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JOHN BROWN is the editor of theslowhome.com and the founder of the Slow Home Movement. He is a registered architect, real estate broker and Professor of Architecture at the University of Calgary.
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Expanding Upon the Existing Footprint
Entry
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Double-Height Atrium
View Into the Atrium
Second Floor Bedroom
Second Floor Entry to Outdoor Living
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With the desire for an open and airy outdoor/indoor living space that was budget conscious, the client and architect determined that the most cost effective way to achieve this was by building up and out from the footprint of the original house. This virtually square footprint was extruded to form the main body of a new two-story house, with non-orthogonal appendage forms (functioning as sitting areas, bay windows, decks, entry and stairs) projecting off of it. These appendages are clad in metal siding while the core of the house is plaster-finished.
A double-height atrium with adjunct living areas emanating from it was designed as both a light well and the central living core. A subtly pitched roof with broad eaves, floating above a band of clerestory windows, fills the atrium with daylight.
Two built-in artifacts of construction, a structural steel “x” brace and the fireplace from the original house, are intended as additions to the clients’ broad ranging art collection.
A 360 degree view roof deck is accessed by exterior stairs that feature prominently in the form-making expression of the house. With the completion of concrete hardscape elements and front yard landscaping, the project now awaits phase ii: a new accessory garage/office and landscaped rear yard.
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We believe that our homes and neighborhoods should be healthy, vibrant places that uplift the spirit and gracefully fit our needs. We call for an end to poor construction, bad design, misleading marketing, unfair lending practices and environmental neglect in the housing industry. We acknowledge our collective responsibility to create CLOSE, SIMPLE, LIGHT places to live that leave a positive legacy for future generations.
provides design focused information that homeowners can use to improve the quality of how and where they live. It takes its name from the slow food movement which arose as a reaction to the processed food industry. The sprawl of cookie cutter housing that surrounds us is like fast food - standardized, homogenous, and wasteful. It contributes to a too fast life that is bad for us, our cities, and the environment. In the same way that slow food raises awareness of the food we eat and how these choices affect our lives, Slow Home empowers you to take more control of your home and improve the quality of how you live while reducing your environmental impact and futureproofing the long term investment value of your home.
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