Over the next few weeks, we will be profiling winners of the 2011 myMarvin Architect’s Challenge. Let’s start with a beautiful project from sunny Spain.

Francis Daniel Trico of McLundie Architects in Sotogrande, Spain designed a majestic villa of 850 square meters built area, laid out over four floors on a steep sloping site in Sotogrande Alto. This coastal gem boasts magnificent views over La Reserva golf course and lake and the Mediterranean Sea. The villa’s design was influenced by the traditional Andalucian architecture of the area, including details like “Tosco” brick in roof eaves and columns, play of volumes in the roofscapes and water fountains.

See more photos and learn more about this project on Marvin.com.

Given its location in the Mediterranean, forming a seamless relationship between outdoor and indoor living spaces was essential to the overall design approach. To open up the façade and connect the external covered terrace to the main living room, a Marvin Bi-Fold door was the perfect fit. Another feature, the introduction of an internal courtyard, serves as the focal point of the main living areas.

To maximize the height of the openings on the main floor, elegant fixed transoms with lites were introduced to allow for natural light and splendid views of the nearby golf course and lake. Additionally, windows were treated internally with the same lime washing finish as the rest of the timber ceilings and internal doors around the house, which was key to the overall aesthetic.

The decision to use Marvin Windows and Doors was made late in the construction process (building fabric and fenestration openings were fully completed). This proved to be the right decision, as Marvin demonstrated flexibility and versatility in its products and solutions. Scale, proportion, frame profile, elegance and general beauty of the windows and doors were vastly superior to any other products available in Spain.

Attention to detail in every aspect of the design coupled with the selection Marvin Windows and Doors culminated in a standout luxurious home.

Marvin products used included:

• Clad Bi-Fold Door
• Clad Ultimate Swinging French Doors
• Clad Ultimate Sliding French Doors
• Clad Direct Glaze Rectangle Units
• Clad Fixed Transom Units
• Clad Sliding Patio Doors
• Clad Ultimate Arch Top Swinging French Doors
• Clad Ultimate Awning Windows
• Clad Ultimate Casements
• Clad Ultimate Casement Round Top Units

Qualified Remodeler magazine recently featured a rather impressive remodeling project:

Just outside Boston, in the town of Wellesley, Mass., the owners of a home that bordered conservation land faced changing needs. After purchasing the 1,700-square-foot, 1930’s house, the residents performed a renovation in 1995 to increase the size to 2,000 square feet. Over time the family of four grew to a family of six, and the owners were ready for a master suite, home office and a larger place to entertain guests. They loved the house, neighborhood and peaceful conservation land abutting their backyard, so rather than move, the owners decided to undertake a 2,600-square-foot addition to more than double the home’s size.

The $1.6 million addition included a master suite; his and her bathrooms; a 2-story mahogany library that serves as an entertainment room and home office; a guest room and guest bathroom; a large basement renovation with a recreation room, gym and mechanical room; and a new entryway. The project won the Silver award in Qualified Remodeler’s 2010 Master Design Awards in the Room Addition over $100,000 category.

The focus of this remodeling project was to be unobtrusive and to respect the original style and structure of the home — both inside and out. According to the president of the firm that completed the project, “The remodel is a prime example of how to create an addition with sensitivity to existing architecture.”

Part of the approach to maintaining the original look and feel was to use made-to-order Marvin Windows, which offer enough options and flexibility to match any architectural style. Read more about this remodeling project at Qualified Remodeler.

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When architect Joseph G. Metzler, AIA, and colleagues from SALA Architects in Minneapolis began on this extensive remodel, they faced the challenge of modernizing on old home’s functionality while maintaining that ever-important character of its architecture. According to TrendsIdeas.com:

Houses built around the turn of the last century have plenty of character, but they can also be a little too formal for modern family living. This house, for example, reflected the typical architecture of the period. The formality of the exterior and entry was echoed on the interior, which meant the kitchen was in a room of its own with no real family living space.

Builder Ed Roskowinski of Vujovich Design Build shines some light on just one of the ways in which the character was maintained during the project: ”As well as restoring part of the trellis, we were able to salvage the red bricks. Around 70% of the bricks are from a chimney we removed on site.”

In addition to the salvaged building materials, the remodel also included Ultimate Double-Hung windows and swinging French doors from Marvin Windows. You can see more photo and read more about the project on TrendsIdeas.com.

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When David and Sara Gottfried renovated their 1915 Craftsman bungalow three years ago, they became the owners of one of the greenest homes in America. Deemed LEED Platinum by the US Green Building Council, the modest but beautiful bungalow is a green dream inside and out.

That how green-living blog Re-Nest introduces this great green remodeling project. Though it looks much like the other homes in its Oakland neighborhood, the home received LEED for Homes Platinum certification, putting it at the top of the heap of earth-friendly buildings.

This home’s impressive level of environmental friendliness should come as little surprise; after all, David Gottfried, is one of the founders of the U.S. Green Building Council. We’re proud to say that among the many green products and features in this home is a houseful of Marvin low-E double-pane windows.

For a deep-dive into the home, its green features and more info from the Gottfrieds, check out the full post from Re-Nest.

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This 3,600-square-foot classic New England home uses some of the most advanced home building techniques and materials available to operate at net zero energy, meaning it creates at least as much, if not more, energy than it consumes. How? Thoughtful design, alternative energy sources, and high-quality, energy-efficient products — including a houseful of Marvin tri-pane windows.

The home was recently featured on Jetson Green, a popular blog about green technology and sustainable home design. In addition to the video overview above, we have a set of nice photos posted here. Learn more about Marvin’s green building efforts here.

“We had to push the house back together. But now, I get to live on the land that I have farmed since 1971, in a home I remember visiting almost every day as a child.”

–Elaine Beery, Owner

The question with historic remodeling is often how the original architectural style can be preserved. However, when Elaine Beery decided to renovate a house that had been in her family for generations, the question was more along the lines of: Would the house itself survive? “The home was built in 1857,” said Beery, “and it was bought by my great-grandparents in 1903. The last family member moved out in 2006 — and we really saw it deteriorate without anyone living there.”

Beery and her husband, Lance Beery, decided to explore the possibilities of renovating the house, and found herself faced with a foundation that had a single shot at supporting the house for future generations. “If we failed with the foundation, we knew we would have to quit — so it was where we started.” A tornado lifted the east portion of the house off the front foundation, most likely in the late 1800s. A cabling system had to be created to pull and secure the house onto a new foundation — but there was just one opportunity to make the shift. Fortunately, the effort was successful, and the Beerys were able to continue with their dream of restoring the family home.

Upon that foundation, a 150-year-old treasure was slowly restored to its original state. Rather than applying for historic register status, the Beerys decided to focus on creating a renovated home that would be warm and welcoming, while still retaining the beautiful details. The large double-hung windows had a unique shape — the top sash were round tops on the outside, but squared-off on the interior — plus the exterior casing had a classic headpiece that many window manufacturers simply couldn’t match. In order to match the trim profile for the outside, the headpiece was removed and sent to Marvin Signature Services. Marvin was able to replicate it with clad exterior.

In addition to choosing a low-maintenance extruded aluminum exterior, Beery also selected Ultimate Arch Top French doors. “I’m so glad we went with the full glass in our upstairs door — the light comes all the way down the stairway and into the downstairs hall.” Marvin crafted the door so precisely to the original dimensions that the Beerys were able to use the original curved wood trim from the exterior as the interior trim in the finished space. “You really can get a sense of the farm, looking out these windows,” said Beery. “The house was so ramshackle when we started, and now everything blends together so much better. From the outside, the appearance is almost exactly the same as what I remember.”

Project highlights:

• Classic 1857 Illinois farmhouse, owned by the same family for over a century.
• Given the age of the house, no two window openings were exactly the same — so every opening was measured up to five times to ensure each window would be a perfect fit.
• Extension jambs shipped loose to allow specific sizing to openings that had shifted over the decades.
• Casing detail included clad flat casing at the jambs and a 3-piece radius flat casing with a custom profile cope at the head that returns back to the wall. The casing was designed to match the original window profile.
• Double hungs with cherry interiors were chosen to match the office’s cherry wood furnishings, made from trees cleared 40 years ago from the farm’s property.

We got word of a beautiful and unusual renovation featuring Marvin from Wooden Window in Oakland, Calif. They graciously provided us with photos and a history of this project.

The owners of a 1930s San Francisco home  have been restoring it for the past nine years. After several door and window projects with Wooden Window, they proposed their most challenging job yet: the design and fabrication of a 10-foot-wide picture window that integrated a deco design the couple had seen as a railing in another nearby neighborhood.

Their original design posed structural concerns, so Wooden Window and Marvin collaborated with the clients through eight rounds of revision until, as the client put it, “we arrived at a design with which I was pleased and that Marvin was comfortable building.”

The result was a stunning work of art and craftsmanship that exists as the focal point of their deco facade. Wooden Window Inc. also won a Northern California NARI award for this project.

The next step is the replacement of a different window with French doors that will open to a step-out balcony. They plan to again work with Wooden Window and Marvin. ”The renovation is a continual work in progress,” according to the homeowners. Following a recent paint job, tiling, the addition of a marquee and neon house numbers, their home will have you turning your head next time you find yourself on Monterey Boulevard in San Francisco.

In honor of our last post of 2010, we’ve decided to round up our most popular posts ever. Below are the top 10. Enjoy and we will see you next year for more great home living information! Thanks for reading this year.

• Built Around You: Laundry in a Closet
• Remodeling Using ‘Quality Over Quantity’
• Unusual homes: Cool conversions
• How To: Grow Tomatoes Upside Down
• Space-saving ideas for small spaces
• Built Around You: Stylish Bathroom Overhaul
• Small on Space, Big on Style
• New Uses for Old Windows
• Amazing Windows Created By Amazing Artists
• myMarvin Architect’s Challenge: Lake Cottage

The owner of this house in Jaffrey, N.H. was committed to creating a unique home that complemented the rural setting and acknowledged the classical traditions favored by her architect grandfather, but with a distinctly contemporary feel. She charged the architect with creating a home that was both restrained and exuberant, both classic and modern – and was delighted with the result.

Architect Frank Riepe of Building Arts in Sudbury, Mass. looked to early New England architecture, Shaker meeting houses and rural Italian churches for inspiration. He sought simple composition, an intimate relationship between indoors and out, a strong sense of shelter, an expression of honest craft and a timeless quality of proportions and massing. These goals translated into walls a foot thick and special detailing around the windows set into them. The modest program of this small house reflected an early American sensibility of simplicity, spareness and directness.

Marvin’s broad range of standard sizes, ability to customize critical details such as the fixed corner casements, and uniformly high standard of quality combined with technical support and helpful design assistance to realize this project. The large size of the double-hung windows (they are 4′ x 8′) was a part of a calculated over-scaling of window components in a decidedly small house. As a result, people approach the house with a sense of wonderment.