Project Description
2008 RADA
Architectural Interiors / Grand
Iceland natives Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdóttir, AIA, Assoc. IIDA, and Tryggvi Thorsteinsson, Assoc. AIA, used their country’s green heritage and love of new materials to transform their 1950s home into this 2,400-square-foot gem. The idea “was to create a modern home that was comfortable and open so we could watch the kids play,” Ingjaldsdóttir says.
Sustainability was a major goal, so to grab maximum daylight and cut electrical costs, the pair used large doors and generous amounts of glass. They sited the home to catch maximum breezes, eliminating the need for air conditioning.
The heart of the home is an open kitchen anchored by an orange solid-surface island with an innovative storage system for seven stools. “This is a way to have stools and have them be beautiful,” one judge said. The island is clad in recycled rubber for durability. Other sustainable specs include radiant heat concrete flooring over foam insulation, recycled-content cement board siding, and recycled silicon rubber bath sinks and stair treads.