The Construction Source

MARCH 2021 designed to take “people on a journey.” “Walking up that staircase, you can see the whole house, since it’s an open floor plan,” she explains. “Once you get to the main floor, the first sight is the green room. Then to the left is the kitchen and to the right is the living room space with the fireplace beyond it. Everything gravitates around it.” The award-nominated elements, meanwhile, include the ‘Custom Kitchen.’ That kitchen features an island that appears to be “growing out of the floor,” as the walls are made of the same wood the floor is made of. Houry also says the black granite counter top is “spectacular,” and that the angles of the overhangs reflect the same angulation in the front-entry volume. “So it’s purposeful, it has a reason for being,” she says. “The owner can sit around it and enjoy its uniqueness. “ Then there’s theaforementioned green room, which was nominated for ‘Any Room in the House.’ The client on that project loved planting flowers and vegetables, so Houry custom-designedmetal trellises where she could vertically grow plants and herbs yearly inside the house. The space also features a solarium and skylights, and plenty of fire- rated glass windows –there are typically restrictions on how many windows a room can have, but they were able to include more by using fire- rated glass. “Initially, that space was going to be an outdoor courtyard,” Houry recalls, “but the client ultimately wanted a more year- round experience. We made it work.” According to Houry, the client was extremely pleased with the end-result. The home has been the subject of multiple articles and profiles in industry publications, and some of them the client pitched herself. That speaks to how satisfied she was with the finished product. “She’s very proud of it,” Houry says. “She’s proud of the journey we went on, and she’s very eager to showcase and discuss it. She wants her voice heard.” “It wasn’t an easy journey,” she adds. “There was a lot of city zoning ordinances we had to dance around to make it happen. There were a lot of regulations we had to navigate and work around. The Zoning team was very confused in the beginning. But it was all worth it because we were able to achieve exactly the look wanted.” Houry credits the ultimate success of that project – and of every project, really – not just to her own dedication, but also the dedication of her suppliers and contractors. That includes her frequent building partner, RND Construction. They worked on Galleria together, as well as on previous award-winning projects. Houry says their building knowledge – and their willingness to take on a challenge – has been vital to her success. The company also works frequently Dalmen Pro – one of the region’s longest-standing and highest-quality distributors of windows and doors. They have over 50 years’ experience, their products are high-quality and energy-efficient, and their customer service is unrivalled. They also make it a point to stay on top of trends and continually improve their products. That makes them a strong fit with Ha 2 Architectural Design, a firm that also strives to be on the cutting edge.