by Heather Livingston

The AIA Committee on Design on May 28 selected 12 award winners in the New Home on the Range competition, which challenged architects and architecture students to design the seminal single-family home of the 21st century. The jury named first, second, and third place winners, plus nine honorable mentions. The jury was composed of Chair David Brems, AIA, Gillies Stransky Brems Smith PC; David Greenbaum, FAIA, SmithGroup; Ed Hord, FAIA, hord|coplan|macht; Lance Hosey, AIA, William McDonough + Partners; and Ronnette Riley, FAIA, Ronnette Riley Architect.

Created on the principle that the single-family dwelling is the testing ground for new design ideas, the New Home on the Range competition asked entrants to explore the impact of their designs relative to sustainability, economics, and social issues. The program included a three-bedroom, two-bathroom, single-family house with a two-car garage, not exceeding 2,400 interior square feet and located on a 75-foot x 145-foot, ¼-acre lot. An exhibition featuring this year’s winners will be on display at the AIA 2004 National Convention and Design Expo in Chicago, June 10–12.

First Place: House S, by Jeffrey S. Lee, AIA; David Hill, Assoc. AIA; Matthew Konar; Jennifer Olson; Nelson Tang; Marni Vinton, and Holly Williams
Jury comments: The concept is thorough and clearly presented in a linear scheme. It embodies all the aspects one looks for in a competition entry: clean graphics, an easily understandable concept, inventiveness, and creativity. It dealt with the requirements of program and considered sustainable strategies by looking at how the design could be small, midsize, or large; fit into the context of the neighborhood; and create a sense of community. It is technically innovative in ways that may or may not be completely feasible—especially for a suburban house—but the jury applauds the artful marriage of technique and form. (Image courtesy of the architect.)

Second Place: A Wooded House, by Ian Roll, Assoc. AIA
Jury comments: This was the best example of entries that sculpted or burrowed into the site—in this case by creating a gently terraced courtyard. The Wooded House reinterprets Wright’s Prairie Style houses in a more abstract language. There is a clear sense of regionalism in the design—it actually feels like Colorado. The material idea provides the very image and form of the building. The scheme is laudable for its integration of sustainability into the design while maintaining a quiet simplicity and without resorting to overly familiar techniques. The driveway is convenient to the street, but is read more as a landscape element than “driveway.” The jury appreciated the idea of reusing railroad ties, but can also see it using a variety of textured recycled materials. (Image courtesy of the architect.)

Third Place: Push & Pull House, Thomas Raynaud and Sacha Lansac
Jury comments: This entry is a departure from all others. At first glance, it seems to be radical—a reinvented Farnsworth House. It transforms the Modern glass box into product design. This was one of the few entries that took a strong stance on lifestyle, questioning the single-family house in a direct way. The “plug and play” power-generating roof, made of a plane of photovoltaics and skylights, is very inventive, yet quite simple. The modular and prefabricated interior elements provide flexibility and allow manipulation of space. This design could be used anywhere. We can easily see it as a proposition for an urban loft. This entry questions the preconceptions of a house; it is very interesting to see these ideas explored. The concept presentation is simple and clear. (Image courtesy of the architect.)

Honorable mentions

The honorable mentions represent a cross-section of entries and clearly illustrate themes that were consistent across proposals. There were a number of schemes that were obviously influenced by the design vocabulary of other architects’ work, which created a distraction from the individuality of the schemes. There were some designs that attempted to throw too many ideas into one solution, rather than presenting a simple clear concept, readily understandable at a glance. Many entries struggled to find dramatic new forms—most without great success—but the jury did appreciate the attempt to address language and image. (Pictured is “e-teepee.”)

• Study in Red #1, Principal design and graphics by Helen Pierce, AIA, with designers Christian Sereduke, AIA, and Will Hurd, AIA
• Redefinition, Jerel McCants, Assoc. AIA, Smith Barnes Santiestebar Architecture Inc., Michael A. Renaud, Assoc. AIA, and Geno P. Knowles Jr., Assoc. AIA, RBK Architects
• House 20/21, Rado Ivanov, Assoc. AIA
• Great Planes, Daniel K. Mullin, AIA, and Darrin Griechen, AIA, Daniel K. Mullin Architects, Inc.
• Sienna 2, Scott Barton, Sienna Architecture Company
• e-teepee, Peter Grueneisen, AIA, Cary Bellaflor, Stephen Bohne, Robert Hsin, and Jennifer Ochoa, Nonzero\Architecture
• Red House: Conserve, Cultivate, Collect, Travis L. Hicks
• Green House, Brendan O’Grady, Assoc. AIA, and Thomas J. Trenolone, Assoc. AIA, Nocturnal Design Lab, with Brandon Stewart, 3D Materials
• @Home, Thomas Myers.

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