Sarah Nettleton Architects

How to Work with an Architect Part 6

admin — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 18:57:00 +0000

In the final installment of this series we see the final product of our labors. How a project is finished is crucial to the success of a project. More images of the home featured in this video can be viewed under City Creekside Home section of the portfolio.

How to Work with an Architect Part 5

admin — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 19:55:16 +0000

In part five of this series Sarah goes through some of the details in the build. Starting excavation of the site in January in Minnesota might not seem like the best idea. However, in the video we see how it was an advantage. More images of the home featured in this video can be viewed under City Creekside Home section of the portfolio.

How to Work with an Architect Part 4

eric — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 18:32:17 +0000

In the fourth part of this series Sarah goes through the process of the client architect relationship while working to build a home. How the sketches and models are developed, and other considerations that evolve through this process. More images of the home featured in this video can be viewed under City Creekside Home section of the portfolio.

How to Work with an Architect Part 3

admin — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 23:49:19 +0000

In part three of how to work with an architect, Sarah explains the process of working with an architect to build a home. In this episode the focus of the house is developed. Details and images of the home can be seen under City Creekside and in the new homes section of the Portfolio.

How to Work with an Architect Part 2

admin — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 19:47:59 +0000

In part two of how to work with an architect, we explore the process of working with an architect to build a home. Details and images of the home can be seen under City Creekside and in the new homes section of the Portfolio.

How to Work with an Architect Part 1

admin — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 02:10:33 +0000

Here is the first installment of a six part series taking a look at how to work with an architect. Details and images of the home can be seen under City Creekside in the new homes section of the Portfolio.

MARCH 2012

eric — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:35:54 +0000

AIA Minnesota and MidWest Home announce that Sarah Nettleton is the 2012 recipient of the annual Architect of Distiction Award. “Overall, the jury found her work to be very strong, expressive, and organic. Her projects are a great portfolio of the exploration of sustainability. The River Bluff House, for example, is a wonderful example of a modern take on a self-sufficient farmhouse. The jury admired the attention spent on site orientation, natural light, and building form.

Architect of Distinction Award 2012

Where does a Simple Home begin? A story: chapter 1

eric — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:12:21 +0000

It all began with a phone call from Mary after she read my book, “The Simple Home: The luxury of Enough” and noticed on the inside cover that I was close at hand. Mary and Jack wanted to build a new house on their river bluff property near St Peter that would be a modern take on a self-sustaining farm house. Our first meeting confirmed that their goals and my design skills were a good match. Your house says who you are; be it a large house with a fabulous front entry hall stair or a loft like space with many uses despite a basic furniture arrangement. This brings up my first design strategy- can we rearrange your furniture and solve your functional or aesthetic dreams? It’s always good to start here. But where to begin with a new site?

My Values

admin — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 21:34:45 +0000

I am an Architect and author, a teacher and a pioneer in sustainable design. My passion for my work began growing up in New England with a father who straightened nails in order to reuse them as a matter of principle. Also from my childhood, I remember such simple pleasures as a summer screen porch and fresh vegetables from the garden. As a designer, I create spaces and places that optimize the joys of daily life.

I use the phrase ‚"Green design"‚ to mean several things: green as in gardens and landscape, green as in sustainable buildings and green as in native landscape restorations. These three ‚"Green"‚ approaches are aspects of many of my designs.

For me, architecture extends beyond buildings to gardens, woodlands and the land that feeds us. Good design connects the senses of smell, touch, sound and the processes of nature. My quest is to create architecture that is elegant in its simplicity and rich in its reflection of the people who use it. This balance simplicity and pleasure is what I like to call, ‚"the Luxury of Enough."

July 2011

admin — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:46:10 +0000

Sarah Nettleton Architects’ design for The Spear House is featured in the July 9, 2011 Minneapolis Star Tribune Sunday Home section, “Home stays Naturally Cool” From the article:

“…Mary Spear doesn’t hold back when she talks about her new house. She describes working with an architect as “a dream come true” and calls her house a “gift,” one that makes her feel “supremely grateful.”…”