The design is a classical, tripartite design, the central element being a covered waiting area which is flanked by bathroom facilities, a storage area and future room for stairs and an elevator to a second level viewing deck which will also connect via a bridge to an adjacent senior living complex. The facade utilizes simple brick-veneer with a heavy stone base. The brackets and awnings echo those of a nearby train station which is one of the oldest structures in the town. The hope is that this building will look like it has always been there.

Extending out from the side is a covered bicycle storage area. Commuters can ride from their home to the Transit Center, lock their bike in a secure bike-locker (looks just like a school locker, but bike sized), and ride the bus to their destination. Mounted on the roof which covers the bike storage are solar panels which contribute to the lighting and power needs of the building.

The developer of this project has shown great devotion to executing truly sustainable design concepts, from rain gardens and green roofs to bike storage and solar. This Transit Center is only one part of the whole development which is now leading the way in sustainable developments.

To find out more about Woodlands Perryville, its developer, Town Point Development, and the forward looking sustainable concepts that they are implementing, go to their website (www.woodlandsperryville.com) or find them on Facebook.

The Knoxville Parade of Homes is just around the corner, literally! Beginning today, October 1st, and running the next three weekends, Friday through Sunday of each weekend, 26 homes around town will be open for viewing from noon until 5pm each day. The event is completely free and showcases some of the newest homes and latest interior design trends in the area. Jonathan Miller Architects is pleased to have three homes from our studio included in the Parade this year (if you get the Parade guide, they are homes 2, 12 & 14).

We hope you get a chance to visit some of the homes while they are open to the public. This is an exciting opportunity for the general public to see some of our latest projects as they come to fruition. We are honored that they are included in this year’s Parade.

As always, the builders are the real heroes. They are the ones out on the site every day making sure all the little details are in, from foundation to finishes. A big thanks to Charles Atkins of Charles R. Atkins, Inc. and to Mike Dulin of Ethics Construction. They make it happen.

These sketches show a modular house concept we are developing based on a 14′ module. The frame of this house is built in the warehouse in 14′x14′x50′ sections, shipped to the future location of your home and assembled on site. This method of construction combines the best parts of modular homes (i.e. trailers) with custom, site-built homes. It provides the efficiency and controlled environment of a factory while breaking out of the 15′x50′ or 30′x50′, height-limited boxes that modular homes have been relegated to in the past. Just like building with legos; you’re limited only by your imagination.

Can you find the garage?

Can you see it now?

Hidden Garage Entry

This home was built in the mid-1930s and is one of our all-time favorite garage designs.  If it were raised up to ground level, this three car garage would be the first thing seen in the approach to the house.  But, due to the ingenious design, it fades out of view.  We are fascinated by the architect’s decision to design it as a subterranean structure.  It is lovely on the back side and completely disappears from the front entry side.  This design solution would be perfect for a downhill building lot.

traditions

We love looking through traditional designs of other architects past and present to glean ideas and gain inspiration.  So we thought it would be a neat idea to put a bunch of our plans together into a book, gathering them into a central place for easy perusal.  We hope it inspires others in the design of traditional residential architecture.  Get your copy here.

Jonathan Miller Architects is on Houzz.  Check us out.

Think smaller. Space costs money to build and maintain, and most people live in a fraction of what they build.  If you think you need 5,000 square feet, cut your wish list in half.  Toss out the space you won’t use, and you might find that 2,500 is perfect.

We came across the above quote by Russell Versaci in the March/April 2009 edition of Southern Accents and were intrigued by the possibilities.  Reducing the size of houses that we design is something we are interested in, especially as many of our clients begin to come to us with reduced budgets.

This past year we designed a home based on similar principles that Versaci talks about and we thought we would offer it to the discussion.  The building site is an irregular lot in a subdivision which would most likely have gone unused had we not sought it out specifically with the idea of building a small house.  This home is 25%-35% smaller than the surrounding homes, but has enough street presence to blend in.  It is designed as a home for life with the master on main, complete wheelchair accessibility and  space planned into the master bedroom for future medical equipment.

Specs:  2,600 square feet, 3 bedroom, 3.5 baths

We’ll leave you with another Versaci quote:

Design your house like a yacht.  Plan your space so every inch serves a purpose.  Take a cue from the Colonial Revival and Arts & Crafts homes  of the early 20th Century, and maximize storage with built-in bookshelves, china cupboards, and armoires.

Note: Speaking of designing your house like a yacht, check out a great book on small houses: Little House on a Small Planet by Shay Salomon.  She has a section in there on that particular idea.  More to come on this great book.