FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Subscribe
Log In
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
Log In

Arts and Crafts Meets Modernism

This high-performance house embraces local materials, modern lines, and the craftsman’s hand.

By Mela Breen Issue 281 – Feb/Mar 2019

Synopsis: In the third and final article surrounding the Fine Homebuilding House: California 2018 build, designer Mela Breen describes the finished floor plan and interior design. The house is oriented to connect the indoors to the outdoors, and includes a covered breezeway with outdoor shower and a porch with a fireplace. The kitchen has a mix of cabinetry types and styles and includes an island with a raised bar, while the bathrooms are designed to be low maintenance. The article includes a detailed floor plan and a list of products used in the home’s assembly and interior design.

The DNA of the Fine Homebuilding House (or “Good Haus” as we’re calling it) is established by the steep and rocky hillside that spills down onto a small neighboring foothill meadow. The site’s limited buildable footprint, seasonal drainage concerns, and an inviting flat outcrop of granite drove the initial design. My own DNA, though, informs the aesthetic.

I am the child of craftspeople, and my rural upbringing is embedded in me like the red dirt of the Sierra Foothills. I like handmade things and local materials. I believe buildings need to connect and respond to the landscapes we build in. Yet I am drawn to the clean lines of modernism and the illusion of simplicity that relies on rigorous craft and thoughtful detailing. Designing and building our own house was an opportunity to explore finding the balance and harmony between the three intersecting areas of our work: the handmade (and maybe somewhat “imperfect”) house, modern architectural forms, and a commitment to high-performance building standards.

Balancing performance and appearance

I start designing around an intellectual idea so that there is a thread of a story that I can come back to throughout the process. In our case, the idea was the notion of design and high performance being inextricably tied together and overlapping each other—hence the two rectangles intersecting over the main mechanical core and balancing on each other.

A charred chimney. The Shou Sugi Ban treatment of the cedar creates a cladding that is resistant to rot and decay and that highlights the grain pattern.

The primary rectangle is the long, south-facing first floor. At the west end, a deep porch protects the house from overheating, bridges the seasonal drainage, and links the open floor plan to the landscape with a large outdoor living space. The second-floor rectangle runs perpendicular to the main living space and cantilevers to create a covered north entry, while a balcony on the south side cantilevers toward the nearby treetops.

To underscore the architectural volumes, I chose standing-seam metal roofing by Bridger Steel that turns down onto the walls as cladding. Because the same material is used on both roof and walls, the eye doesn’t separate the two planes; the intersecting rectangles are therefore reinforced. I used the metal on the sides that are most exposed to the weather. In places that are more protected, however, I used cedar siding that my father had milled for us from his property. The wood beneath the deep north overhangs provides a “softness” in those locations where we will be moving around the outside of the building.

From Fine Homebuilding #281

To view the entire article, please click the View PDF button below.

Plus, read about the energy-efficiency details used in the design of this house:
On the Way to Net Zero

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
×

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters
View PDF

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

View Comments

  1. User avater
    LauraWilliams | Jan 15, 2019 05:09am | #1

    Well done!! great work

  2. User avater
    DeweyMessier | Jan 16, 2019 02:59am | #2

    I really like it!!

  3. User avater
    BenjaminShaw | Jan 17, 2019 05:32am | #3

    Love it!!

  4. User avater
    DebraCStewart | Jan 17, 2019 12:49pm | #4

    Good job!

  5. User avater
    KevinHuggins | Jan 25, 2019 03:16am | #5

    Too good!

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

Up Next

Video Shorts

Featured Story

Electric House Made With Cross-Laminated Timber

Integrating cross-laminated timber, wood-fiber insulation, panelized construction, and a solar-tile roof for Passive-House performance.

Featured Video

How to Install Exterior Window Trim

Learn how to measure, cut, and build window casing made of cellular PVC, solid wood, poly-ash boards, or any common molding material. Plus, get tips for a clean and solid installation.

Related Stories

  • Podcast 569: Members-only Aftershow — Rob Yagid’s Addition
  • New House, Old Shell
  • Reduce Embodied Carbon With Simple Forms
  • Greek Revival-Inspired Renovation

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

Fine Homebuilding All Access
Fine Homebuilding Podcast
Tool Tech
Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Video

View All Videos
  • Podcast 569: Members-only Aftershow — Rob Yagid’s Addition
  • Brick Veneer Details for an MCM House
  • Podcast 555: Members-only Aftershow — Talking with Keegan McAuliffe of Capra Home Concepts
  • Podcast 552: PRO TALK With Architect and Builder Marcos Santa Ana
View All

Whole House Design

View All Whole House Design Articles
  • Sustainable Home in the Twin Cities
  • Gray-Water System for a Sustainable Home
  • At the Juncture of Historic and Passive
  • The Many Benefits of Design-Build
View All Whole House Design Articles

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • Pretty Good House
    Buy Now
  • 2023 Tool Guide
    Buy Now
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition
    Buy Now
  • 2022 Fine Homebuilding Archive
    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 316 - July
    • Timber-Framed Solar Canopies
    • Build a Transom Above a Stock Door
    • Understanding Toilet Design and Efficiency
  • Issue 315 - June 2023
    • How to Craft a Copper Roof
    • 5 Lessons from Building in a Cold Climate
    • The Advantages of Cellular PVC Siding
  • Issue 314 - April/May 2023
    • 7 Options for Countertops
    • Tool Test: Wood-Boring Bits
    • Critical Details for Ductless Heat Pumps
  • Issue 313 - Feb/March 2023
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
    • Fine Homebuilding Issue #313 Online Highlights
    • Practical System for a Seismic Retrofit
  • Issue 312 - Dec 2022/Jan 2023
    • Tool Test: Cordless Tablesaws
    • Gray-Water System for a Sustainable Home
    • Insulate a Cape Roof to Avoid Ice Dams

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Privacy Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Site Map
  • Do not sell or share my information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • California Privacy Rights

© 2023 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

X
X
This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.

Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk

Webinars

  • Upcoming and On-Demand

Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • FHB House
  • Customer Support

Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Signing you up...

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
See all newsletters
See all newsletters

Follow

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 70%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in