The Design Studio Blog

By Castro Design Studio

Savannah

Written on May 18, 2012 by in Inspiration

I am working like crazy to catch up from a recent trip to Savannah, GA.  We went there to celebrate my tenth annual 29th. birthday (yes, I am in total denial that next year I will be the BIG 4-0)…

 

Lunch Celebration with my two ladies

Birthday lunch with my two ladies!

 

I will spare you all the “archi-speak” that could accompany  this post, but I wanted to share some images of details I found interesting this time around.

 

Love this lantern, and brackets

Dolphin downspouts

Don’t be afraid to look up!

Pretty amazing fence

Lantern, copper bay window, terracotta scrolls, window boxes…

handrail

Not too bad for a fountain out of a catalog…

Live oaks, Spanish moss, cobblestone streets, pretty houses…

Finally, if you are going to build a six story parking garage, put it under ground and build a park on top of it… preferably with a fountain!

Thanks For Visiting!

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Houzz Award!

Written on April 6, 2012 by in News, Projects

I can’t believe that it is April, and I am just now writing the first blog post for the year.  It has been an incredible 2012 so far, with lots of great projects in the works.

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to be honored with a Houzz “Best of 2012″ award.  You can see the full list here, and check out the third photo… It’s Mine!

For those of you who are not familiar with Houzz, it is the leading online platform for home remodeling, providing inspiration, information, advice and support for homeowners and home improvement professionals through its website and mobile applications. Houzz features the largest residential design database in the world, articles written by design experts, product recommendations, a vibrant community powered by social tools, and information on more than 1.3 million remodeling and design professionals worldwide who can help turn ideas into reality.

 

The project which won the award is a porch I designed.  This back porch was built by Wright Marshall, and his team at Revival Construction.

 

Now that we are in the spring season, we can really appreciate a good porch.  Porches are not the biggest projects I do, but they seem to have a giant impact on the lives of the people who build them, and the way they enjoy their houses.

 

I hope you enjoy this deeper look at the “Midtown Porch”.

 

The house had a great back yard and pool, and a deck existed where the porch is now, but the owners were not able to fully enjoy their outdoor space.  They wanted to create a porch that not only tied in with the house, and looked like it had always been there, but also extended their living space into the outdoors.

This is the house before the porch addition.

 Classical detailing and proportions were used in the design of the porch, with the idea of giving it a timeless look.

We included a small water feature as part of the design.  The idea was to add the sound of water, to enhance the laid back, relaxed quality of the space.  We also added a terrace and outdoor kitchen off the porch.

The porch is big enough to accommodate a dining area, which is adjacent to the breakfast room.

The “living room” portion of the porch is located off the family room, and acts as an extension of the room.

There are a few details in the space that are worth noting.  The swiveling shutters always get a lot of attention.  The side of the porch looks down on the garage and driveway.  We wanted to block the view, but still be able to open the side of the porch to get the most breeze possible.  The mantle is wooden, and more delicate than you would expect on a stone fireplace. We also incorporated skylights into the design.  These were brought in to minimize the loss of light into the adjacent family room.  They are copper skylights, reminiscent of what you would see in a museum, or old New York loft building.  A very subtle, but note worthy detail is in the log storage area under the hearth.  The masons were able to execute a compound curve in the design.  The opening not only curves front to back, following the hearth, but also right to lest to create an arch.  I assure you that putting this together was no easy task!

What I most enjoyed about this project is knowing that the clients’ lives have been truly impacted by it.  Months later I ran into the client at a house tour, and she could not stop telling me how much they were using their new space, and how it had made them enjoy their house so much more.

Thanks for visiting!

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German Inspiration: The Weyberhofe

Written on December 1, 2011 by in Inspiration

Years ago, when I was in college, I had the chance to live and work in Aschaffenburg, Germany for a few months. The firm for which I worked had only one client, who would purchase and rehabilitate old properties throughout Germany.  They would turn old hunting lodges into hotels, and old stores into restaurants.

 

The original lodge, or “schloss” was built by the archbishop of Mainz, Werner von Eppstein in 1265.  He lived in the “castle” until his death in 1284.  The castle then burnt down, and was rebuilt in 1557 by archbishop Daniel Brendel of Homburg.  In 1907 the  von Cancrin family acquired the property and began to reconstruct some of the areas that had been damaged by time and neglect.  In 1991 the property was sold and following strict historical guidelines it was turned into a hotel, The Weyberhofe.  The offices of the firm in which I worked were located in a converted barn in the property.

 

I was fortunate enough to stay in The Weyberhofe while I worked in Germany.  I lost a lot of my photos from that trip to a flooded basement a few years back, but I want to share with you some images from this lovely place, which still inspires me to this day.

 

Photo from the Weyberhofe website, by Thomas Haltner

You enter into a courtyard formed by the lodge, or schloss on the far end and two old barns on either side.

Photo from the Weyberhofe website

One of the barn structures has been turned into an event facility, and a spa.

Photo from the Weyberhofe website

 

This is the interior of one of the barns, set up for a wedding.

Photo from the Weyberhofe website

The old pig barn was turned into a restaurant.

Photo from the Weyberhofe website

Another one of the barns, set up for a corporate event.

From the Weyberhofe website

The oldest part of the complex, the lodge, is used for the guest rooms.

Photo from the Weyberhofe website

You can see the original stone walls in this room.

Photo from the Weyberhofe website

This is one of the rooms on the third floor, which happens to look just like the room I called home…

Photo from the Weyberhofe website

The old cellar was recently converted into a wine bar.

Photo from the Weyberhofe website

This is the lodge complex as seen from its private park.

Photo from the Weyberhofe website

This is a photo of the private park located behind the hotel.

Photo from the Weyberhofe website

This is the oldest part of the complex, the original “hunting castle”.

Photo from the Weyberhofe website

 

A funky fish eye shot of the old barn that used to be my office.

Poto from the Weyberhofe website

A detail of the same space.

Photo from the Weyberhofe website

 

I remember as if it was yesterday, when the taxi driver pulled up to the Weyberhofe and told me that was the address I had given him.  “Surely there has been a mistake”, I thought to myself… I am so thankful to my hosts for letting me work and live in such an amazing place.  I still can not believe that I got to live in an actual castle!  A big birthday is fast approaching, and we are hoping to be able to go on a bit of a ” grand tour”… The owners are not the same as when I lived there, and the firm for which I worked has closed its doors, but I can’t wait to share this very special place with my family.

Thanks for visiting!

Rodolfo

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30-A Vacation Part 1: Seaside

Written on October 6, 2011 by in Inspiration

If I had to choose one of the many beautiful neighborhoods on Florida’s 30-A highway in which to live, it would be Seaside.  Seaside may not be the newest or biggest development in the area, and it may not have the most impressive architecture, but it feels like home to me.  I would like to share with you some images from our most recent vacation to the Beaches of South Walton.

 

The master plan for the town of Seaside Florida was designed in 1978 by the architectural firm Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company.  It is modeled after an old southern town, and helped launch the New Urbanist movement.  You may recognize Seaside as the set for the movie “The Truman Show”.

 

It is pretty hard to go wrong when you start with a beach that looks like this…  The gulf waters are crystal clear, and the sand is sugar white…

One of the first things you notice when you get to Seaside is the very charming post office.  Behind the post office is an open central lawn with a stage.  The lawn acts as an amphitheater.

The central lawn is surrounded by high density commercial and mixed use buildings.  You can find great restaurants and shops here.

As you walk away from the “central square” you see smaller buildings, like the “townhomes” at the Shops at Ruskin.

This is an architect’s office in “The Shops at Ruskin”.  Am I jealous he gets to come here every day to work?… Yes…

Further back into town you see the Seaside Chapel,

and the Seaside School.

The houses at Seaside all have to adhere to a very strict set of design guidelines, and while at first look they may seem very similar, each one is very unique.  Notice the very comfortable scale of the houses, and how they are placed close to the street to encourage a sense of community.

A lot of the houses at Seaside have observation towers, that peek out through the trees, and act as landmarks for the confused visitor.

The public beach access points are marked by different pavilions.

It would be very hard to find a better setting for lunch or afternoon  “umbrella drinks”…

I am so very fortunate  to visit this area every year for a family vacation.  This year we took our daughter for the first time (last year she went in Mommy’s tummy), and I am so happy that the first time she went in the ocean it was here.

Thanks for visiting!

 

 

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A Sneak Peek at a Modern House in Progress

Written on August 29, 2011 by in Projects

I am one of the most fortunate people I know.  I have a great wife, a wonderful new baby girl, and I get to design beautiful houses for a living.  This is one of my projects that is almost finished.  These photos were taken during the last days of construction, when there was a crazy amount of work happening in order to get the house ready for “move in day”.

 

Please pardon the shameless self promotion, and enjoy this quick tour.  Click on the images for a larger view.

 

 

One of the perks of my job is that I get to work with wonderful clients.  A few months ago, I was approached by an amazing couple who wanted help designing their house.  They explained to me that this was their “forever” house, and discussed with me all the things they pictured in their mind’s eye when they thought of their dream home.  I am so very grateful to them, and all of my clients, for trusting me to design their most personal spaces.

I find it hard to believe that a few months ago, this was all that the house was.  SDI Homes was selected as the building contractor, and through the design process we refined the spaces, sourced materials, and solidified budgets.  One of the things I am most proud about this house is that we were able to create a highly detailed, energy efficient, modern house that is comparably priced to a conventional house.  We used all the same materials that you would use in any house, just in some unconventional ways.

It is incredible to watch stone masons at work.  They shaped all these pieces of granite to fit together seamlessly, and they make it look so easy.  The picture shows what became known as “the monument”.  It is a sculptural element meant to echo a stone element of the house, and mark the approach to the entrance of the house.  My friend Terry, The Architecture Tourist, calls it “the stargate”.

When you come into the house, you look straight through to the Family Room, and out a wall of glass to a reflecting pool, which spills into the swimming pool.  The fireplace surround is marble, framed in iron, and set in a wall of walnut.  I was very fortunate to work with Ed Belding of The Belding Group, who designed the interiors of the house.

The Family Room and Kitchen form one space in the middle of the house.  This space opens up to the pool deck, in essence extending the living space into the back yard.  The cabinets are walnut to match the floors and fireplace wall opposite in the space.

The Breakfast Room is next to the Kitchen and also opens up to the pool deck.

The Dining Room takes advantage of a great view of a group of mature trees.

The Master Bedroom is on the first floor.  It opens up to the pool deck, and to a great view of three quarters of an acre of urban wildlife sanctuary.

The Stair Hall is accessed from the Family Room.

The handrail, along with the iron fireplace surround were manufactured by Charles Calhoun, and his team of artists at Calhoun Design and Metalworks.

From the second floor roof terrace you can look at the pool deck, and get a glimpse at the back yard and pool design by John Howard, and the great team at Howard Design Studio.

Kim and Julia went with me on one of these site visits, and they could not wait to try out the pool!

I can’t wait to see the the house as the landscaping matures, and the furniture and art are installed.  As much as I love all of the houses I design, I am always amazed by how much more beautiful they become when they are lived in.  I believe that it is the people who live in these houses that give them life and make them homes.

I hope you enjoyed this quick tour of one of my projects.  You can see more of this house while it was under construction here.

Thanks for visiting!

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About
Hello! My name is Rodolfo Castro. I am the creative director at Castro Design Studio, a boutique residential design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. I am a designer, husband, father, artist, and editor of this blog. I hope to give you a look at the inner workings of our firm, as well as things that inspire me, and things that I find beautiful or curious. Visit Castro Design Studio »