Lately, I've been working on a new project. I consult for two of my brother's architectural firms through my own firm, EPONYMOUS:consultancy. And by consult, I mean work for free. As if to continue the joke, my brother's second firm is called FreeGreen because they give away "green" home plans for free. Okay people, the cat is out of the bag. They can afford to give them away because I'm not getting paid. Seriously though, I'm very happy to be doing anything that is remotely creative or design inspired and all of you know that I do most everything for free just for the fun and the experience of doing it.

The current project is writing design copy to accompany these renderings of a new house plan that is called the CUBE. I'm sure you can see why. These are my first drafts of copy. Unfortunately, my darling brother Ben has neglected to send me anything but the renderings so I have no true appreciation of the details, floor plan, or "selling" points of the house. Since I'm winging it and counting on time for rewrites, don't judge me too harshly!!

CUBE Exteriors 1 & 2

The aptly named CUBE, provides the ultimate in contemporary exteriors while its clean lines dictate a more efficient build as fewer cuts in the framing meaning less waste and fewer hours in labor. Cladding the CUBE in a sustainably forested wood infuses the house with fresh eco-chic, while using the corrugated metal siding gives it a more utilitarian edge. Boxing the entryway in a hardwood can give visual contrast and relief to both the shape and the color of the house, while using only a step embraces the forceful design.

The plan’s efficiency continues with the garage placed directly under the home, allowing for a smaller footprint and foundation. The high cost of glazing is minimized by the window placement: the fewer, more elongated higher-placed windows provide wide sky views and ample light without sacrificing privacy.

INT VIEW 2

By keeping the living room floor plan open to the dining room, one is visually connected to the deck and the view through the accordion-style glass doors. This implies a natural flow through the house and provides a family-friendly access to the kitchen. The wide plank floor boards are a fast growing pine that can be harvested sustainably allowing forests to be regrown quickly. The low open wall of shelving provides storage without blocking the line of vision into the dining room. The L-shaped sofa elongates the room and the view with an open end, providing seating on both sides for entertaining, but still providing the coziness of a corner for quiet evenings in.

INT VIEW 4

The subtlety of the pine floor plays off the stark white of the easily affordable IKEA cabinetry, softening and warming the palette. The placement of the sink in the kitchen island is a culinary favor that allows for ample room surrounding both the stovetop and the sink for cooking or serving family meals. The entire room is flooded with natural light from the folding doors of the dining room, while a view of the sky is provided by the windows of the far wall.

INT VIEW 3B

The continuing use of natural wood elements in both the island and the desk balance the clean white countertops and the ample storage of the glass pantry wall. [ACTUALLY, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS IN THAT WALL...IT LOOKS LIKE THE PANTRY IS NEXT TO THE FRIDGE] As the kitchen is invariably the center of the home, a small desk area provides easy access to email, phone charger, and a staging area for the day’s tasks. During the day, the kitchen is continually well lit thanks to the large accordion doors of the dining room. The recessed lights remain hidden until the evenings when the well-placed task lighting can be put to use. An energy-efficient refrigerator rounds out the kitchen’s environmentally conscious nature.

I gripe about Ben a lot because he's slow to respond to emails, wants to talk only when he needs to, and doesn't sweat details (such as telling me what materials he's using so I can describe them in text!). But the reality is that he is incredibly brilliant and built up two very sucessful firms before he was thirty. FreeGreen is now the most used source for stock building plans in the world and because he designs almost all of the homes, he could potentially be one of the most influential architects for semi-custom homes built in the US in the $400K-$600K range. Also, he's my favorite person on earth.