Photo by Corey Gaffer
Modern one story house with lots of windows
From wide-open prairies to dense northern woods, from cities abuzz with activity to country escapes with an enduring calm, our regional landscape stitches together like a rich tapestry. It’s a beauty reflected in how we live—and in our architecture. Where else can you find homes that celebrate the agrarian roots of a farmstead, sensitively meld into a stunning lakeshore, or soar to new heights without adding even one square foot? Right here, thanks to local architects who balance style, sustainability, and every bright idea under the sun. And Mpls.St.Paul Home & Design is proud to honor their talents with the 17th annual Residential Architects Vision & Excellence (RAVE) Awards.
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Photos by Corey Gaffer
corner of house looking out on Lake Superior
Architectural team insights: “The region’s winter climate, with its heavy lake-effect snows and high north winds blowing across Lake Superior, drove a robust structural system of exposed concrete, steel framing, and sophisticated engineering systems.”
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one story modern house with lots of windows
Architectural team insights: “A single-level house allowed a low profile in a largely pine forest and gives the family a more accessible home as they age. The ability to find yourself in varied settings with multiple views of forest, coves, and the great expansive horizon of Lake Superior drove the strategy.”
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view from deck looking out onto Lake Superior
Scenic Overlook
2020 Winner: Snow Kreilich Architects
New Home, More Than 3,500 Square Feet | Marquette, Michigan
Memorable summers spent on the shores of Lake Superior on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula drove the design of a family home for multiple generations—and memories to come. Two intersecting spans balance on a rocky promontory, jutting both toward the 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/material sense but in the structure, form, and function,” a judge said. “There is an undeniable stillness to this place that allows for a sublime existence within the landscape. The building’s pure geometry contrasts with its surroundings in a way that marks the landscape, heightening its textures.”
The Snow Kreilich Architects Team: 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 Hall Contracting
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Photos by Chad Holder
exterior of modern house in winter
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interior stairway
Architectural team insights: “The lines of the house draw from vernacular forms but are clean and modern. The clients wanted to develop a place that celebrates modernity in art as well as the agricultural experience.”
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modern kitchen with white walls and cabinets and blond wood floors
Architectural team insights: “On the public side of the house, a minimally punched wall façade conveys this is a private residence. All living areas are organized along the opposite façade, where large windows overlook the forest and draw daylight into the interiors.”
Agrarian Modern
2020 Winner: D/O Architects
New Home, Less Than 2,000 Square Feet | Glenwood city, Wisconsin
The vernacular of a historic farmstead informed the elegantly simple design of this home in the Driftless Area of western Wisconsin. Part of Everwood Farmstead Foundation, an agrarian arts center that includes a barn dating to the 1850s, the design beautifully balances what may seem like two entirely different styles and scenarios. The clean-lined yet comfortable result—with interiors painted white and filled with warm wood floors and architecture details—befits the countryside as much as the collection of art. “A clear linear organization and massing of this home celebrate the agrarian heritage of the site,” one judge said. Another noted that the home’s orientation and play “follow sound passive solar principles, which will help with the energy performance of the home.”
The D/O Architects Team: John Dwyer, AIA; Colin Oglesbay, Associate AIA; Edward R. Eichten, AIA; Aaron McCauley-Aburto, AIA // Interior designer: Snow Kreilich Architects // Builder: Lee Theorin
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Photos by Chad Holder
Modern house back yard exterior
Architectural team insights: “The design celebrates the stout and blocky character of the building with a new modern expansion off the back. There, the building steps and expands outward in glassy boxes of charred cedar.”
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modern kitchen with a steel I-beam header and a marble counter
Reinvention and Respect
2020 Winner: CityDeskStudio
Remodel/Addition, More Than 3,500 Square Feet | Excelsior
Built in 1857 as a school before serving for years as a boarding house, this building, affectionately known as “The Beehive,” is believed to be the oldest structure in Excelsior. Now with three residential units—the largest on the main floor, with one unit above and one below—it’s been transformed with a modern expansion off the back. The architectural team worked closely with Excelsior’s Heritage Preservation Commission on this update, which made room for the standout main-level kitchen with a palette of walnut, travertine, and steel. “The project honors its history, transforming while holding the ideals of historic preservation,” a judge said. “There is a sophisticated composition of old and new, with each space holding reminders of the building’s time. There is love and respect in this place.”
The CityDeskStudio Team: Ben Awes, AIA; Chris Bach // Interior designer: Sheila Holleran The D/O Architects Team: John Dwyer, AIA; Colin Oglesbay, Associate AIA; Edward R. Eichten, AIA; Aaron McCauley-Aburto, AIA // Interior Designer: Snow Kreilich Architects // Builder: Lee Theorin
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Photos by Corey Gaffer
Two story cabin as seen from the dock
Architectural team insights: “Due to a high water table, a basement was not possible. The design capitalizes on built-ins to meet the owners’ storage needs. Wood paneling integrates seamlessly on the walls of the home to conceal a kitchen pantry, storage drawers, closets, laundry, and mechanicals.”
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Loft bedroom with wall of window looking out on lake
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modern kitchen with black counter tops and black stools
Principled Style
2020 Winner: SALA Architects
New Home, 2,000–3,500 Square Feet | Tonka Bay
Although the end result is a spa-like retreat, considerable work went into making this narrow lakeside home live surprisingly large, including designing walls of windows that take in every possible square inch of lake views. Those windows are triple-paned, joining other sustainable features such as a 40-panel solar array, staggered wall construction, and four Tesla Powerwall units that store excess electricity. “This home checks all the boxes for me,” a judge said. “Sustainability was highly considered and prioritized. Aging-in-place considerations were made. The design team overcame multiple obstacles—a narrow site and high water table—with smart design solutions. And a wealth of clerestory windows and a rather ingenious exterior screen wall allow for privacy without obscuring idyllic lake views.”
The Sala Architects Team: David O’Brien Wagner, AIA; Joe Messier; Jody McGuire, AIA; Ben Dose // Builder: Showcase Renovations
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Photos by Chad Holder
Modern house with a brown exterior
Architectural team insights: “The entry door and transom were not the same widths, the roof shapes were inconsistent, and the bay windows extended out from different distances. In a few simple moves, we addressed each of these issues to clarify and unify the language that was already present.”
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Front doorway of modern house with red brick sidewalk
New Outlook
2020 Winner: CityDeskStudio
Remodel/Addition, Less Than 800 Square Feet | Minnetrista
Renovation moves rooted in classic modern design made this home’s once dated exterior look sleek and smart. Updates include bay windows that were rebuilt and squared off with new roofs that match the home’s existing shed roof and an oversized door and window tied to a new overhead canopy to celebrate the monumental entry. Cladding was divided top to bottom, as well, with a waist-height beltline creating a clear base anchored to the ground and vertical siding emphasizing the vertical nature of the house above. “This design solution brings clarity, unity, and order to the exterior,” a judge said. “The composition provides both horizontal and vertical interest. Unifying shapes bring a sense of order, while the new entry adds vertical interest and invites interaction. Modern materials give the home new life.”
The CityDeskStudio Team: Ben Awes, AIA; Chris Bach // Builder: John Holm Construction, Inc.
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Photos by Chad Holder
Modern house exterior with orange door
Architectural team insights: “As a counterpoint to the home’s horizontal lines, and to increase functionality of the entry, we broke the roofline with a welcoming two-story custom glass and ‘wooden box’ foyer. The experience of passing through a wooden box from one space to another is a motif repeated throughout the new floorplan.”
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modern kitchen with white walls and blond wood floors
Split Decision
2020 Winner: SALA Architects
Remodel/Addition, 800–3,500 Square Feet | Golden Valley
The Twin Cities enjoys its fair share of 1960s split-levels. If only more of them could enjoy the problem-solution scenario presented by this renovation for longtime homeowners who loved their neighborhood, which re-imagined spaces without ripping them to pieces. Updates include a formal front living room re-imagined as a book-lined library with a window seat, and a cook’s kitchen and art-filled family room with new picture windows open to the backyard. “The pièce de résistance is the entry foyer,” one judge said. “This much-needed bifurcation/splitting of the original home into two balanced but nonsymmetrical volumes … on either side was much needed.” Another judge noted, “It also doesn’t judge the split-level, but embraces it as a design opportunity, finding beauty in its special eccentricity.”
The Sala Architects Team: David O’Brien Wagner, AIA; Marta Snow, AIA // Builder: Showcase Renovations
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Photos by Chad Holder
Great room in modern house
Architectural team insights: “Our first task was to explore the form of the home with new textures, materials, and colors, highlighting the interesting and unique. The main floor is fully opened up, and the ideas and elements used outside are repeated at the entry and inside at a more human scale.”
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Modern kitchen with lots of blond wood
Practical Ingenuity
2020 Winner: CityDeskStudio
Kitchen | Minnetonka
Without adding a single square foot of space, the architectural team behind this renovation used a kitchen to anchor and connect key spaces. Cabinetry does double duty, with upper cabinets in the kitchen turning to become the stair landing and an appliance cabinet providing the base for a living room art display. A simple palette of white oak, white walls, and steel structural elements reflects the homeowners’ Scandinavian heritage. “The sheer simplicity of the lines in this kitchen won me over,” a judge said. “The way in which the oak is carried throughout the open floorplan—to the stair landing, living room, and that brilliantly sculptural and utilitarian entryway design—connects all the dots.”
The CityDeskStudio Team: Ben Awes, AIA; Chris Bach // Builder: Jeff Genser, New Design Properties
Photos by Greg Page
modern staircase with closeup of stair stringers
Architect’s insights: “This year-round home on the Wisconsin shore of Lake Superior serves to renew mind, body, and spirit. The simple expression of durable materials is both beautiful and affordable.”
Stepping Up
2020 Winner: McMonigal Architects
Outbuilding/Detail/Special Project Less Than 800 Square Feet | Cornucopia, Wisconsin
Overarching efforts to slow down, simplify, and focus on the surrounding Lake Superior landscape take shape in architectural elements throughout this home, including the stairs. Black structural steel channels are fastened directly to the structure and stair stringers, and threaded stainless steel rods stretch vertically between the channels. The open design allows for lake views from the stairs. The backdrop, a concrete mass wall, is part of an insulated envelope that allows for the home’s year-round use. “This stair proves that less is more and truth in material is impactful,” a judge said. “Clean details and a minimalist aesthetic resonate with the aesthetic of this home.” Another judge added, “A complex assembly matched with building code constraints is expressed in a way that hides nothing but remains elegant.”
Architect: Rosemary McMonigal, FAIA, LEED AP, CID // Builder: Pete Brownlee
Second-place Winners
New Home, More than 3,500 Square Feet
Clearings // CityDeskStudio
New Home, 2,000–3,500 Square Feet
Rural Retreat // Rehkamp Larson Architects
New Home, Less than 2,000 Square Feet
Huron Haven // SALA Architects
Remodel/Addition, More than 3,500 Square Feet
Tudor Revival // James Dayton Design
Remodel/Addition, 800–3,500 Square Feet
From the Ashes // David Heide Design Studio
Remodel/Addition, Less than 800 Square Feet
Minnetonka Modern // PKA Architecture
Outbuilding/Detail/Special Project, Less Than 800 Square Feet
Respite in the City // McMonigal Architects
RAVE 2020 Judges
Portrait of John Dwyer
John Dwyer, AIA, is an associate professor at Dunwoody College of Technology and a practicing architect. In both practice and academia, he believes in the capacity for architecture to address climate change and social equity. Recipient of the 2018 City Pages Artist of the Year Award, he has also been honored with the 2018 AIA Minnesota Louis Lundgren Award for Service, 2015 AIA Minnesota Honor Award, 2013 AIA National Young Architect Award, and 2008 AIAS National Emerging Practice Award.
portrait of Jenny Bradley
Jenny Bradley Pfeffer, a longtime design editor for shelter magazines, including Traditional Home, heads Domicile Creative, a content and strategy consultancy for the luxury design industry. While at Traditional Home, she styled, produced, and wrote stories about some of the design and travel industries’ most beautiful locations. She also launched digital magazine TRADhome with Lonny magazine and worked for magazines such as Luxe Interiors + Design, Milieu, Better Homes & Gardens, and House & Garden UK.
portrait of Trina Sandschafer
Trina Sandschafer, AIA, vice president and design principal at Kahler Slater, leads the Chicago firm’s studio and residential and hospitality practices. An active alumnus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she gives her time and talent as a reviewer, lecturer, mentor, and professional practice liaison. In 2020, she was named distinguished visiting professor for the UIUC School of Architecture and tapped to lead its Chicago Studio, where she works with students to address critical design issues in cities.
portrait of Malini Srivastava
Malini Srivastava, AIA, DDes, is an assistant professor of Resilient and Regenerative Design, and director of the Masters of Science in Research Practices program in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota. A 2018 recipient of the AIA Young Architect Award and 2014 recipient of the Bush Fellowship, in 2017 she received the Outstanding Educator Award from the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at North Dakota State University. Co-Principal of Dandelab and a licensed architect in Minnesota, she completed her doctoral work at Carnegie Mellon University, titled “Purposeful Play,” in 2020.
John Kraemer and sons logo
Presenting Sponsor: The recipients of this year’s RAVE Awards were recognized at a virtual event in October 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 earned its being named Builder of the Year a record four times by Home First Minnesota.
