2019 RAVE Award Winners

Mpls.St.Paul Home & Design is thrilled to honor local architects and their inventive, thoughtful work through the Residential Architects Vision & Excellence Awards. Far more than just creating spaces or improving a property’s aesthetic value, those projects catching the judges’ attention displayed a superlative ability to marry ingenuity and innovation, making each space beautifully usable. From ADA-compliant, aging-in-place homes to a floating sauna made from upcycled materials, there was a notable focus on honoring space and distilling each property down to its shiniest, most functional parts. Form and function without excess: Now that’s truly something to RAVE about.

Inventive Design

2019 Winner: Peterssen/Keller 

Kitchen | Calhoun Parkway

The challenge: Deftly mix traditional touches into a modern urban home while maximizing natural-world views and privacy on a narrow urban lot. The result? According to RAVE judges, a wonderful sense of openness and light, and a usable, aesthetically pleasing space to casually entertain and eat. Outfitted with walnut cabinets, blackened-steel shelving, and a big island, the narrow space also includes a pass-through to a secondary “back kitchen” with its own dishwasher, sink, and eating space. Never is this contrast of traditional and modern, urban and rural more evident than the family’s breakfast ritual: Each morning, the young daughters gather eggs from the backyard chicken coop, an unexpected twist on the narrow sweep of land, and eat them before heading off to school. 

Peterssen/Keller architecture team: Lars Peterssen, AIA; Gabriel Keller, Associate AIA; Chad Healy, Associate AIA // Interior Designer: Brooke Voss // Builder: Elevation Homes

Refined Ranch  

2019 Winner: CityDeskStudio 

Remodel, less than 800 square feet  Cool Ranch

In the last 50 years, this Edina rambler’s design had begun to wander a bit, but the good bones offered a bold horizontal block with the potential to really shine. All it needed was a bit of refinement and a little punch both inside and out. The design team accomplished this transformation without adding any square footage. 

A new cedar canopy extending out toward the street frames the doorway and sets the tone. The decision to layer new materials and balance color across the strong horizontal gave the home’s appearance, along  with its previous additions, a new, more intentional quality that offered inviting warmth and identity.   

The interior improvements answered a need for more light, better flow, and a brightened color palette to match the exterior. Main living spaces were opened up and connected, and an entirely new centralized kitchen helped improve the efficiency of everyday living for a busy young family. 

The citydeskstudio team: Ben Awes, AIA // Builder: Joel Wiersum, Werks Inc. // Lead Designer: Nate Dodge

Northwoods Modern 

2019 Winner: Peterssen/Keller architecture

New Home, less than 2,000 square feet Hayward Cabin Retreat 

This new-construction cabin is rich in duality: A traditional Northwoods log exterior featuring a covered porch opens into a Scandinavian-clean interior. A simple layout is juxtaposed with rich, dramatic materials. Heavy-hitting design elements make a big impact without a trace of self-seriousness. 

The classic interior features a dark wood ceiling, but feels bright thanks to whitewashed walls—some featuring shiplap or beadboard to add a bit of texture. On the first floor, the beautifully airy kitchen surprises with bold navy cabinets. An integrated kitchen, dining, and living area creates a welcoming, comfortable area in which family and friends can connect and retreat. Two beds and a bath round out the first floor; up on the second, a birch-log railing helps frame off another bedroom and playroom. 

In the end, the young family’s passion for tradition, sophisticated style, and top quality shine through in a forest retreat for the ages.

The Peterssen/Keller architecture team: Kristine Anderson, Associate AIA // Builder: Tworek Construction 

Higher Rise

2019 Winner: Albertsson Hansen Architecture 

Remodel, 800–3,500 square feet | Warehouse Loft

North Loop lofts have a certain cool: exposed cement walls, industrial metal stairs, soaring ceilings. 

But one growing family found the amorphous space needed more structure and economy of organization. Enter the designers, who delineated the spaces and clarified the purpose of each one. 

Perhaps most urgently: The baby on the way needed a nursery. By knocking out the ill-designed master closet on the second floor and moving it to an en suite location, the team was able to create an enclosed nursery, complete with a mezzanine storage all of its own.

Then, the kitchen: By reorienting the island and installing custom cabinetry under the stairs, the team introduced more storage—even room to tuck wine and a dog kennel! They also increased elbow room, an important ingredient given the couple’s love of cooking. 

Some spaces just needed new finishes, such as the first-floor bathroom and the previously undefined entry, which was clad in plywood birch paneling. The resulting mix of custom and Ikea cabinetry, metal accents, and marble countertops helped reinvent an otherwise industrial space—one that now feels like a family home. 

The Albertsson Hansen Architecture team: Todd Hansen, AIA; Jenny Seim, Associate AIA; Katie Loecken, AIA // Builder: ChoiceWood Company 

Cabin Fever 

2019 Winner: Rehkamp Larson 

New Home, 2,000–3,500 square feet | Round Lake Lodge

This new build embraces a beloved past: a traditional rustic cabin, tucked away from the city in the western Wisconsin woods. The cabin, with a chinked-log exterior, comprises a north wing anchored by the private master bedroom and a south wing anchored by the living room and screen porch, all buttressed with recycled timbers and natural stone. Sun streams in through the open floorplan and soaring ceilings, bouncing off painted-wood window sashes and cabinet doors. The kitchen offers a one-two punch of visual delight: Expansive views of the lake coupled with the charming kitchen backsplash, which echoes historic quilting patterns.

The existing boathouse got a facelift, too: It’s painted bright red to match the trim on the cabin’s windows. 

The Rehkamp Larson Team: Jean Rehkamp Larson, AIA; Sarah Nymo, AIA // Interior Designer: Talla Skogmo Interior Design // Builder: Lucas Thorne Construction 

Shipshape 

2019 Winner: Peterssen/Keller Architecture 

Remodel, more than 3,500 square feet Lafayette Residence

This traditional lake home received a whole-house modern makeover that kept its roots firmly planted: next to the lake. Designers expanded the lake views and strengthened the indoor-outdoor connection by clearing out the impact of past remodel projects and brightening the interior overall. 

Shiplap, for instance, replaced more traditional moldings, imbuing the first floor with a preppy beachside vibe. Surprising accents of bright citron yellow added energy and replaced previous darker tones of burgundy and chocolate brown. Hudson’s Bay blankets and painted wooden oars contrast comfortably and creatively with a houndstooth desk chair, as does a blackened bar with a solid brass top. All the opposites-attract interplay makes for a dynamic space that doesn’t get too cute. 

In all, designers opened a portal from a more formal environment to the free-flowing lake life without ever sacrificing good design. 

The Peterssen/Keller Architecture Team: Carl Olson, AIA; Gabriel Keller, Associate AIA // Interior Designer: Linda Engler, Engler Studio  // Builder: Streeter & Associates

Universally Beautiful 

2019 Winner: Snow Kreilich Architects

New Home, more than 3,500 square feet St. Paul Residences

This is a truly stunning two-for-one: A family that has resided high above St. Paul on a bluff for generations needed a housing solution for their adult son, who has medical needs that require 24/7 care. The designers assembled a plan that called for two separate homes on the site, applying universal design and aging-in-place considerations for ultimate accessibility for the life of both homes. The son’s gabled stucco home features wood and copper exterior accents, as well as prolific floor-to-ceiling windows, which offer a much-needed, delightful connection to the outdoors. The open plan allows caregivers a constant, but not hovering, watch. Situated perpendicular to the son’s home and along the bluff is the Anamosa limestone and copper-clad parents’ home, which is also fully accessible and features an open plan on the first floor. The second floor offers a private master suite and office, plus a view to their son’s home. Fitting into the neighborhood and the landscape, while allowing a family to blend their lives, these designs signify what it means to have an unbreakable bond. 

The Snow Kreilich Architects Team: Julie Snow, FAIA; Matt Kreilich, FAIA, // Interior Designer: Snow Kreilich Architects // General Contractor/Builder: Streeter & Associates

Hot Spot

2019 Winner: Gregory Elsner  

Outbuilding | Löyly

This mobile, floating sauna—a gift from an architect to his future wife—exudes fun and adventure but is underpinned with practical Scandi roots, from its materials reuse to thoughtful details that maximize its compact square footage. Called “best in show” by one judge, Löyly, a Finnish word for the steam from a sauna, was built upon a 1979 Leisure Island pontoon base, then planked with cedar. Its exoskeleton of rough-sawn cedar fence posts connected by lap joints is anchored into the pontoon base. The 48-square-foot wood-fired stove was custom built to repurpose a propane tank, and the original aluminum guardrail from the pontoon was cut apart, sanded, and fit to make the swim ladder, door handle, chimney bracket, and heat shield. Landlubbers can enjoy the sauna in any setting, but the real sparkle comes from setting it afloat on one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes: After visitors get a good sweat, they can open the escape hatch in the floor and plunge into icy waters below the masterfully designed, wedge-shaped craft. 

Architect: Gregory Elsner, AIA  // Project Team: Gregory Elsner, AIA; Tyler Johnson, AIA 

---

Second-Place Winners

Outbuilding, Fish Scale studio

Studio Hara

Kitchen, Lafayette Residence

Peterssen/Keller Architecture

New Home, less than 2,000 square feet, Island Haven

Albertsson Hansen Architecture 

Remodel, 800–3,500 square feet, S. Tyrol Mid-Century

Peterssen/Keller Architecture 

Remodel, more than 3,500 square feet, Hall’s Cabins 

Rehkamp Larson Architects

Remodel, less than 800 square feet, Reconnecting with the Lake

McMonigal Architects

---

RAVE 2019 Judges 

Rebecca Boles, AIA, RID, has been involved with the Program of Interior Design at the University of Texas at Arlington, College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs for two decades. Currently assistant dean, she maintains a connection to the interior design program by serving as a studio instructor. Boles is also active in the Texas Society of Architects, volunteering as education outreach committee chair.

---

Blaine Brownell, AIA, is an architect and former Fulbright scholar to Japan with a focus on emergent materials and applications. He is a professor and interim head of the University of Minnesota School of Architecture. Brownell has authored seven books on advanced materials for architecture and design, including the four-volume Transmaterial series. He has written the Mind & Matter column for Architect magazine since 2009, and his work has been published in over 70 architecture, design, science, and news journals. Brownell’s latest book is Transmaterial Next: A Catalog of Materials that Redefine Our Future.

---

Eric Hansen, AIA, has been designing, renovating, and building homes for more than 30 years. His work has been featured locally and nationally. He specializes in renovating very old homes, but really loves working on modern architecture when he gets the opportunity.

---

Anna Pravinata, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, a principal at Alliiance, has dedicated much of her professional career to designing leading-edge research facilities for both corporate and academic institutions. Her passion stems from her deep admiration for researchers whose work fosters discoveries to tackle today’s challenges. As a woman architect of color, Pravinata is passionate about creating a more inclusive culture in the architectural profession and currently serves on the AIA Minnesota Board of Directors and is co-chair for the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.

---

Presenting Sponsor

The recipients of this year’s RAVE (Residential Architecture Vision & Excellence) Awards will be recognized at a special event at Room & Board presented by John Kraemer & Sons. Since 1978, this family-owned business has established a reputation for building and remodeling some of the finest architecturally designed homes in the state. Its collaborative, transparent, and ethical approach has resulted in being named Builder of the Year a record four times by the Builder’s Association of the Twin Cities.