My friends over at MOD {all} Studio, Jim Fish and his design partner Rob Donaldson have been working hard to get Cleveland noticed for something other than politics and the economy. Their new design firm has been going like gangbusters trying to win competitions and get noticed for their innovative ideas. To this end, they have, in just a single year managed to become a finalist in the Dwell/Inhabitat.com ‘Reburbia’ competition, noted as one of the top ten popular entries for Freegreen.com’s Chain of Eco-Homes, and participated in a design exhibition in Piraeus, Greece.
So I was thrilled to find out last week that Mr. Fish was announced as one of the winners in an international competition to renovate and restore a series of existing cottages in Red Hook, NY. Red Hook is the southern most portion of the Brooklyn borough of New York City and overlooks the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhatten. By 2011, residents of the Conover Street will be able to enjoy these views from their newly renovated sustainable residences.
MOD{all}Studio’s proposal – entitled “ECo-ttage” – draws inspiration from the Red Hook neighborhood with meticulous use of materials, careful articulation of the residential program, and the integration of several sustainable initiatives (a “UtilitySpine” that stacks mechanical items, and potential solar photo voltaic, rainwater harvesting, and greywater recycling system). The competition organizers, Realty Collective, cited the design’s simplicity of program, integration into the existing urban context, and inspiring progressive design as reasons for “ECo-ttage” being selected. ECo-ttage is one of four winning proposals for existing residences.
You can read the official Press Release of the winners here.
The windows allow dark floors to absorb heat during colder months to help warm the residences. Rainwater is diverted and could be collected for use in grey water systems. A central “spine” for all the systems of the home make upgrades and repairs easy to access-thus reducing labor costs and material use. You can read more about the green aspects of the project at: MOD {all} Studios. They are not new to innovative design ideas. They have designed many residences which have an interesting design aesthetic and which make efforts to provide designs that make the best use of space. One of my favorites is a simple garage designed with a solar panel roof to charge electric cars while not in use. Even the simplest of their designs are interesting and different. Watch the video below to see a simple shelter designed for overlooking the shores of Lake Erie:
Visit their website to see more of their work and be sure to send Jim a little note of congratulations on his winning design!
