Are you looking for a modern home to purchase in Charlotte? Good luck…. Just kidding. Actually, you need to start with real estate broker Gail Jodon with Savvy+Co Real Estate. She represents clients who are looking for modern homes and she only lists modern. Check out her website at www.ModernCharlotte.com. She is the expert in Charlotte when it comes to finding modern. And yes, modern homes do exist in Charlotte.
But if Gail can’t find you something you like then you need to come to us. We are the expert modern home designers in Charlotte. Liquid Design has spent the last 10 years creating modern living environments for the Charlotte region. Ranging from warm contemporary to sophisticated modern architecture, we design economical homes that speak to our client’s personal expectations for living. And yes, this includes “green” / energy efficient design solutions that not only help reduce their monthly outlay but allows our clients to do their part in our energy conscious world.
The following are a few examples of what Liquid Design is doing for our clients in regards to modern home design.
SURFS UP….. Grab your board and join Liquid Design as we ride the residential wave that is starting to emerge.
The residential sector will be the first out of the economic tank with an exciting future.It won’t be what you would expect; it will be a future of personalized homes.
Now that the economy is starting to stabilize as people start to feel better about their job security and with confidence rising we expect to see a strong uptick with residential renovations and additions.Why residential?Many reasons actually:
First, the emerging sectors will not be retail or commercial.We have twice as much retail space in this country than we, the consumer, are willing to support after the “correction”.We also have plenty of empty office space that will take years to fill.Just stand up in your office cubicle and look around.
Second, easy money for a new mortgage on that next, bigger house will be hard to find for a while.Who has 20% to drop for the required down payment?
Third, in the current marketplace we no longer can flip our houses we bought to flip.Let’s be honest here, we bought our current homes because we were told they were perfect homes to flip and we would make a killing on them in 3 years and then we could purchase something bigger to flip until we could finally afford our dream home.
Now that we are all stuck for a while in the homes that we don’t like and which really don’t represent the way we live as a family, homeowners are re-examining their current living environment.
We are finding that people now want to live in homes that are personal and meaningful.Why have we settled for less in our homes over the years?Our homes should be an extension to our being.They should be an enhancement to our lifestyle and represent the high quality that we expect not only for ourselves but for our entire family.
We don’t drive generic cars so why do we live in generic homes?The high quality we are talking about here is not the 2 story entry foyer “McMansions” that are littered with generic materials and finishes.(“Honey, I’m home……. Whoops, this is not my house it’s the house two doors down the street.”)What we are talking about here is personalized spaces that are enhanced with unique materials and finishes.With the global accessibility in the marketplace and the varied selection of these unique materials and finishes everyone can afford a personalized well designed home.
In regards to a well designed home, our clients who are armed with this new mindset and understanding are requesting warm contemporary / sophisticated modern living environments.They are requesting homes that truly reflect their modern and technology savvy lifestyle.There is also a strong desire for “green” / energy efficient design solutions that not only help reduce their monthly outlay but allows our clients to do their part in our energy conscious world.
Eventually this movement will lead to new home construction once our available housing inventory is reduced.But it will be a more personalized and unique homeowner specific designed dwelling.We at Liquid Design are enjoying this bold and exciting direction in residential expectations and we want to welcome everyone to the party.So grab your surfboard because residential is going to be an exciting wave to ride.
The following are a few examples of what Liquid Design is doing for our clients in regards to personal and meaningful living in their homes.
At this moment, "CITY BY DESIGN an architectural perspective of charlotte" is being distributed to the bookshelves of local and national retailers across the country. Liquid Design is pleased to announce that we have FOUR projects featured in this "insightful editorial about the city's diverse architectural fabric". Featured projects incude the US National Whitewater Center, The Vaughan Lakeside Residence, The Trust Luxury Condominium Tower, and Encore. Information on Panache Partners as well as ordering information can be found at www.panache.com.
For non-profit organizations that are building facilities "green design solutions" are their future.Why? Well, here is how Liquid Design sees it. Non-profits survive on donorships and contributions from individuals and corporations. Each non-profit currently has a finite list of interested parties that believe in their cause / mission and are willing to provide volunteership and financial assistance. If the non-profit goes "green" with their facilities they can effectively open up their organization to a whole new set of individuals and corporations who support the sustainable / green ideals. These new donors might not have overwhelming convictions to support the non-profit's core mission but they will get excited and want to get involved with the non-profit for it's environmental commitment. Thus a major win for not only the environment but also for the future viability of the non-profit.
Two good example of this thought process are the United Family Service campus and the Charlotte Rescue Mission's "Dove's Nest" facility. We are designing both projects with the goal of obtaining LEED Gold for new construction. We are also helping these non-profits utilize our "earth-green design solutions" as a major marketing element to their overall fundraising process. The funds received are now being dedicated for both construction as well as long term operations, now that organizations can show a concerted effort towards minimizing their long term financial exposure, as well as conserving our limited natural resources.
United Family Services campus masterplan.
Charlotte Rescue Mission's Dove's Nest Facility site plan.
Charlotte Rescue Mission's Dove's Nest Facility elevation.
Green Design is alive and well at Liquid Design. The proof is in the Awards. Two of our projects won Charlotte Business Journal Green Awards 2009 last Wednesday. The first project is the Element Homes on Craig Ave. This project won the "Green Land Development Project of the Year" award. Our Client, Cobalt DBS has taken their custom construction experience and our Earth-Green Design Solutions and created an enclave of 7 distinctive modern homes in a unique residential infill solution that includes a 25% tree save area and are Energy Star Rated.
The second project is the now famous Celadon Condominiums. This project won the "Green Multifamily Project of the Year" award. Our Client Origin Development has worked non-stop to ensure that every detail was addressed as the project's green features took top priority. This one of a kind modern design condo community has a full range of our Earth-Green Design Solutions, from a large tree save area attached to the city's greenway system to instantaneous hot-water heaters. Celadon's units are also Energy Star Rated. One of our favorite green features in Celadon is the Apple Blossom Insulators "Nu-wool" insulation. Great stuff, not only for it's "R" value but a wonderful product as a sound barrier.Origin's James Funderburk worked with Cox Landscape Management to create a exterior environment that is easy for the HOA to maintain and friendly to the eye and to the earth.
Contact Michael Williams directly for more information on our Earth-Green Design Solutions at michael@liquiddesign.net.
Lake Living. I've always summed it up by describing it as that silence that hits you like a brick wall when you open the car door upon your arrival. That kind of environment begs for responsible, sensitive, sustainable development and is exactly what our client was looking for. A tired weekend house needed some additions for the expanding family, an updated kitchen and that sought after indoor/outdoor space. When Jim first e-mailed the picture of the house, he laughed and asked if were afraid of a challenge. Needless to say we were up for the task and crafted a sensitive addition that maximizes the available area, touches lightly upon the ground and offers a contemporary edge to what is normally relegated to a traditional dialogue.
Stephen Ohlemacher of the The Associated Press recently wrote "hard-line opponents of an auto-industry bailout branded the industry a dinosaur whose day of reckoning is near. Although the auto-industry will probably not encounter the same fate as the dinosaurs (much to the chagrin of the eco-conscious), nobody can deny that not much has changed since Henry Ford filled a lot with his Model-T's in 1908. While most car lot owners ponder the possibility of solar powered lighting for their acres of inventory or tout their hybrid gas burners as a way to reduce your carbon footprint, it is clear that we need to re-think the entire process of how we consume this assembly line commodity. What's wrong with Car Lots? In short, a lot! Water quality and storm runoff, heat islands, oils and detergents, hoarding of agrarian potential, suburban sprawl corridors, sub-critical energy consumption, air quality, light pollution, and the list goes on and on. In today's economy, car dealers struggle to provide a just-in-time delivery method yet the inevitable inventory stacks up. In order to modify 100 years of habit, we propose to make sweeping reforms in the way we provide cars for purchase by the public. Reform? Yes, reform. As Architects we have studied, practiced, and make a living tailoring the environment to influence the way people respond to it. Retail is the same whether it is a piece of jewelry, a cell phone, a piece of clothing, or an automobile. Automobile Showrooms are dedicated retail space meant to entice the customer to purchase an automobile but have morphed into simply a placeholder for backdrops to the intensive negotiation process that you either love or hate. Liquid Design is proposing to separate the inventory from the sales process. We can no longer afford to stock cars for the buyer's scrutiny like a clearance sales rack at the local Wal-Mart. Development density, mixed-use and environmental principles demand that changes be made and we have modeled this change after the modular home revolution that is occurring in conjunction with the current Green Building explosion. The Benefits of Modular Our modular car showroom will be unique because it is built in a climate-controlled factory negating the chances of weather related delays or problems. Design Flexibility of modular construction allows for hundreds of options and design possibilities. Some other benefits are speed of modular construction, reduced building time frame, quality construction, reduced waste during the manufacturing process, elimination of cost overruns, control over selection of environmentally friendly materials, and recyclability as the pod can be converted to support multiple functions. Evolution of the Showroom PODTM Taking clues from the recent popularity of American's reducing their love affair with square footage, we began to analyze what is really required for the car sales process. The basics came down to shelter, the potential for climate control, lighting, and security. Infused with part technology and part common sense, each basic necessity blossomed into an opportunity to explore our commitment to sustainability and provide function as well as aesthetic purposes.
In the age of information it has become necessary for companies to take their message to the consumer and not wait for the consumer to come to them.
The Showroom PODTM is a concise informational center for the consumer to learn about and / or get reacquainted with a particular car company and the products it represents. The Showroom PODTM allows for a focused opportunity for the car company to not only educate the consumer about its brand but also its goals and vision for the future. Bottom line, a one on one opportunity to answer why its products are relevant in today's ever changing world.
To learn more contact us at info@liquiddesign.net.
We develop relationships that engage the design process and create a more stimulating interaction with the client and the end user. Our award winning high quality and earth-friendly designs have a broad appeal in multi-family & single family residential homes, recreational, corporate, retail, educational, and mixed use spaces.
Are you looking for a modern home to purchase in Charlotte? Good luck…. Just kidding. Actually, you need to start with real estate broker Gail Jodon with Savvy+Co Real Estate. She represents clients who are looking for modern homes and she only lists modern. Check out her website at www.ModernCharlotte.com. She is the expert in Charlotte when it comes to finding modern. And yes, modern homes do exist in Charlotte.
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