Randy Brown Architects

LABORATORY, OMAHA

Annie Block -- Interior Design, 12/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

On 10 acres in Ponca Hills, just north of Omaha, Randy Brown masterminded an eco-oriented expansion for himself, his wife, and their two sons. He says he calls the 5,100-square-foot result the Laboratory, because it's “an ongoing experiment in construction and research.” While the family lived in the existing 1950's ranch house, the architect and students from various architecture programs spent four summers designing and building several additions. Subfloors and roof decking are panels of compressed wheat straw. Scrap lumber appears throughout, from the staircase to a bathroom's student-designed toilet screen. Rainwater and gray water are collected for irrigation. Large windows and glass doors promote daylighting, natural ventilation, and visual connection to the wooded landscape.

S. Russell Groves

PROJECT Lucida, New York.

STANDOUT Eco-friendly palm wood, bamboo, cork, and a hemplike nettle fiber create luxury in this condominum tower's sales center.

Gensler

PROJECT Center on Halsted, Chicago.

STANDOUT A three-story building gives appealingstreet presence to diverse occupants, a Whole Foods Market below and a community center above.

Elkus Manfredi Architects

PROJECT American Brewery Lofts, Boston.

STANDOUT A five-story addition's glass and steel contrast beautifully with the rich ornamentation of 1891 brick buildings.