John Cook, FAIA; Joan Soranno, FAIA; Travis Van Liere; Brit Erenler; Tony Staeger; Erik Hansen; Alex Miller; Adam Barnstorff
Analog House
Project Type: New Construction
Sponsors: Lelch Audio Video, Stinson Builders
After living in the Cedar-Isles-Dean area of Minneapolis for 17 years, the homeowners/architects had the unique opportunity to purchase on open lot and design a new home for themselves on historic Lake of the Isles. The rare, south-facing property, previously part of an oversized backyard of the house next door, was the perfect site to design a right-sized family home that balanced their contemporary aesthetic with an appreciation for designing a home that fits well within the historic typology of the lake.
The U-shaped home orients the primary rooms south to maximize views of the lake and take advantage of the abundant south light for the owners/architects well-being throughout the year. While the home is clearly modern, it blends in with the surrounding houses with a long, symmetrical facade, weathered, lime-washed brick palette, and deep-set, punched windows.
The house is named the Analog House because it was essentially designed and detailed without computers. The owners hand-drafted 50 sheets of construction drawings, and the design was studied in physical models and hand-drawn one- and two-point perspectives.
The architectural program called for a two-story, 2-bedroom, 2 bath home. The owners also needed a small workshop to store tools and equipment, a 2-car garage, and a studio. They were conscious of not oversizing or having extra rooms, and there's no wasted space in the house. Although there was an expressed desire to build a 21st-century, contemporary house, the owners wanted the house to fit into the historic neighborhood and within the housing typology on the lake.
The house is oriented to maximize south-facing views of the lake from all primary rooms and is organized around an exterior courtyard. The courtyard offers privacy and shade in the summer months; the front of the house has a large patio for social gatherings and relaxation. Large windows on the front facade look out towards the lake and parkland.
Inside the house, large floor-to-ceiling windows are balanced by lower ceilings so that all the spaces are intimate and human-scaled. Fabric-wrapped acoustical ceiling panels in the coffered main living space and radiant floor heating throughout further reinforce this intimacy and coziness.
A long patio terrace in front with large sliding doors from the main living space create a strong visual connection to the parkway and invites conversation with neighbors and passersby, fostering a sense of well-being and community. A backyard courtyard offers a cool oasis in the summer months while still maintaining a strong visual connection to the lake and neighborhood.
The interior spaces includes a coffered, integrated kitchen-dining-living space, two bedrooms, and a studio. Custom furniture, soft material palette, and minimal detailing reflect the homeowners/architects’ distinctive style.
The house was designed with aging in place in mind. A shaft was built with the necessary infrastructure for a future elevator; blocking was installed in many of the bathroom walls for future grab bars; entry from the back is ADA-accessible; there are no raised thresholds or steps in the showers; and no upper cabinets in the kitchen, laundry room or mudroom.
Sustainable Design Highlights
The home includes a solar-ready roof above the second floor, green roofs above the garage and entry porch, and high-efficiency boilers. Radiant flooring and an electric heat pump water heater, as well as all-electric kitchen and laundry appliances reduce the energy demands of the home. Warm-dim LED lighting, triple-glazed, low-E, operable windows, above-code insulated walls and roofing, as well as shading devices and passive solar strategies, increase efficient operations. The home also includes high-output car charging capabilities in the garage.
Framework for Design Excellence: Design for Integration
The house was designed to connect the main areas of the house with nature. Large, floor-to-ceiling windows in the main living spaces have expansive views to the lake, the park way and the exterior courtyard. The form, massing, materials, and scale of the house were designed so the house harmonizes with the historic neighborhood.
Framework for Design Excellence: Design for Well-Being
The house is designed to take advantage of beautiful and panoramic views to the lake, the park and the courtyard while having ceiling heights that promote intimacy. Large, operable windows and doors allow an abundance of natural light into the house in all seasons and radiant flooring throughout provides thermal comfort in the cold winter months. Fabric-wrapped acoustical ceiling panels provide acoustical comfort in the main living areas (living room, dining room and kitchen). Infrastructure has been provided for a future elevator (if needed) and blocking has been added to many of the walls for accessibility elements like grab bars, additional railings, etc.
Framework for Design Excellence: Design for Energy
A major design driver was to incorporate passive design strategies into the main spaces inside the house. A majority of heating during the cold months is provided by floor-to-ceiling, south-facing, triple-glazed windows; during the summer months, operable and manual shades provide necessary shading.
Framework for Design Excellence: Design for Resources
The house is a wood frame structure with no steel used on the project. The exterior is brick and predominant interior materials like hardwood oak flooring and stone countertop are natural.
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