Riverfront Craftsman

RIVERFRONT LIVING WITH A TWIST OF MODERN CRAFTSMAN ELEGANCE

After already living on the river in a nearby rental property for some time, our clients were excited to make a more permanent progression in their lives – one that would ultimately lead them to anchor their family riverfront and build their dream home at the water’s edge!

Our firm was fortunate to be selected to help with this endeavor. Our first task was to help them locate a property that would be suitable to build the home they had been dreaming about for a long time. With very limited vacant properties available, we settled on the concept of purchasing an existing home that we would eventually demo down to the foundation, and build up fresh upon the existing foundation. This path proved extremely fortuitous. Unlike most existing homes in the area, we were able to locate a home that already had a nearly 14’ concrete foundation extending above grade; which most importantly allowed for the first floor finished space of the home to be constructed just above the 100-year flood plain datum.

In the meantime, we were able to work through a unique open concept design that focused exclusively on the site’s notable amenity – the river. On the exterior, our clients desired to have a little more of a traditional feel while the inside would exude a much more modern aesthetic. As a result, we designed the exterior with a harmonious Craftsman vocabular with a striking standing seam metal rood to help the home remain more contextual in the neighborhood while the interior pulled in clean minimalist design elements recalling our client’s Scandinavian roots.

Once our clients closed on the purchase of the existing home, we were able to begin demolition of the entire structure above the foundation clearing the way to craft this intriguing residence. With the existing four garage bays taking up the entire front face of the exposed foundation, we decided to somewhat unconventionally enter the elevated first floor of the home from the side. Using the depth of the home, guests walk up the exterior stairs on the right side of the home with a unique arrival procession. With each stair climbed, the view of the river becomes more and more apparent until you reach the top under cover where you can decide to stay outside on the rear deck to experience a taste of riverfront living or turn left into the home.

Once inside, you’ll see a welcoming foyer and the expansive open concept first floor with its 10’ high ceilings and impressive walls of glazing. Just around the corner is a clean, modern kitchen perfect for any home chef. Rounding out the warm space is a comforting view of the linear fireplace, media center, and dualing barn doors, and perhaps most notably the memorable panoramic views outside. Other notable details around the home include the many variations of ceiling plans, modern wall-hung toilets, and the intricate inlay of herringbone woodwork in the hardwood flooring.

In addition to the architectural finishes, the home is also crafted with high-performance strategies such as a super-tight, well-insulated building envelope, an extensive energy-efficient LED lighting package, a tankless water heater, and an ultra-efficient heat pump HVAC system with an ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilator). We are genuinely grateful for the opportunity to work with these wonderful clients on such a unique and rewarding project. Now it’s time to enjoy life on the water!