Home of the Month winners

On Wednesday night, a jury named 12 recently built or remodeled homes the 2011 Home of the Month winners. All of the homes, which are in or near the metro area, were designed by local architects. The homes showcase a wide range of styles, prices and locations.

As part of the annual contest -- a partnership between the Star Tribune and the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects -- we'll feature one story a month, complete with interviews with the architects, homeowners and lots of photos, in the Homes section. They'll appear on the first Sunday of every month starting in May. Here are the projects you'll be reading about in the upcoming months:

Project: A humble Hastings farmhouse is given new life with a small addition and a new kitchen that stays true to the home's rural roots.

Design team: Todd Hansen and Corri Sandwick, Albertsson Hansen Architecture.

Project: With its stone hearth, fir beams and pitched gables, this newly built cottage looks as if it's been on its Hayward, Wis., site for generations.

Design team: Michaela Mahady, Maury Stenerson and Meghan Kell Cornell, SALA Architects.

Project: This modern steel-roofed home, composed of three connected pods, was built on a sloping site above the Zumbro River.

Project: Architect Kelly Davis designed his family's rambler in Afton for the 21st century, with passive solar features and casual open spaces that allow for aging in place.

Design Team: Kelly Davis, Timothy Old, David Ferguson, SALA Architects.

Project: This new Craftsman-style retreat has an exterior befitting its Lake Superior site. The interior, though, is surprisingly, refreshingly modern.

Design Team: Chris Strom and Dan Nepp, TEA2 Architects.

Project: Described by the jurors as "playfully modern," this sustainable home on a small Minneapolis infill lot skillfully connects indoor and outdoor spaces.

Project: This St. Croix River retreat celebrates the 1970s, with its restrained design, open floor plan and "Brady Bunch" accents.

Design team: Wayne Branum and Sarah Greshowak, SALA Architects.

Project: This modest 1938 home is updated with a very modern addition that blends the old with the new to accommodate a growing family.

Design team: Bob Ganser, Ben Awes and Christian Dean and Krista Jensen, CityDeskStudio.

Project: This condo unit in a 1913 Summit Avenue home was restored to replicate the period character and reconfigured to better fit contemporary living.

Project: A modern interior renovation transforms a timeworn Edina Cape Cod.

Design team: Edie Sebesta, Mark Burgess and Paul Udris, U + B Architecture and Design.

Project: This loft remodeling combines two units in the historic Itasca Building to form one cohesive living space.

Design team: Christine Albertsson, Mark Tambornino and Angela Davis, Albertsson Hansen Architecture.

Project: This remodeled kitchen is true to the home's Arts and Crafts style, but integrates the latest appliances, lighting and accents.