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62 MODERN Story By SANDRA COOK Photos by LUIS DE SANTOS Architect Allen Bianchi’s placement of crisp, white stucco, smoky grey brick, and cedar fencing combines for a dramatic effect, often captivating passersby.
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Modern Daring

Mar 28, 2016

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Architect Allen Bianchi's Contemporary Design Brightens A Quiet Corner of the Museum District
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Page 1: Modern Daring

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MODERN Story By SANDRA COOK Photos by LUIS DE SANTOS

Architect Allen Bianchi’s placement of crisp, white stucco, smoky grey brick, and cedar fencing combines for a dramatic effect, often captivating passersby.

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ARCHITECT ALLEN BIANCHI’S CONTEMPORARY DESIGN BRIGHTENSA QUIET CORNER OF THE MUSEUM DISTRICT

DARING

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This is the story of a Houston couple, he a Wisconsin native and she a native of Germany, had lived inHeights cottage for several years when the decided they wereready to build a modern home. They focused their search onneighborhoods within the city, closer to the Museum District andits universities.

The pair of geologists sought to find the right piece of landand build a home that was sturdy, durable and beautiful, in otherwords, very much like a rock, something geologists are quitefamiliar with.

As fans of modern architecture, the couple had alreadyadmired the work of Allen Bianchi, AIA, when they discovered ahome designed by Bianchi being built in collaboration with YigalKass of Crestview Homes. The modern enthusiasts fell in lovewith the project immediately and worked with Realtor DennisPow-Sang to purchase the home, located a few blocks from TheMenil Collection.

A trio of baskets, Les Nymphes by Linge Roset, awaits guests just inside thefront door, while a petite bird sculpture perches on the window ledge.

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The kitchen, living area, patio and courtyard are unified by the continuation of materials and colors throughout the interior and exterior,lending an inherent sense of calm to the ground floor.

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UNDERCOVER KITCHENDesigner Anne Breux of Interior Architecture was already onboard with the project, a fortunate circumstance for the new own-ers. Making just a few modifications to the initial floor plan, thenew owners were thrilled with their newly found dream home inprogress. “Anne could help us make decisions for the interior,”says the wife. “She really understood our desire for a Bauhaus-likehome.”

The couple wanted a contemporary, German design-inspiredkitchen, so they hired local craftsman Alex Cubelli ofArchitectural Design Cabinet Works to custom build the stream-lined, all-white kitchen, which features pure white Corian coun-tertops.

“We really do love the white Corian countertop,” says thewife. “We wanted the kitchen to be nice and closed up and tidy.We actually didn’t want it to look like a kitchen.”

“Yes, that was important because the kitchen is part of thecontinuous living space,” the husband says. The couple ravesabout Anne Breux’s design and organization of the island, whichprovides a world of unobtrusive storage.

The simple geometry of the Omega bookcase by Daniel Rode forRoche Bobois offers a gentle, yet graphic contrast to the straight linesof the home.

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Alex Cubelli of Architectural Design Cabinet Works crafted the ultra-sleek, all-white kitchen to fulfill the homeowners’ request for a kitchen inspired by contemporaryGerman cabinetry. The look banishes clutter to maintain the peaceful mood of the overall living space.

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SUBLIME SIMPLICITY“Our home was built and designed for this lot,” says the wife.“Allen Bianchi is from Houston and he understands where to putwindows, and also how to create privacy in a house that has a lotof glass.”

The couple says they enjoy seeing blue sky through those well-placed windows daily. “The house is bright, cheerful and relaxingall at once,” says the husband.

“For us, the architecture is like art,” says the wife. “It’s artworkyou can walk through and live in.”

No moldings or trims adorn the walls and ceilings of the homeand the décor is intentionally minimal. The couple found thatthey had to be very careful with selecting new items to introduceinto their home. With the crisp architecture and simple colorpalette, one item can make a huge impact. A circular shelf unit off

Stepping stones define the fragrant pathway through the west-sideherb garden.

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Designer Anne Breux worked with the homeowners to maximize storage in the kitchen to keep countertops tidy. The couple chose a rustic,white dining table to proved a homey variation on their modern decor theme.

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the kitchen and a vivid motorcycle painting in the stair landingare fine examples of this.

Designer Anne Breux presented a selection of materials to thecouple to help them make their decisions on the calming colorpalette. “When I come into a project, I respect the architect’swork first, and then select materials,” says Breux. “I make sureeverything works together. For this home, it was best to use manyof the same materials inside and out, rather than create a patch-work of various materials.”

To complement the white stucco walls, the same neutral stoneflooring was used inside and out to extend the living space out-doors. A deep grey brick provides a sturdy counterpoint to airywhite walls and expanses of glass and powder-coated metal shelvesaccents as an understated accent.

Bianchi’s design of the home, which sits on a corner lot, takesadvantage of each day’s shifting sunlight. The front of the homeis dominated by crisp, white stucco walls, while the side elevationis almost equal parts stained cedar fence, white stucco and greybrick.

Portland, Oregon artist Guenevere Schwien’s painting of a Ducati motorcycleundeniably revs up the wall of the stair landing.

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The master bedroom blends natural colors and textures, which harmonize with the outdoor views. The sense of space in the bedroom flows onto the serene patioand courtyard, where outdoor furniture from the 1966 Collection by Richard Schulz serves as a constant invitation to enjoy a quiet moment.

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“Allen caused the light to play quite brilliantly,” says the hus-band. “Its not just a white box, because elements of the house addangles to other elements so you’ll see shadows play on the side ofthe house throughout the day. It’s always very interesting.”

One thing that attracted them to the plan was having the mas-ter bedroom on the first floor. The master bedroom enjoys theview into the generous, private courtyard.

The couple appreciates Bianchi’s layout of the master bath-room. “His design is quite minimal and does not disrupt the senseof calm,” say the husband. “It flows together, rather than beingchopped up into sections.”

The second floor of the home provides various optionalspaces, such as guest quarters, an office and flexible lounge spacethat functions as a Zen room, exercise area and reading nook. Thelounge area opens onto a balcony. This inviting outdoor space sitsabove the master bedroom and overlooks both the private court-yard and the surrounding neighborhood, further connecting theinterior to the outdoors.

“I appreciate how a lot of the elements, such as the brick, goright out to the outside and come inside as well,” says the hus-band. “It makes it feel like the house is participating in the out-side, especially with all the windows.”

“Yes, it’s a wonderful outside effect,” says the wife.

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The master bath features an uncluttered floor plan, enhanced by the glass shower enclosure and lighting installed within the mirror. Two vessel sinkssit atop the mesquite wood vanity, which was handcrafted Randy Keys.

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ABOVE: Off the second-floorlounge, a generous balconyoffers views of the surroundingneighborhood. More 1966 fur-niture by Richard Schulz pro-vides a restful place to pass thetime.

LEFT: The combination ofsunny afternoons and treebranches yields a delightfulshadow cinema on the west-facing, white stucco walls ofBianchi’s design.

OPPOSITE: The well-placedwindows on the east wall of thesecond floor provide mood-lift-ing daylight to the hallway,which functions as a library, inaddition to connecting theoffice, guest room and loungespace.

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RESOURCES

REALTOR: DENNIS POW-SANG,

713.522.2828

BUILDER:YIGAL KASS, Crestview

Homes, 713.942.0490

ARCHITECT: ALLEN BIANCHI, AIA,

713.523.4800

INTERIOR DESIGNER:ANNE BREUX INTERIOR

ARCHITECTURE,713.301.0143

CUSTOM AUDIO, VIDEOAND BLINDS:

KEVIN SUSTALA, Custom Audio and Video,

281.755.2095

KITCHEN & CABINETRY:ALEX CUBELLI, Architectural

Design Cabinet Works,713.661.3641

STAINLESS STEEL SHELVES& POWDERCOATING:

GUIDO SCHINDLER,713.880.9787

VANITIES ANDHARDWOODS:

RANDY KEYS, CanyonMesquite and Selected

Hardwoods, 281.620.4468

LIGHTING:FERNANDO GALARZA,

Lighting Unlimited,713.626.4025

WELDING FOR THE FRONT GATE:

DAN SCHNORR,832.455.7135

INTERIOR FINISHING &PAINTING:

STEVE CROATT HOMEREPAIR, 281.344.7681

DUCATI MOTORCYCLEPAINTING:

GUENEVERE SCHWIEN, Portland, Oregon,

www.gueneveres.com/MotoGallery.html