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NOWHAUS 01 It’s a synthesis of fanciful urban loft and practical family basecamp. Kaleidoscopic art and green design. Radical new techniques and reused materials. Welcome to NowHaus 01: the first in a series of singular homes that celebrate modern, sustainable city living—conceived and built by LOCUS Architecture. This dramatic rebirth of a 1950s rambler near Cedar Lake manifests our core principles—and some of our most intriguing ideas. URBAN LIFESTYLE AND LOCATION The prime urban location provides a wealth of amenities and conveniences. > a safe urban neighborhood for families > easy access to the lake and the chain of parkways > commute via bicycle to downtown Minneapolis > walk to dozens of restaurants and shops > easy access to excellent public and private schools, libraries and museums > 5-minute drive to I394 I94, I35W,Hwy 55, Hwy100 This is also a neighborhood with great architectural diversity. Our modern nowhaus complements the eclectic mix of classic Minneapolis tudors, prairie style ramblers, 50s boxes, and "suburban style" infill houses that surround it. ARTISTIC DESIGN AND DETAILS At LOCUS, we’re inspired by cities and all they have to offer—and we’re committed to creating modern dwellings that celebrate the unique benefits of urban living. ne look at nowhaus 01 and it’s apparent that this isn’t architecture-as-usual. From the striking façade with its translucent, billboard-backed siding and hidden entry to the interesting path and steps, this house makes a powerful first impression. Inside, the home is filled with unique features and details that give it intrigue and character. Throughout the house, work by local artists shows how this modern loft environment is the perfect backdrop for an eclectic art collection. At LOCUS, we take a hands on approach to building. In nowhaus 01, we fabricated our own concrete countertops and the copper shower surround. We designed and built the steel catwalk and the sculptural hanging stairway. Given the choice, we prefer handmade to off-the-shelf every time. The translucent polycarbonate sheathing that is such an integral feature of this home (inside + out) functions on many levels. It was chosen for its passive solar heating qualities, translucency, and color characteristics. It allows light to transform the space during day and night—from the outside and from within—and to signal activity. The way it’s installed, with an inch and a half of airspace behind, eliminates trapped moisture—a primary cause of siding failure. Like most materials we use, it’s practical and expressive at the same time. In this house, as in all our projects, aesthetics come first. We view architecture as art. And we feel that beauty alone is sustainable. SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS AND PRINCIPLES With nowhaus, our goal was to create a freestanding single-family home imbued with the style and attitude of an urban loft— in a prime city neighborhood. We were committed to using environmentally sustainable materials and smart construction techniques. As always, we tried to incorporate ordinary materials, reused materials and even dumpster refuse in imaginative ways. (Our penchant for finding and utilizing materials bound for landfills has earned us gritty respect within the environmental community.) In each project we undertake, we look for ways to reduce the waste and negative environmental impact that’s frequently associated with standard construction. We adhere to guidelines like these to ensure that our homes are efficient, healthy and durable. In this home, for the sake of thermal comfort, energy efficiency and mold prevention, we insulated all exterior walls with a continuous layer of rigid insulation outside the framing layer, plus a continuous vapor barrier outside the wall sheathing. This approach virtually eliminates the problems with cold spots, condensation and insulation settling that are prevalent in conventional fiberglass techniques. For passive solar heating, we have provided a large glass surface on the southwestern corner of the main living space that works with the concrete floor to help heat and cool the property. The Loewen windows used throughout the house are the best we’ve found in their cost class, in terms of thermal performance, aesthetics and solidity. The company’s environmental commitment combined with their use of Douglas fir from managed forests in their stock windows (not the less expensive pine prevalent in most windows) makes them virtually the only windows we specify. TOP |
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