Architecture

American dreams: The USA's best new homes

American dreams: The USA's best new homes
The thee-story Blue Lake Retreat, by Lake|Flato Architects, was designed for a client who spent childhood summers on the lake with her architect father
The thee-story Blue Lake Retreat, by Lake|Flato Architects, was designed for a client who spent childhood summers on the lake with her architect father
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This beautiful modern take on the lake house in Marble Falls, Texas, was designed by Lake|Flato Architects. It's called Blue Lake Retreat
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This beautiful modern take on the lake house in Marble Falls, Texas, was designed by Lake|Flato Architects. It's called Blue Lake Retreat
The three-story Blue Lake Retreat was designed for a client who spent childhood summers on the lake with her architect father
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The three-story Blue Lake Retreat was designed for a client who spent childhood summers on the lake with her architect father
Blue Lake Retreat's top floor is just above the tree line and provides an almost 180-degree unobstructed view of the nearby lake
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Blue Lake Retreat's top floor is just above the tree line and provides an almost 180-degree unobstructed view of the nearby lake
Blue Lake Retreat, by Lake|Flato Architects
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Blue Lake Retreat, by Lake|Flato Architects
Inside Blue Lake Retreat
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Inside Blue Lake Retreat
The thee-story Blue Lake Retreat, by Lake|Flato Architects, was designed for a client who spent childhood summers on the lake with her architect father
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The thee-story Blue Lake Retreat, by Lake|Flato Architects, was designed for a client who spent childhood summers on the lake with her architect father
Inside Blue Lake Retreat
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Inside Blue Lake Retreat
Cully Grove was designed by Green Gables Design and Restoration
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Cully Grove was designed by Green Gables Design and Restoration
Located in Portland, Oregon Cully Grove is a new community of cottages, each one boasting sustainable design, including solar power
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Located in Portland, Oregon Cully Grove is a new community of cottages, each one boasting sustainable design,  including solar power
Roxbury E+ was designed by ISA - Interface Studio Architects
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Roxbury E+ was designed by ISA - Interface Studio Architects
Roxbury E+ is located in Boston, Massachusetts
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Roxbury E+ is located in Boston, Massachusetts
The Roxbury E+ project consists of four three-story wood-frame homes that are designed to minimize their impact on the environment
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The Roxbury E+ project consists of four three-story wood-frame homes that are designed to minimize their impact on the environment
The Roxbury E+ project includes solar panels
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The Roxbury E+ project includes solar panels
Heartland Family Works was designed b Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, Inc.
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Heartland Family Works was designed b Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, Inc.
Heartland Family Works is located in Omaha, Nebraska
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Heartland Family Works is located in Omaha, Nebraska
Heartland Family Works offers residential substance abuse treatment programs
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Heartland Family Works offers residential substance abuse treatment programs 
Heartland Family Works offers its substance abuse treatment programs in a setting that keeps families intact
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Heartland Family Works offers its substance abuse treatment programs in a setting that keeps families intact
Heartland Family Works is located in Omaha, Nebraska
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Heartland Family Works is located in Omaha, Nebraska
Heartland Family Works was designed by Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, Inc.
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Heartland Family Works was designed by Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, Inc.
Hunters View Housing Blocks 5&6 was designed by Paulett Taggart Architects
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Hunters View Housing Blocks 5&6 was designed by Paulett Taggart Architects
Hunters View Housing Blocks 5&6 is located in San Francisco, California
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Hunters View Housing Blocks 5&6 is located in San Francisco, California
Hunters View Housing Blocks 5&6 provides much-needed affordable family housing in San Francisco
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Hunters View Housing Blocks 5&6 provides much-needed affordable family housing in San Francisco
Hunters View is certified LEED for Neighborhood Design
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Hunters View is certified LEED for Neighborhood Design 
Hunters View Housing Blocks 5&6 was designed by Paulett Taggart Architects
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Hunters View Housing Blocks 5&6 was designed by Paulett Taggart Architects
Hunters View is certified LEED for Neighborhood Design
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Hunters View is certified LEED for Neighborhood Design
Los Altos Residence is described as a a modernist interpretation of the Northern California ranch style home by the firm
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Los Altos Residence is described as a a modernist interpretation of the Northern California ranch style home by the firm
Inside Los Altos Residence
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Inside Los Altos Residence 
Los Altos Residence was designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
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Los Altos Residence was designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Los Altos Residence is described as a a modernist interpretation of the Northern California ranch style home
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Los Altos Residence is described as a a modernist interpretation of the Northern California ranch style home
Los Altos Residence is located in Los Altos, California
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Los Altos Residence is located in Los Altos, California
Pennsylvania Farmhouse was designed by Cutler Anderson Architects
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Pennsylvania Farmhouse was designed by Cutler Anderson Architects
Cutler Anderson Architects' Pennsylvania Farmhouse is an ode to the traditional American farmhouse
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Cutler Anderson Architects' Pennsylvania Farmhouse is an ode to the traditional American farmhouse
Pennsylvania Farmhouse is located on a 283 acre (114 hectare) farm in rural Pennsylvania's rolling hills and meadows. Special care was taken to minimize disturbance to the land
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Pennsylvania Farmhouse is located on a 283 acre (114 hectare) farm in rural Pennsylvania's rolling hills and meadows. Special care was taken to minimize disturbance to the land
Pennsylvania Farmhouse was designed by Cutler Anderson Architects
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Pennsylvania Farmhouse was designed by Cutler Anderson Architects
Powerhouse is designed by ISA - Interface Studio Architects
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Powerhouse is designed by ISA - Interface Studio Architects
Powerhouse is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Powerhouse is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Powerhouse carefully fits a dense cluster of 31 super-energy-efficient units into an urban block in Philadelphia
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Powerhouse carefully fits a dense cluster of 31 super-energy-efficient units into an urban block in Philadelphia
Sawmill was designed by Olson Kundig Architects
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Sawmill was designed by Olson Kundig Architects
Sawmill is located in California's harsh desert landscape
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Sawmill is located in California's harsh desert landscape
Olson Kundig's Sawmill is a family retreat inspired by tents around a campfire
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Olson Kundig's Sawmill is a family retreat inspired by tents around a campfire
Olson Kundig's Sawmill measures 5,200 sq ft (482 sq m)
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Olson Kundig's Sawmill measures 5,200 sq ft (482 sq m)
Inside Sawmill
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Inside Sawmill
The Graphic House was designed by Marlon Blackwell Architects
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The Graphic House was designed by Marlon Blackwell Architects
The Graphic House is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas
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The Graphic House is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas
The Graphic House is a single-family home for a middle income family of four. It occupies a corner lot within a typical suburban neighborhood
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The Graphic House is a single-family home for a middle income family of four. It occupies a corner lot within a typical suburban neighborhood
Inside the Graphic House
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Inside the Graphic House
Inside the Graphic House
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Inside the Graphic House
The Lofts at Washington University is located in St. Louis, Missouri
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The Lofts at Washington University is located in St. Louis, Missouri
The Lofts at Washington University was designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects Inc. and provide attractive new student housing
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The Lofts at Washington University was designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects Inc. and provide attractive new student housing 
The Lofts at Washington University is LEED Platinum certified
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The Lofts at Washington University is LEED Platinum certified
The Lofts at Washington University's sustainable design includes bioswales, rain gardens, photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, sustainable building materials and high-efficiency glazing
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The Lofts at Washington University's sustainable design includes bioswales, rain gardens, photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, sustainable building materials and high-efficiency glazing
The Lofts at Washington University is located in St. Louis, Missouri
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The Lofts at Washington University is located in St. Louis, Missouri
The Lofts at Washington University was designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects Inc.
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The Lofts at Washington University was designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects Inc.
The Six is a 57-unit housing project for the Skid Row Housing Trust that houses disabled veterans and rejects the usual style of shelter by seeking to promote social interaction
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The Six is a 57-unit housing project for the Skid Row Housing Trust that houses disabled veterans and rejects the usual style of shelter by seeking to promote social interaction
The Six was designed by Brooks + Scarpa and is certified LEED Platinum
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The Six was designed by Brooks + Scarpa and is certified LEED Platinum
Located in Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park, the 42,500-sq ft (3,948 sq m) building takes its name from the military term "I've got your six"
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Located in Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park, the 42,500-sq ft (3,948 sq m) building takes its name from the military term "I've got your six"
BIG's tetrahedral Via 57 West rises to a height of 450 ft (137 m) over the Hudson River, in NYC
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BIG's tetrahedral Via 57 West rises to a height of 450 ft (137 m) over the Hudson River, in NYC
Via 57 West is just the latest in a series of US-based projects by the Bjarke Ingels-led firm
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Via 57 West is just the latest in a series of US-based projects by the Bjarke Ingels-led firm
Via 57 West features some 7,7202 sq m (830,995 sq ft) of floorspace, split between 709 apartments
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Via 57 West features some 7,7202 sq m (830,995 sq ft) of floorspace, split between 709 apartments
Via 57 West's Amenities include a pool table, reading rooms, gym, and party rooms
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Via 57 West's Amenities include a pool table, reading rooms, gym, and party rooms
Via 57 West is a real landmark for NYC
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Via 57 West is a real landmark for NYC
You might think that the courtyard would get no light, but BIG says that thanks to Via 57 West's unusual pyramid-like shape, guests can enjoy plenty of daylight
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You might think that the courtyard would get no light, but BIG says that thanks to Via 57 West's unusual pyramid-like shape, guests can enjoy plenty of daylight
Via 57 West is an unusual mashup of skyscraper and European-style perimeter housing block – dubbed "courtscraper"
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Via 57 West is an unusual mashup of skyscraper and European-style perimeter housing block – dubbed "courtscraper"
Stellar Residences and Townhomes at Northstar was designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and is located in Truckee, California
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Stellar Residences and Townhomes at Northstar was designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and is located in Truckee, California
Stellar Residences and Townhomes at Northstar riffs on the concept of the traditional mountain chalet
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Stellar Residences and Townhomes at Northstar riffs on the concept of the traditional mountain chalet
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The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected the winners of its 2017 Housing Awards. The event is always a treat for fans of high-quality housing, and whether a luxury lake house for the well-heeled or rehabilitative housing for disabled veterans, each project represents the best residential architecture the USA currently has to offer.

There's a total of 14 projects in the 2017 Housing Awards, split into the following categories: One/Two Family Custom Housing, One/Two Family Production Housing, Multifamily Housing, and Special Housing.

We've picked our five favorites below, but head to the gallery to check out the rest. It's a good bunch, and highlights include sustainable student digs and a modernist interpretation of the classic Californian ranch home.

Blue Lake Retreat – Lake|Flato Architects

This beautiful modern take on the lake house in Marble Falls, Texas, was designed by Lake|Flato Architects. It's called Blue Lake Retreat
This beautiful modern take on the lake house in Marble Falls, Texas, was designed by Lake|Flato Architects. It's called Blue Lake Retreat

This attractive modern lake house in Marble Falls, Texas, was designed by Lake|Flato Architects, a firm which also featured in our look at last year's AIA Housing Awards.

The three-story Blue Lake Retreat was commissioned by a client who spent childhood summers on the lake with her architect father and looks like a great place to make the next generation of family memories. Its top floor pokes out just above the tree line and provides an almost uninterrupted 180-degree view of the nearby lake.

Generous glazing frames choice views of the surrounding area and the home boasts a large cantilevered deck which provides plenty of outdoor space. Towards the rear of the property, a small bridge offers access to the hillside and beyond.

Pennsylvania Farmhouse – Cutler Anderson Architects

Cutler Anderson Architects' Pennsylvania Farmhouse is an ode to the traditional American farmhouse
Cutler Anderson Architects' Pennsylvania Farmhouse is an ode to the traditional American farmhouse

Cutler Anderson Architects' Pennsylvania Farmhouse is an ode to the traditional American farmhouse.

The 3,000 sq ft (278 sq m) home is located on a 283 acre (114 hectare) farm in rural Pennsylvania and special care was taken to minimize disturbance to the plot's existing old rock walls. It features large operable shutters which let in enough daylight while still cooling the house significantly during summer months.

Warmth comes from a ground-source heating system and a wood-fired boiler is fueled by deadfall collected from nearby woods. Yet more heating comes in the form of a backup wood-burning stove which circulates warm air throughout the house. The house is also wired for a solar array to be installed on the roof in the future.

Sawmill – Olson Kundig Architects

Inside Sawmill
Inside Sawmill

Situated amid California's harsh desert landscape, Olson Kundig's Sawmill is an unusual family retreat with a layout inspired by tents gathered around a campfire. The idea is, the house comprises three private spaces (the "tents") arranged around a central family area (the "campfire"). In the future, the home will likely be expanded to accommodate the growing family.

The 5,200 sq ft (482 sq m) home is self-sufficient, with wind and solar producing all required electricity. Salvaged steel used in the build was sourced from a demolished cement plant and geothermal energy was incorporated, too.

Powerhouse – ISA

Powerhouse is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Powerhouse is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Powerhouse, by Interface Studio Architects (ISA), squeezes a cluster of 31 energy-efficient housing units into an urban block in Philadelphia. The project includes single family townhouses, duplexes, and two small apartment buildings.

Drawing design cues from Philadelphia's strong tradition of stoop sitting, generously-proportioned entrance platforms are installed, with handrails designed by a local artist. It's green too, and all 31 units have achieved LEED Platinum (a green building standard) certification. Notable sustainable design includes stormwater collection and green roofs.

Via 57 West - BIG

Via 57 West is an unusual mashup of skyscraper and European-style perimeter housing block – dubbed "courtscraper"
Via 57 West is an unusual mashup of skyscraper and European-style perimeter housing block – dubbed "courtscraper"

The Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)-designed Via 57 West melds design elements of the traditional European perimeter block and skyscraper, to create what it calls a "courtscraper." Weird-sounding nickname aside, it's a groundbreaking project that turns heads even in skyscraper-packed Manhattan.

The pyramid-like luxury residential building offers each resident a bay-facing window and access to a light-filled courtyard that has the same proportions as NYC's Central Park, except one that's 13,000th the size. It features some energy-efficient design too, including rainwater collection and on-site filtering, hybrid heat-pump heating systems and energy-efficient appliances and lighting.

Source: AIA

View gallery - 65 images
2 comments
2 comments
ljaques
Blue Lake Retreat is kinda neat and beautiful, until you consider glare. It would be unlivable between the hours of 7-10am and 2-8pm in the summer. Glass cleaning would bankrupt you. Privacy would be a big loss, too. Acoustics in the kitchen/dining are would be deafening. // Cully Grove is way cool. // HIDEOUS: Roxbury, Heartland, PA Farmhouse, Powerhouse, Lofts, // Sawmill is bland but practical, with horrific acoustics // Graphic House -belongs- in Fayetteville // Via 57 is weird but cool // Stellar is kinda cool. // What is obvious from this is that architects and their critics got their licenses for knowing code, not couth or beauty. [Yes, but critics (myself included) think they have license. ;)]
MK23666
Warmth is missing in a lot of the designs ... inside AND out.