resources with finely crafted interior details.

    Full StoryFull story

Photos by Altus Architecture + Design. The minimalist kitchen is a combination of warm maple cabinets with a cool slate floor, black granite center island and grey concrete backsplash. Clerestory windows draw in light, yet provide privacy from the house next door.

Exterior

  • Prairie restoration

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish May 3, 2009 2:00 AM / Update May 28, 2009 3:38 PM

    Design professionals David Heide and Michael Crull updated their Prairie-style home for the future while keeping an eye on the past.

    Full StoryFull story

The site includes a rocky shoreline

The homeowners and architect in the kitchen

  • 'JUST RIGHT'

    Publish March 7, 2009 2:00 AM / Update March 5, 2009 6:00 PM

    A back-of-the-house bump-out created enough space to give this St. Paul family a new bathroom, kitchen and bedroom.

    Full StoryFull story

Main structure

A weeHouse

  • The not-so-wee House

    Article By: Lynn Underwood , Star Tribune Publish January 3, 2009 2:00 AM / Update July 27, 2009 5:55 PM

    Architect Geoffrey Warner hopes to make factory-built housing more popular by focusing on sustainability and smart design with his modular weeHouses. That concept has evolved from a one-room cabin to this three-level house in south Minneapolis.

    Full StoryFull story

Emmet Klocker's home in Clearwater, Minn.

  • Barn meets loft

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish April 5, 2008 2:00 AM / Update April 11, 2008 10:17 AM

    Emmet Klocker wanted an edgy, urban space, but didn't want to leave his rural roots. The solution? A 2,300-square-foot house with a rural shape and modern interior.

    Full StoryFull story

Cannon Falls country house

  • A divine design

    Article By: Jim Buchta , Star Tribune Publish January 6, 2007 2:00 AM / Update September 17, 2007 11:29 AM

    This month's Home of the Month selection is a study in simple forms and creative design solutions.

    Full StoryFull story

  • Towering achievement

    Article By: Jim Buchta , Star Tribune Publish April 7, 2007 2:00 AM / Update September 17, 2007 11:30 AM

    Architect Wayne Branum faced a difficult challenge: Designing a house for himself that connects him to the land and his art.

    Full StoryFull story

  • Modern love

    Article By: Jim Buchta , Star Tribune Publish December 2, 2006 2:00 AM / Update September 17, 2007 11:31 AM

    Minneapolis architect Mark Larson's clients were smitten with this unusual North Oaks house, rumored to be built for a bachelor doctor who was a fan of modern design.

    Full StoryFull story

Shape, materials help keep energy costs low

  • Urban edge in the country

    Article By: Jim Buchta , Star Tribune Publish August 5, 2006 2:00 AM / Update January 12, 2007 2:36 PM

    Leanne Stremcha s roots in Northfield, Minn., run deep. Her great-grandparents homesteaded there, she s lived there most of her life and she s been a Northfield Master Gardener for more than a decade.

    Full StoryFull story

  • Attic inspiration

    Article By: Jim Buchta , Star Tribune Publish July 1, 2006 2:00 AM / Update January 12, 2007 2:36 PM

    Outgrown your house, but don't want to move? This month's Home of the Month selection shows you how to revamp a wasted attic space and an outdated kitchen on a budget.

    Full StoryFull story

Little red cottage

  • A new angle

    Article By: Jim Buchta , Star Tribune Publish June 3, 2006 2:00 AM / Update June 3, 2006 8:58 AM

    How do you build a house that doesn't turn its back on the landscape? The latest Home of the Month selection shows you how.

    Full StoryFull story

Views of the falls

Newer house renewed

  • New room for living

    Article By: Jim Buchta , Star Tribune Publish October 1, 2005 2:00 AM / Update March 15, 2006 11:10 AM

    The facade of Frank Zink and Katie Resch's 11-year-old St. Paul house blended into its centenarian neighborhood, but the floor plan was no match for their modern lifestyle with a dog and two small children.

    Full StoryFull story

  • 'Superior Split lives up to name

    Article By: Jim Buchta , Star Tribune Publish January 4, 2006 2:00 AM / Update March 15, 2006 10:35 AM

    Cracked down the middle and twisted about by a Lake Superior squall? No, built by a father for his daughter and her family, this North Shore getaway proves that two halves really do make a whole.

    Full StoryFull story

Architects talk with homeowners.

  • A roomier rambler

    Article By: Jim Buchta , Star Tribune Publish February 3, 2006 2:00 AM / Update March 15, 2006 11:13 AM

    After a first-time home buyer yearned for more light in his 1960s St. Paul rambler, a whole-house transformation gave him that and more without adding expensive square footage.

    Full StoryFull story

Addition wasn't hidden

  • Updating the dated

    Article By: Jim Buchta , Star Tribune Publish March 4, 2006 2:00 AM / Update March 4, 2006 8:52 AM

    Our latest Home of the Month selection demonstrates how a new center island can carry an outdated St. Paul house into the 21st century, and why it doesn't always make sense to make the new part of the house match the old.

    Full StoryFull story

The south-facing back of the house has lots of windows to take advantage of passive solar gains. Various roof lines help make this house feel like a rural farm building that has evolved over time.

  • Up on the farm

    Article By: Jim Buchta , Star Tribune Publish April 1, 2006 2:00 AM / Update April 19, 2006 9:57 AM

    Architect Wayne Branum's instructions were to design an economical house for a 155-acre site in rural Wisconsin, one sympathetic to its agrarian setting, but with a modern twist. Here are five lessons from that project.

    Full StoryFull story

  • The transformation

    Article By: Jum Buchta , Publish December 2, 2006 2:00 AM / Update January 12, 2007 3:24 PM

    The Transformation: How architect Mark Larson improved the function of this boxy, multi-level house without adding an inch of space to its layout.

    Full StoryFull story

Andrea Swan's family fishing retreat

  • Updated A-frame cabin

    Article By: LYNN UNDERWOOD , Star Tribune Publish July 4, 2010 2:00 AM / Update July 11, 2010 7:58 AM

    Architect Andrea Peschel Swan designed an updated cabin on Lake Mille Lacs where her family can get away and do what they love - fish for walleye.

    Full StoryFull story

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