"Sankaku" by John Howe

An amazing house just came on the market and I had the great fortune to tour it today. "Sankaku" (Japanese for equilateral triangle) was designed by and for John Howe, Frank Lloyd Wright's chief draftsman at Taliesin. The equilateral triangle is a touchstone design element throughout. The siting of the building on a 2.3 acre lot on small Horseshoe Lake in Burnsville is perfection. The layout and architectural details are stunning. The finishes and furnishings have been faithfully maintained. I left the property with an overwhelming sense of serenity having experienced this place.

If you are a fan of Prairie School architecture and have a chance, there is another open house on Sunday February 14th from 1 to 3 pm. I highly recommend getting your foot in the door, because this spectacular property is priced to sell and some lucky new homeowner is going to get a steal.

Follow this link to go to the full MLS listing:

http://www.edinarealty.com/MN/Burnsville/55306/homes-for-sale/15709-James-Avenue-S-47227551/popup

Also ran across this Star Tribune article from August 2000 on John Howe:

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/11478911.html

MNLA awards

Two landscape projects designed by Avocado Green have been recognized by the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association (MNLA) for design excellence in their 2010 awards competition.

Landscape contractor Ground One Enterprises submitted the Nelson Residence, which won a Grand Honor Award for backyard design, and the Rekenthaler Residence, which won a Merit Award for frontyard design.

Go to MNLA's website and click on the 2010 lists to see all the award winners:
http://gardenminnesota.com/get-inspired/landscape-awards/

SPACES feature article

If you get a chance, pick up a copy of the February/March 2010 issue of SPACES magazine. The article "Space Exploration" is a feature on the Buss Residence, which is also shown on the cover.

TreHus Builders of Minneapolis completed an extensive remodel of this 100-year-old home, and the article focuses on their work along with discussion of the landscape renovation.

Avocado Green designed this landscape with landscape contractor Ground One Enterprises completing the installation. There is a great spread showing the before and after of the backyard. This was a complete transformation of every corner of the property...a successful collaboration with great clients.

Use the link below and scroll down to the "Buss Residence" thumbnail for additional photos of this project:

http://avocadogreen.com/projects.htm

introduction

Hi all - welcome to my first foray into the blogosphere. I figured since blogging is now obsolete, and that I refuse to subject myself to the concept of "tweeting," now is the perfect time to jump on the one-step-behind bandwagon!

My initial intent with this is to muse on landscape architecture, gardens, design, nature, and whatever else inspires me and the work I do as a landscape architect, along with updates on the latest news related to Avocado Green, Inc. I'm excited and a little anxious to see how this evolves and look forward to sharing with you.

Nate