Residential Design

Welcome to Residential Design magazine, a fresh new publication with a rich heritage, stemming from Residential Design + Build. We are proud to be part of a family that includes renowned publications like Qualified Remodeler and Kitchen & Bath Design News, which have long been leaders in their respective fields. All of us are united under SOLA Group, Inc. Residential Design offers a modern perspective on a topic that resonates deeply with many: home design and construction. The process of building and designing homes is not just a job; it’s a true passion. The architects and builders who pursue this vocation are driven by a unique enthusiasm for their craft, and it influences everything they do.

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AIA Announces 2025 Award Winners in Housing, Architecture, and More

3 weeks ago | residentialdesignmagazine.com | Caroline Hetzel

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced the winners of its 2025 Awards in 11 project categories including the Housing, Architecture, Interior Architecture, COTE Top Ten, and Small Project Awards. AIA presented the awards last night at an awards gala during the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design in Boston. “Every project honored through these 11 award programs reminds us of the profound impact architecture has on our communities,” said 2025 AIA President, Evelyn Lee, FAIA.
Parti Shot: Blakely Retreat by Wittman Estes

3 weeks ago | residentialdesignmagazine.com | Caroline Hetzel

It’s increasingly rare these days to find that perfect parcel of land for a view house—one that’s easy to build on and easy to get to. At just under 10 acres, this site on Washington State’s Blakely Island in the San Juan Archipelago is “one of the most beautiful we’ve ever worked on,” says architect Matt Wittman, AIA, of Wittman Estes. But the rugged, heavily forested island has no commercial ferry service.
April Private Residential Construction Spending Dips

3 weeks ago | residentialdesignmagazine.com | Caroline Hetzel

Private residential construction spending fell by 0.9% in April, marking the third consecutive monthly decline. This decrease was primarily driven by reduced spending in single-family construction and home improvements. Compared to a year ago, total spending was down 4.8%, as the housing sector continues to navigate the economic uncertainty stemming from ongoing tariff concerns and elevated mortgage rates.
Case Study: 607 Woodward Apartments by Bonstra | Haresign

3 weeks ago | residentialdesignmagazine.com | Caroline Hetzel

Few firms in Washington, D.C., understand city buildings as well as Bonstra | Haresign. Founded just over 20 years ago by David Haresign, FAIA, and his partner Bill Bonstra, FAIA, the 30-person office has completed countless complex multifamily and commercial renovations, new builds, and adaptive reuses in the city itself and its surrounding towns and suburbs.
Case Study: Alma Switch House by Brooks + Scarpa

1 month ago | residentialdesignmagazine.com | Caroline Hetzel

For their new home in Manhattan Beach, California, clients of the Los Angeles office of Brooks + Scarpa had the ideal request. “They really wanted light and air, which was right up my alley,” says Lawrence Scarpa, FAIA. The clients, a couple with three young children who live full-time in this Southern California beach community, also wanted five bedrooms and a three-car garage.
Flat Custom Home Building Trends

1 month ago | residentialdesignmagazine.com | Caroline Hetzel

NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates flat year-over year growth for custom home builders. The custom building market is less sensitive to the interest rate cycle than other forms of home building but is more sensitive to changes in household wealth and stock prices. There were 34,000 total custom building starts during the first quarter of 2025. This was unchanged relative to the first quarter of 2024.
ABI April 2025: Billings Continue to Decline at Architecture Firms

1 month ago | residentialdesignmagazine.com | Caroline Hetzel

The AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score declined to 43.2 for the month. Billings have declined for 28 of the last 31 months, since they first dipped back into negative territory following the post-pandemic boom. Despite generally strong backlogs at firms, inquiries into new work declined for the third consecutive month in April, while the value of new design contracts declined at the majority of firms for the fourteenth consecutive month.
Case Study: Solar House by Booth Hansen

1 month ago | residentialdesignmagazine.com | Caroline Hetzel

In a gridded city like Chicago, it’s rare to find a triangular lot like the one Larry Booth’s clients purchased in Lincoln Park. They lived several blocks away in a house that lacked natural light and were thrilled to find a plot with the potential for greater solar exposure. Booth Hansen’s team fully exploited the unique lot shape with a sawtooth design that faces south and, as a bonus, creates space for gardens. The corner lot wasn’t a clean slate, however.
Pro-File Design: Studio Dwell

1 month ago | residentialdesignmagazine.com | Caroline Hetzel

City State of Mind | Studio Dwell, ChicagoWhen Mark Peters, AIA, of Chicago-based Studio Dwell gets a new client, he sends them a five-page questionnaire. The questions go in-depth about the spaces the client would like to have (“Should the primary suite include a separate dressing room? An exterior terrace?”), but also ask about lifestyle (“Do you read for pleasure?
Case Study: Atrium Apartment by Colleen Healey Architecture

1 month ago | residentialdesignmagazine.com | Caroline Hetzel

Of the 162 buildings featured in the 2003 book “Best Addresses: A Century of Washington’s Distinguished Apartment Houses,” one in particular caught the eye of a real estate professional, a past client of Colleen Healey, AIA. He knew he would soon want the amenities, reduced maintenance, and single-story floor plan of apartment living, and the six-story 1965 structure in northwest Washington, D.C., looked ideal.