Seeing their 30-year dream of building a unique modern home come to fruition was a big moment for Gary Schuberth, principal of Opus AE Group, L.L.C. in Kansas City and his wife, Robin. But it got even better when the project received recognition from the community.
“It was very rewarding to be recognized by my peers,” Gary said. His home received two design excellence awards for best contemporary design and best exterior design in KC Magazine’s “Best of 2013” and a design award from the Kansas American Institute of Architects.
The quest to build this house began with directions to their realtor to “find a site that has very bold topography that 99% of people say cannot be built upon.” Gary knew this would both drive a creative solution and enable the lot to be had at a good price. Once the site was selected, he and Robin began to develop the concept of how they wanted to live, how the rooms would flow and how they could take advantage of the steeply-sloped, wooded site.
“Everyone has something to say, and it has been surprisingly positive,” Gary said about comments he receives. The metal siding and the way the home sits on the site are frequently commented on by people who drive by or those out walking their dogs. But the big moment for people once they’re inside the home are the trees. The living area of the home sits 20 feet over the ground, placing people right into the heavy tree canopy.
We will be exploring more of Gary’s home in two parts over the next few days. Please be sure to come back to see the first piece about design intent and the second piece about planning and construction. If you’d like to see more pictures, check out our Google+ page.
Photo Credit: Michael Spillers Photography
Kansas City Architect Wins for Design Close to Home
