RAVE Awards: Honoring Architecture – Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

From wide-open prairies to dense northern woods, from towns abuzz with exercise to country escapes with an enduring serene, our regional landscape stitches collectively like a prosperous tapestry. It is a magnificence mirrored in how we live—and in our architecture. The place else can you discover residences that rejoice the agrarian roots of a farmstead, sensitively meld into a breathtaking lakeshore, or soar to new heights with out incorporating even one particular square foot? Proper right here, many thanks to neighborhood architects who harmony model, sustainability, and each and every dazzling idea under the sun. And Mpls.St.Paul Dwelling & Style and design is happy to honor their skills with the 17th once-a-year Residential Architects Eyesight & Excellence (RAVE) Awards.

Scenic Forget about

2020 Winner: Snow Kreilich Architects

New Dwelling, Much more Than three,500 Sq. Toes | Marquette, Michigan

Unforgettable summers expended on the shores of Lake Superior on Michigan’s Higher Peninsula drove the design and style of a household home for various generations—and recollections to arrive. Two intersecting spans harmony on a rocky promontory, jutting each towards the drinking water and into the woods. Stone, blackened wood, and glass make up the bulk of the restrained palette, quietly connecting indoors and out. “The home defines transparency, not only in the literal/substance perception but in the structure, variety, and function,” a judge stated. “There is an plain stillness to this area that lets for a sublime existence within the landscape. The building’s pure geometry contrasts with its environment in a way that marks the landscape, heightening its textures.” 

The Snow Kreilich Architects Group: Julie Snow, FAIA Matthew Kreilich, FAIA Tyson McElvain, AIA, LEED AP, CCCA  // Interior Designer: Snow Kreilich Architects  // Builder: Gregg H Seiple Construction in collaboration with Corridor Contracting

Agrarian Modern day

2020 Winner: D/O Architects

New Dwelling, Less Than 2,000 Sq. Toes | Glenwood metropolis, Wisconsin

The vernacular of a historic farmstead informed the elegantly basic design and style of this home in the Driftless Area of western Wisconsin. Component of Everwood Farmstead Basis, an agrarian arts heart that incorporates a barn dating to the 1850s, the design and style wonderfully balances what could appear to be like two completely various models and eventualities. The clean up-lined however comfortable result—with interiors painted white and stuffed with heat wood floors and architecture details—befits the countryside as considerably as the collection of artwork. “A obvious linear group and massing of this home rejoice the agrarian heritage of the web-site,” one particular judge stated. An additional pointed out that the home’s orientation and perform “follow audio passive photo voltaic concepts, which will enable with the strength performance of the home.” 

The D/O Architects Group: John Dwyer, AIA Colin Oglesbay, Affiliate AIA Edward R. Eichten, AIA Aaron McCauley-Aburto, AIA // Inside designer: Snow Kreilich Architects // Builder: Lee Theorin

Reinvention and Regard

2020 Winner: CityDeskStudio

Rework/Addition, Much more Than three,500 Sq. Toes | Excelsior

Crafted in 1857 as a school just before serving for decades as a boarding residence, this developing, affectionately regarded as “The Beehive,” is considered to be the oldest structure in Excelsior. Now with 3 residential units—the premier on the most important flooring, with one particular device previously mentioned and one particular below—it’s been remodeled with a modern day enlargement off the again. The architectural group labored carefully with Excelsior’s Heritage Preservation Commission on this update, which manufactured home for the standout most important-degree kitchen with a palette of walnut, travertine, and steel. “The undertaking honors its heritage, reworking whilst keeping the ideals of historic preservation,” a judge stated. “There is a refined composition of outdated and new, with each house keeping reminders of the building’s time. There is love and respect in this area.”

The CityDeskStudio Group: Ben Awes, AIA Chris Bach /Inside designer: Sheila Holleran The D/O Architects Group: John Dwyer, AIA Colin Oglesbay, Affiliate AIA Edward R. Eichten, AIA Aaron McCauley-Aburto, AIA // Interior Designer: Snow Kreilich Architects // Builder: Lee Theorin

Principled Style 

2020 Winner: SALA Architects

New Dwelling, 2,000–3,500 Sq. Toes | Tonka Bay

Even though the conclude result is a spa-like retreat, appreciable perform went into earning this slender lakeside home dwell surprisingly significant, including developing partitions of home windows that take in each and every possible square inch of lake views. Those people home windows are triple-paned, signing up for other sustainable features such as a forty-panel photo voltaic array, staggered wall design, and four Tesla Powerwall units that retail store excess electricity. “This home checks all the packing containers for me,” a judge stated. “Sustainability was really regarded as and prioritized. Growing old-in-area criteria ended up manufactured. The design and style group overcame various obstacles—a slender web-site and substantial drinking water table—with clever design and style remedies. And a prosperity of clerestory home windows and a fairly ingenious exterior monitor wall permit for privateness with out obscuring idyllic lake views.”

The Sala Architects Group: David O’Brien Wagner, AIA Joe Messier Jody McGuire, AIA Ben Dose // Builder: Showcase Renovations

New Outlook

2020 Winner: CityDeskStudio

Rework/Addition, Less Than 800 Sq. Toes | Minnetrista

Renovation moves rooted in classic modern day design and style manufactured this home’s after dated exterior glimpse modern and clever. Updates incorporate bay home windows that ended up rebuilt and squared off with new roofs that match the home’s current drop roof and an oversized door and window tied to a new overhead canopy to rejoice the monumental entry. Cladding was divided major to bottom, as effectively, with a waist-top beltline producing a obvious foundation anchored to the floor and vertical siding emphasizing the vertical nature of the residence previously mentioned. “This design and style answer brings clarity, unity, and purchase to the exterior,” a judge stated. “The composition delivers each horizontal and vertical curiosity. Unifying styles deliver a perception of purchase, whilst the new entry adds vertical curiosity and invites conversation. Modern day components give the home new life.”

The CityDeskStudio Group: Ben Awes, AIA Chris Bach // Builder: John Holm Construction, Inc.

Break up Decision

2020 Winner: SALA Architects

Rework/Addition, 800–3,500 Sq. Toes | Golden Valley

The Twin Cities enjoys its honest share of nineteen sixties break up-degrees. If only a lot more of them could enjoy the difficulty-answer situation introduced by this renovation for longtime homeowners who liked their neighborhood, which re-imagined areas with out ripping them to pieces. Updates incorporate a formal entrance living home re-imagined as a e book-lined library with a window seat, and a cook’s kitchen and artwork-stuffed household home with new image home windows open to the yard. “The pièce de résistance is the entry lobby,” one particular judge stated. “This considerably-necessary bifurcation/splitting of the unique home into two balanced but nonsymmetrical volumes … on both aspect was considerably necessary.” An additional judge pointed out, “It also does not judge the break up-degree, but embraces it as a design and style opportunity, obtaining magnificence in its special eccentricity.”

The Sala Architects Group: David O’Brien Wagner, AIA Marta Snow, AIA // Builder: Showcase Renovations

Functional Ingenuity

2020 Winner: CityDeskStudio

Kitchen | Minnetonka

With no incorporating a solitary square foot of house, the architectural group driving this renovation employed a kitchen to anchor and connect key areas. Cabinetry does double responsibility, with higher cupboards in the kitchen turning to come to be the stair landing and an appliance cabinet giving the foundation for a living home artwork display. A basic palette of white oak, white partitions, and steel structural elements demonstrates the homeowners’ Scandinavian heritage. “The sheer simplicity of the lines in this kitchen received me around,” a judge stated. “The way in which the oak is carried all over the open floorplan—to the stair landing, living home, and that brilliantly sculptural and utilitarian entryway design—connects all the dots.”

The CityDeskStudio Group: Ben Awes, AIA Chris Bach // Builder: Jeff Genser, New Style and design Homes

Stepping Up

2020 Winner: McMonigal Architects

Outbuilding/Element/Particular Challenge Less Than 800 Sq. Toes | Cornucopia, Wisconsin

Overarching initiatives to slow down, simplify, and aim on the bordering Lake Superior landscape take condition in architectural elements all over this home, including the stairs. Black structural steel channels are fixed specifically to the structure and stair stringers, and threaded stainless steel rods stretch vertically between the channels. The open design and style lets for lake views from the stairs. The backdrop, a concrete mass wall, is aspect of an insulated envelope that lets for the home’s yr-round use. “This stair proves that fewer is a lot more and truth of the matter in substance is impactful,” a judge stated. “Clean specifics and a minimalist aesthetic resonate with the aesthetic of this home.” An additional judge additional, “A advanced assembly matched with developing code constraints is expressed in a way that hides nothing at all but continues to be stylish.”

Architect: Rosemary McMonigal, FAIA, LEED AP, CID // Builder: Pete Brownlee


Next-area Winners

New Dwelling, Much more than three,500 Sq. Toes

Clearings // CityDeskStudio

New Dwelling, 2,000–3,500 Sq. Toes

Rural Retreat // Rehkamp Larson Architects

New Dwelling, Less than 2,000 Sq. Toes

Huron Haven // SALA Architects

Rework/Addition, Much more than three,500 Sq. Toes

Tudor Revival // James Dayton Style and design

Rework/Addition, 800–3,500 Sq. Toes

From the Ashes // David Heide Style and design Studio

Rework/Addition, Less than 800 Sq. Toes

Minnetonka Modern day // PKA Architecture

Outbuilding/Element/Particular Challenge, Less Than 800 Sq. Toes

Respite in the Metropolis // McMonigal Architects


RAVE 2020 Judges 

John Dwyer, AIA, is an associate professor at Dunwoody School of Know-how and a training architect. In each follow and academia, he believes in the capacity for architecture to tackle local weather change and social fairness. Receiver of the 2018 Metropolis Internet pages Artist of the Calendar year Award, he has also been honored with the 2018 AIA Minnesota Louis Lundgren Award for Support, 2015 AIA Minnesota Honor Award, 2013 AIA Countrywide Younger Architect Award, and 2008 AIAS Countrywide Emerging Exercise Award.

Jenny Bradley Pfeffer, a longtime design and style editor for shelter magazines, including Classic Dwelling, heads Domicile Innovative, a content and system consultancy for the luxury design and style sector. Though at Classic Dwelling, she styled, developed, and wrote tales about some of the design and style and vacation industries’ most attractive areas. She also introduced electronic journal TRADhome with Lonny journal and labored for magazines such as Luxe Interiors + Style and design, Milieu, Greater Houses & Gardens, and Dwelling & Backyard garden Uk.

Trina Sandschafer, AIA, vice president and design and style principal at Kahler Slater, prospects the Chicago firm’s studio and residential and hospitality tactics. An active alumnus of the College of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she offers her time and expertise as a reviewer, lecturer, mentor, and experienced follow liaison. In 2020, she was named distinguished going to professor for the UIUC School of Architecture and tapped to direct its Chicago Studio, the place she works with students to tackle essential design and style challenges in towns.

Malini Srivastava, AIA, DDes, is an assistant professor of Resilient and Regenerative Style and design, and director of the Masters of Science in Research Tactics plan in the School of Style and design at the College of Minnesota. A 2018 receiver of the AIA Younger Architect Award and 2014 receiver of the Bush Fellowship, in 2017 she received the Exceptional Educator Award from the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at North Dakota Point out College. Co-Principal of Dandelab and a licensed architect in Minnesota, she accomplished her doctoral perform at Carnegie Mellon College, titled “Purposeful Play,” in 2020.


Presenting Sponsor: The recipients of this year’s RAVE Awards ended up acknowledged at a virtual function in October introduced by John Kraemer & Sons. Considering that 1978, this household-owned business has set up a track record for developing and remodeling some of the very best architecturally designed residences in the point out. Its collaborative, transparent, and moral solution has acquired its being named Builder of the Calendar year a history four occasions by Dwelling Very first Minnesota.