The 2009 Home of the Year Awards

iCON Architecture  ~  RM Contracting  ~  Lisa Jensen Design

Builder Rick Moseley had a better idea for the type of home  that should exist on the treed corner lot in Fairway than what formerly existed there. With plans for a modern home that would take in the view and meld with the landscape, he left only the foundation remaining, essentially keeping the 50- by 50-foot floor plan on the first floor but adding a second level and cantilevering rooms over the original footprint.

A wide cupola with clerestory windows funnels natural light into the open floor plan from the second-story loft to the main-level entry, where a curved art wall and natural stone façade introduce the simple elegance of the home. A sliding shoji screen separates the dining room from the hearth area, which features built-in cabinetry and a fireplace designed and fabricated by artist and steelworker Nathan Shay. The kitchen overlooks all of this with only an island in front that has an attached but moveable custom breakfast table.

The house has many more unique custom features, such as the floating staircase. It leads to an open loft that splits the guest bedroom and master suite, which glimmers with iridescent round floor tiles in the bath area, backlit floating vanities and coverless windows set at head height for maximum light and privacy. The kids' bedrooms are below on the main level and a finished basement with home office below them.

The material palette for the home includes a lot of wood, steel and windows, plus stone and bamboo for texture. Interior designer Lisa Jensen picked out interior finishes and furnishings that are both clean-lined and comfortable. “Some people think of modern as cold and unlivable, like a museum,” notes Rick's architect, Jim Warford. “But it doesn't have to be like that; it can be warm and inviting.”

Connecting with the outdoors was a big priority for Rick, who instructed Jim to include views to the outside wherever possible. Jim also drew plans for an outdoor living area with a tiered water garden, sitting area and fireplace, leaving plenty of grass for playing and room for a greenhouse/storage shed with a wood-burning stove for wintering plants. At the front of the house, Rick planted native flowers and tall grasses around the circle drive and installed a Zen-like concrete water feature near the front door.

The exterior is strikingly different than the previous home, but it pays homage to it with some vertical hardiboard siding. A reflective roof prevents heat gain inside the house, while water is captured by scuppers rather than gutters and collected in a tank for reuse. The house's temperature is controlled by a geothermal system.

Sometimes things that look different from the norm can be resisted, but Rick has seen drivers passing by pull out their cameras for a picture. “People are starting to warm up to modern now,” he says.

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