A simple and elegant tectonic solution to a contemporary house located in a traditional neighborhood. Beautifully lighted and handsomely detailed exterior and interior.

Program: Ground up, three-level. 3,500-square-foot house with two porches (one screened-in) and private terrace. First floor living room, kitchen, dining area, "keeping" room (sitting area near kitchen), powder room. Second floor: master bedroom, master bath, home office. Lower level: two guest bedrooms, guest bathroom, exercise room, lower outdoor terrace.

Site: Birmingham, MI, close to Detroit, was a vacation spot for Detroiter’s in the 19th century. Presently it is considered traditional, yet upscale, village-like town.

Design: This very contemporary house is set within a traditional neighborhood from the 1920s. The initial concept was to build a loft as a single-family home. The result - an urban townhouse - is very open with minimal intervention in the space. Storage areas are either hidden or used as room dividers. As well, as an individual house, the clients get much more light that would normally be available in a multi-tenant loft building.

The steel-framed house has concrete floors with radiant heat (maple on the second floor), exposed metal deck, steel trusses, limestone fireplaces, soapstone counters, aluminum-framed commercial windows, and exterior of simulated stone blocks. A sea wall, usually used on piers, is used for the retaining wall. The architects worked closely with the client (an interior designer) to integrate all the materials, interior finishes, and furnishings. Several levels are at play, with the master suite overlooking the living room, and a subterranean terrace, which the owner refers to as her "Soho terrace". Although the house is on a comer lot, with lots of windows, it still affords the owner a sense of privacy.