So, since I’m such an old school resident of Portland, I’m a little cranky with myself being that I’ve never noticed this project you see above, at Communitecture’s site. Seriously now, there’s just no good excuse.

This beautiful and quirky home’s plans utilizes trapezoids over rectangles and is sustainable to boot. The house, located in Orenco, OR, has locally-harvested oak structural columns plus salvaged materials from nearby barns.

Communitecture is a local (to me) architectural company who specializes in sustainable design that’s beautiful and bright. I’ve seen some of their commercial and multi-housing structures and they’re always very cool – very pdx. If you live in Portland you know what I mean by very Portland, and if not, well, come for a visit

In any case, I really love the Bloom Home. I love the unique shapes, the wide front stairs, the leaning look, and how the colors work so well organically (green and purple? They made it work). Check out more images at Communitecture and delight in their oh so not complex for an architect’s website. It’s all pretty and green-minded!

Especially check out their multi and co-housing designs – some great ideas are posted.

Want more Pacific Northwest architecture?

• Robert Harvey Oshatz – The Fennell Residence
• Eleven Eleven East Pike – From Tom Kundig
• The Twisted House
• The Shire

[images via Communitecture]

Post from: Blisstree

Communitecture – Bloom House

From AIA; this year’s 10 winners include:

• Aldo Leopold Legacy Center (The Kubala Washatko Architects, Inc.) Cedarburg, WI
• Cesar Chavez Library (Line and Space, LLC) Tucson, AZ
• Discovery Center at South Lake Union (The Miller|Hull Partnership) Seattle, WA
• Garthwaite Center for Science and Arts, Cambridge School of Weston (Architerra, Inc.) Boston, MA
• Lavin-Bernick Center (VJAA) Minneapolis, MN
• Macallen Building Condominiums (Burt Hill with Office dA) Boston, MA
• Nueva School Hillside Learning Complex (Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects) San Francisco, CA
• Pocono Environmental Education Center (Bohlin Cywinski Jackson) Wilkes-Barre, PA
• Queens Botanical Garden Visitor & Administration Center (BKSK Architects) New York, NY
• Yale University Sculpture Building and Gallery (KieranTimberlake Associates, LLP) Philadelphia, PA

These are some really nice projects based on all sorts of green criteria from community to team work, from energy saving, water use and more. Each project is worth a look. Aesthetics wise, I’m partial to the Yale building (below). But it was cool to read about all of the buildings.

[Photo credit: © Peter Aaron, Esto via AIA]

Visit AIA to learn all about what went into each project plus judging criteria. Included are nice photos of each project.

Post from: Blisstree

AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects of 2008