2015 AIA OMAHA ARCHITECTS' HOME TOUR

AIA Omaha is pleased to announce its 2015 AIA Omaha Architects' Home Tour.  This prestigious event will showcase six houses, each designed by AIA Omaha firms.  These residences will be open to the public for this one-day only event.

Sunday, September 20, 2015
12:00pm - 5:00pm
Tickets: $15
Students: $10

*Bonus House:
  ART[house] at 9800 Harney Parkway is an additional $25 with purchase of a 2015 AIA Omaha Architects' Home Tour ticket.  The $25 will go to the Omaha    
  Conservatory of Music and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.

5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for attending the 2015 AIA Omaha Architects' Home Tour.
A special thank you to our 2015 sponsors:

House Sponsors:
Louisville Acreage | Jensen Gardens Inc.                                               Louisville Farm House | Slobodnik Construction Group, Inc.

Contributing Sponsors:
CE Smith Custom Cabinets                                                                        Millard Lumber Inc.
Charles Vrana and Sons Construction Company                               New Horizons Enterprises, LLC
Fireplace Stone & Patio                                                                                Pella Windows and Doors of Omaha and Lincoln
Marvin Window & Door Store                                                                    Taylor Made Home Solutions
Huffstetler Residence
5550 McKinley Street
Omaha, NE

AIA Firm:  Randy Brown Architects
Architect: Randy Brown, FAIA

Originally envisioned and constructed by the Architect as a “laboratory” for architecture, this addition to a 50s-vintage farmhouse located on 10 acres of rolling farmland in North Omaha is now home to an active family of seven. The design of the home itself is “active” – interior spaces connect vertically with numerous custom staircases of metal and wood, while other spaces wind horizontally blending with each other as they seek to integrate back with the surrounding woods.  Almost every room is provided with expansive floor to ceiling windows, so no matter where one is in the home they are offered visual connections with nature.  Clad in corten steel to provide its striking weathered steel appearance, the home is perched high on the property emerging from the shade and privacy of tree canopies to extend out and embrace grand southwest views of the rolling landscape below.

Interior materials are kept simple and consistent throughout:  glass walls, natural maple flooring and panels, unpainted steel and cable railings, polycarbonate panels, neutral areas of white drywall, carrara marble accents, and exposed joists of select southern yellow pine provide a constant reminder of structure.  This simple materials pallet, the constant reorienting of the occupants back to nature, and an emphasis on vertical movement lend themselves more to features of living in a treehouse than a rural-suburban home.  With few fixed walls or even interior doors, the home is a perfect complement to this household’s active and close-knit family lifestyle allowing everyone to constantly feel connected with each other. The Architect’s hope is for the home to never be finished - to constantly change and evolve just as the land around it continues to change and evolve.
Effinger Remodel
9764 Ascot Drive
Omaha, NE

AIA Firm: TACKarchitects
Architect: Jeff Dolezal, AIA

Faced with a claustrophobic 1970’s banal suburban residence, the homeowners challenged the architects to create a “modern, open and light” environment that could foster a greater sense of family socialization. The solution was to remove a majority of the interior walls to open the programmatic elements of the residence. Windows were also added to the exterior to bring in some much needed natural light.

Other notable features of the remodel included adding a longer, more functional kitchen island, replacing all of the interior finishes and lighting, as well as renovating the existing spiral stair. The stair presented a major challenge from a geometric standpoint as it curved in two directions. The architects worked closely with a local fabricator using the latest computer technology to streamline the process.
Timmerman Residence
804 South 92nd Street
Omaha, NE

AIA Firm: The Architectural Offices
Architect: Bill Stott, AIA

Eventually the mid-century ranch home purchased by James and Ann Timmerman became smaller and smaller as their young family continued to grow. But they loved the house, the lot and the neighborhood, and wanted more than to simply add more space to the residence.  After a series of studies, the concept of ‘out’ was embraced, literally breaking the box of the traditional layout.  A private master suite was added above the main floor, over the existing kitchen and dining room – breaking through the roof.  The space not only gives the couple privacy, but the addition growing out of the existing form helps create a multi-level private space on the back side of the home.  The living room and entry were expanded and opened to better reflect how the family and guests used the space, reaching out to visitors. 

Materials on the exterior were chosen to accentuate the added spaces and mark the difference between the original residence and contemporary addition.  A new curved entry drive on the corner lot creates a heightened sense of arrival for guests, in stark contrast to the hidden, seldom used front door of the original house.  New materials including a complimentary brick color and the use of thermally modified lumber help contrast the different events in the history of the home in a visually interesting, yet sympathetic manner.
Louisville Acreage Residence
989 Southridge Drive
Louisville, NE

AIA Firm: Gerber Architecture, pc
Architect: Jared Gerber, AIA

Driving under a canopy of old growth trees the view of this Louisville acreage unfolds. The property is tucked into a clearing that is surrounded by a heavily treed hill on the left and a steep ravine on the right.  A large front gable sitting above the front porch sets the tone for this nestled-in traditional feeling home.  A horizontal pergola separates the home from a driving court between the attached and detached garages.

The interior of the home is set up for relaxation, with inviting rooms and comfortable furniture.  The Great Room features dark stained trusses contrasted with white ceilings and trim and a large, light colored stone fireplace from floor to ceiling.  Walk through sliding barn doors to enter a light filled kitchen with sweeping views of the outdoor pool area and the trees beyond.  A spacious stair tower with abundant windows captures views in three directions and leads to the bedrooms upstairs.

The site, massing, materials and style all perform together to create a pleasing composition that feels welcoming at the end of the day.
House Sponsor:
 Louisville Farm House
802 Koop Avenue
Louisville, NE

AIA Firm: Cramer Kreski Designs
Designer: Steve Cramer

Located on the Eastern edge of Louisville, NE, this two story "4 square" farmhouse was originally built in 1917.  Our Client, who grew up nearby, has fond memories of the home, so when the opportunity came for them to purchase and renovate it, they felt drawn to make it happen.  

The primary design goal was to update and add onto the house making it function well for their family.   Doing this while keeping the original "4 square" home as the central anchor was key.  The additions were designed to compliment the original structure; Great Room to the East, Master Suite to South (behind the main home) and attached Garage with Mud Room to the North.    The exterior materials were all replaced with new roofing; cement siding, cedar shingles and new windows.  The original Porch was redesigned to extend to the West creating an inviting entry point for Guests.

Inside the home, space was opened up to a new Great Room addition.  All the rooms are tied together with a craftsman style trim details.  A few contemporary accents were added to keep things fresh.   The new plan allowed the primary living space and Master Suite to be located on the 1st Floor, giving way to Kid's Bedrooms on the 2nd Floor and a multipurpose/play area on the 3rd Floor.  

Prior to the yearlong construction process of the home, the Owner replaced an old rundown Barn with a new post and beam Barn with living/entertaining areas upstairs and Garage/Storage at the Lower Level.  The Barn came in handy as a living place for the Owners during the final months of the house renovation.
House Sponsor:
Bonus Residence:
Additional fee to support the Omaha Conservatory of Music and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts

ART[house]
9800 Harney Parkway
Omaha, NE

AIA Firm: TACKarchitects
Architect: Jeff Dolezal, AIA

ART[house] at its core attempts to blur the boundaries between interior and exterior environments, while creating a sophisticated canvas in which the owner can display their extensive art collection. The design finds inspiration from the work of Richard Neutra, and some of his more notable works such as the Kaufmann House. Every room within the home has a specifically framed view of the outside along with sliding glass doors which open into the backyard.The main living space has an open plan with 16’ high ceilings and a soaring roof that “floats” on three sides allowing natural light to permeate deep within the space. A centrally located “wet cube” delineates functional aspects of the house such as kitchen, bar, and living functions, while doubling as the kitchen pantry. The cube provides a sense of scale to the main living volume, and is finished in a white reflective automobile paint.