Home & Design

Custom Builder 2013 Awards Sponsored by the Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association, the annual Custom Builder Awards honors quality construction, architecture and design by custom builders and remodelers in the Greater Washington, DC, region.

Following is a list of all 2013 MNCBIA winners.

Speculative Home 3,500 to 5,000 square feet
Gold—Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC
Builder: Miller Homes. Photography: Edgar Artiga
Silver—James McDonald Associate Architects, PC
Builder: The Building Group Inc.

Speculative Home 5,000 to 7,500 square feet
Gold—James McDonald Associate Architects, PC
Builder: Artisan Builders. Photography: Artisan Builders
Silver—Washington Metropolitan Homes
Architect: Claude C. Lapp

Speculative Traditional Home
Gold—Carter, Inc.
Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC

Speculative Transitional Home
Gold—Carter, Inc.
Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC

Custom Home under 3,500 square feet
Gold—Douglas Construction Group, LLC
Architect: Claude C. Lapp

Custom Home 3,500 to 5,000 square feet
Gold—Sandy Spring Builders, LLC
Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC
Silver—Castlewood Consulting, LLC
Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC
Bronze—Chuck Sullivan Homes
Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC

Custom Home 5,000 to 7,500 square feet
Gold—GTM Architects
Builder: Gibson Builders, LLC.
Silver—James McDonald Associate Architects, PC
Builder: The Building Group Inc.
Bronze—Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC
Builder: Sandy Spring Builders, LLC

Custom Home 7,500 to 12,500 square feet
Gold—Sandy Spring Builders, LLC
Architect: Scott Broughton Architects, LLC
Silver—GTM Architects
Builder: Gibson Builders, LLC
Bronze—Carter, Inc.
Architect: Claude C. Lapp

Traditional Custom Home
Gold—Three Brothers Land Company, Inc.
Architect: Claude C. Lapp. Photography: Real Tour Inc.
Silver—Three Brothers Land Company, Inc.
Architect: Claude C. Lapp

Whole House Renovation Under 2,000 square feet
Gold—Federalist Builders LLC
Architect: Federalist Builders LLC.

Whole House Renovation Over 2,000 square feet
Gold—GTM Architects
Builder: Gibson Builders, LLC.
Silver—Douglas Construction Group, LLC
Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC

New or Remodeled Kitchen
Gold—BOWA
Architect: BOWA.


Custom Builder 2012 Awards

Outdoor Living It’s been a while since designing a landscape simply meant planting beautiful flowers and rolling lawns. Today, homeowners are looking for much more than a thriving garden: They want stunning poolscapes, elaborate stonework and charming water features—and these are often just the beginning. Starting on page 164, landscape professionals weigh in on how to incorporate these elements into their clients’ properties—illustrated by their own completed projects.

Set in Stone
For a patio design in Great Falls, Howard Cohen of Surrounds, Inc. (surrounds landscaping.com), chose reddish porphyry stone, installed using mortar with a concrete base. The stones are incredibly durable and stain- and chip-resistant. The downside is that they have to be imported either from Argentina or Italy—which makes them expensive. “Think of cost down the road, not just cost now,” Cohen says. “The longevity of better-quality stone will give you a return on your investment.”

Techo-Bloc (techo-bloc.com) pavers were the key to the look of a landscape design in McLean by Josh Kane of Kane Landscapes (kanelandscapes.com). Made from manufactured stone, the random-pattern pavers were used around the pool in warm Mojave Beige. “We usually recommend pavers in pool areas,” explains Kane. “They’re installed on compacted gravel, not concrete, so they can be lifted in case equipment underground needs to be fixed.”

Brian Hahn of Botanical Decorators (botanicaldecorators.com) relied on stonework to add interest to a nondescript side yard in Alexandria. Borrowing from the architecture of the house, he created rectangular and circular borders out of mini-granite cobbles that convey a connection between the lawn and the house. “Borders create a feeling that the lawn is flat,” Hahn says. “They invite you onto the grass.”

Make a Splash
When Mike Prokopchak of Walnut Hill Landscape Company (walnuthilllandscape.com) saw his client’s property perched along the Chesapeake, he immediately suggested an infinity pool that would emphasize the dramatic bay view. While the owners wanted a pool deep enough for diving, Prokopchak typically recommends a depth of 3.5 to 5.5 feet. “That way the whole pool is useful for pretty much everyone,” he explains. His designs also incorporate a solar shelf or bench.

Before designing a pool in his client’s compact Alexandria lot, J. Mark White of GardenWise (gardenwiseinc.com) considered the function and flow of the yard. “A pool should be properly sized for access and for views from the home,” he says. “A rectangular pool has an automatic focal point at one end.” He also plans for lounge seating, fencing, plantings, privacy and light. “Engage a designer to make sure it all gets done right,” he advises.
Julie Patronik of McHale Landscape Design (mchalelandscape.com) asked her clients how they would use their space before embarking on a pool design for their Bethesda property. “We talked about lifestyle, entertaining and exercise to figure out what would suit them best,” she recalls. The result was a rectangular pool flanked by a water feature and surrounded with travertine pavers that retain less heat than the more typical flagstone. “It’s a place of cool and peace,” Patronik says.

Falling Water
When Jane Luce of Through the Garden (throughthegardeninc.com) was called on to enhance a McLean project with plantings, she worked around a sleek water feature that was already being built. With a three-tiered waterfall spilling from a wall tiled in stones, the feature doubles as a spa designed to complement the modern house, but it requires plenty of upkeep. “Select your water feature with your eyes open,” Luce says, “Don’t only think about what’s going to feel special about it, but also about the time and effort to maintain it.”
By contrast, a rustic water feature by Greg Powell of Inviting Spaces (inviting-spaces.com) appears completely organic. Asked to create a watercourse that would empty into a manmade pond, he built a berm, giving the flat Middleburg property a slope, and concealed the inner workings of the feature behind mature plantings. For a natural look, he haphazardly placed a variety of stones, all native to Western Maryland. “Take advantage of any existing grade if you want a naturalistic effect,” he advises. “If you have flat ground, go with something more formal like a fountain. Don’t fight the way the ground naturally goes unless you have a lot of space.”

HOME&DESIGN, published bi-monthly by Homestyles Media Inc., is the premier magazine of architecture and fine interiors for the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia region.

The company also publishes an annual H&D Sourcebook of ideas and resources for homeowners and professionals alike. H&D Chesapeake Views is published bi-annually and showcases fine home design and luxury living in and around the Chesapeake Bay.

The H&D Portfolio of 100 Top Designers spotlights the superior work of selected architects, interior designers and landscape architects in major regions of the US.

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