September 2008 Table of Contents

Everyone is lamenting the deflation of the housing bubble. But there''s at least one bright side to its departure. Read more

Robert C. Lautman's first photography job was as an Army shutterbug in World War II. After the war, he discovered architectural photography and over the subsequent decades became one of its top practitioners. Read more

The skyline in one of south central Singapore's prime residential districts will soon receive a makeover of dramatic proportions, courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects of London and a four-member consortium of developers led by Singapore-based CapitaLand. Read more

Few architecture books have had the staying power of Sarah Susanka, FAIA's The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live. Ten years (and several sequels) later, the book's core message about the value of thoughtful, personalized design continues to resonate with an ever-expanding range of homeowners, giving them the tools to recognize good design and the language to express their design needs. Read more

Rogers Marvel Architects recently parlayed overburdened sewers into a pivotal design for a mixed-income, mixed-use housing development on a brownfield site bordering Brooklyn, N.Y.'s Gowanus Canal. Read more

Designed by architect Knud Kapper for Denmark-based Hansen Living, Living Kitchen Architecture is an eco-friendly collection of solid wood cabinets and islands. Read more

Amuse is the latest addition to Waterfall's environmentally sensitive bath vanity line. Read more

Debuting October 23 and running for a year, Green Community explores the space between buildings. Read more

Elegantly detailed materials culminate in lighthearted surprises in this master bath. Read more

The clients for this Seattle kitchen remodeling job wanted more space and better light. Read more

With its access to the sky and spectacular views of downtown San Francisco, this bedroom penthouse addition is the crown jewel of a loft renovation in an abandoned-warehouse district. Read more

In much of our work, we spend a lot of time detailing to make things look really minimal,” says Eric Haesloop, AIA, LEED AP, a principal at the San Francisco firm Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects. Read more

Renovations to this 100-year-old row house in downtown Washington, D.C., focused on better flow and flexible spaces. Read more

Eggleston Farkas Architects practices in the Pacific Northwest, where precipitation is a constant companion, so the firm is continually exploring ways to celebrate water and its conveyance. Read more

Luis Ibarra says courtyards are the best “technique for living in the desert climate.” In fact, his latest development project with partner (and wife) Teresa Rosano, RA, LEED AP, counts on the appeal of courtyard living to sell six spec houses. Read more

At its simplest, a stairway is an element that moves people vertically through space, but in architect Brad Lynch's house, it's also a means of passive heating and cooling. Read more

When summer residences are closed in with drywall, they lose the casual charm of the old uninsulated beach houses, says architect Robert Young, AIA. The task of exposing the rafters of this lakeside home got him thinking about using materials in ways that express their strengths. Read more

Inspired by the main house's ultraefficient plan, the clients came up with the idea of embedding sleeping berths into the studio's floor. Read more

Banducci Associates Architects: Clopay's Avante Collection are made with 2 1/8-inch frames in custom sizes. Read more

Banducci Associates Architects: Oceanside Glasstile's Tessera are made from silica sand and, in some cases, post-consumer recycled bottle glass. Read more

Banducci Associates Architects: Western red cedar siding is stable, resists decay and offers clean lines. Read more

There are plenty of off-the-shelf products on the market that can help resolve transition issues and a host of other problems. In the process, they can create details that are every bit as elegant as a skilled artisan's, but not nearly as costly. Read more

To say architects love details is an understatement. Perhaps that's why they flock to brands that share the same mania for minutiae. One such brand is Henrybuilt. Read more

Clear or frosted weather- and UV-resistant acrylic snaps to a stainless steel frame in this sleek Lightline canopy from Feeney. Read more

Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Atlas Industries says its ad6 desk is ideal for an architect's office. Read more

Rich wood gives the Agata a stylish furniture look, and integrated neck pillows and a generous depth make it feel like a comfy recliner. Read more

Ornamentation is welcomed in certain applications. This Eastlake interior door knob—a popular late 1800s design that was a fixture of the 1897 Sears catalog—proves it. Read more

Glass artisan Steve Weinstock, of Alchemy Glass & Light, found inspiration for his Celestial Series of sinks in the iconic work of artist Jasper Johns. Read more

NanaWall's new HSW50 individual panel sliding system makes traditional walls virtually unnecessary. Read more

HOUZER's Novus Series offers everything plus the kitchen sink, fusing good looks with great function. Read more

If the thought of a homely shower drain keeps you up at night, Sugar Hill, Ga.-based MTI Whirlpools has a solution: the Concealed Drain shower base. Read more

Working from their 1910 Craftsman home suited Daren Doss, AIA, and Lisa Chadbourne just fine-until their daughter was born. Read more

Details, details. Beautiful, creative, well-executed details can mean the difference between a pleasant project and a showstopper. Read more

This is an uncertain period for architects, but also an interesting one, as market trends shake out in response to production housing's spectacular fall and the new energy realities. Read more