Sally Kavanagh AIA
Architect, LEED AP
BEFORE & AFTER
Before
After
Portland, Oregon
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The top priority for this home owner was to follow the USGBC's path to achieving LEED Certification as a green home. By thoughtfully integrating the owners goals, the design, and the construction methods, we were able to use less energy, fewer resources, and create a home that embodies healthy living conditions. Green home elements include a green roof, solar panels, a solar thermal system, bamboo cabinetry, and cork flooring, to name a few. Additionally, a sliding glass wall system at the back of the home and an inviting front patio provide indoor/outdoor living spaces and natural light throughout.
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
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Located in the heart of Old Town in downtown Steamboat Springs, this house was purchased for the location. It is nestled on a charming street with sidewalks, bike lanes, beautiful views, and walking access to Main Street. However, the interior was divided into small, dark, dated, isolated spaces.
We started with connecting the levels of this tall home and introducing natural light at every opportunity. We removed the walls around the dark, gloomy, steep staircase to allow the entire stair volume to act as a three-story lightwell. This provided layers of natural light throughout the home and captured views as people move through the house.
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Zones were created for the varying needs of a busy family: a teenage space to provide a measure of independence, gathering spaces for family and friends, a large mudroom at the back entrance for gear storage, a welcoming entrance at the front of the house, a "family command center" to help create calm and order in every day life, and spaces specifically designed to engage in uninterrupted, meaningful work.
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We added a gracious front porch and a fenced yard where there once was just asphalt. A wrap around deck was added to the second level, with a gas fire-table and stair access to the back yard, creating both a visual and a physical connection between interior and exterior spaces.
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Before
After
Boulder, Colorado
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For this client, we created additional living square footage to fit the family comfortably and focused the design on capturing sunlight and views of the striking Boulder Flatirons. We brought light into the lower level by lowering the elevation of the front yard and adding large windows. We 'popped the top' on the garage to add a master bedroom suite and family room. We also added natural light throughout by removing full-height walls and increasing the ceiling height by modifying the trusses. This house, which the owners had once nicknamed, "the dungeon" because of the dark and dreary atmosphere, became a bright and airy light-filled home.
Before
After
Portland, Oregon
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This design was created for a retired couple who enjoy spending time gardening and socializing in the front yard, which faces a golf course, busy walking trails, and captures views of the sunset. The retaining wall designs serve multiple purposes, primarily enabling the owners to stay active tending the garden because the task no longer requires getting down on hands and knees. Inside we introduced natural light, a formal entry, a dining area that opens onto the front porch, and created view corridors to capture both interior and exterior spaces.
Sauvie Island, Oregon
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This design was for a client who is a great creator and collector of art, an entrepreneur who entertains on both a small and large scale, and a person who values the built form as sculpture to capture views, to play with light and shadow, display artwork, host performances, and to create layers of unique intimate and expansive spaces as the backdrop for an inspiring life. The front of the home faces acres of orchards, the back of the home opens up to the beach.
