Watertown-based Architect's Home Project Wins National Contest

The following information was provided by Marvin:

Marvin Windows and Doors has named Donald Giambastiani of Solomon+Bauer+Giambastiani Architects Inc. of Watertown one of its nine winners for the 2012 myMarvin Architect’s Challenge, an annual contest that honors the best in architecture in the United States and beyond. Entries are judged on solution-driven design, classical beauty, innovative use of windows and sustainability.

Giambastiani’s project, Family Retreat, is located in Tyringham, Mass., in the valley of a remotely forested 500-acre site. The architect was able to complete the renovation without compromising the rustic character of the house and backdrop, which includes the remnants of a 19^th century barn structure, while integrating additional spaces and improving the quality and comfort of the residence. Giambastiani took inspiration from the retreat’s natural surrounding and utilized local stone, cedar shingles and standing seam metal rooms to lend a “village” feel to the new compound.

Marvin windows were used to complement the design and work with the existing natural building materials. The black clad exteriors were a perfect addition to the fieldstone, cedar shingles and standing seam metal roofs, while the interior Douglas fir highlighted the interior space.

“The combination of creativity and solution-driven design we see in the winning projects is breathtaking,” said Christine Marvin, marketing director for Marvin Windows and Doors. “In today’s architecture, windows and doors play an increasingly important role in structure, aesthetics and overall building performance. That’s why we’re so pleased to see the variety of ways in which high-quality Marvin products contributed to these winning designs.”

Other winning projects include a northern lake home, an addition to an historic school building, an Atlantic coastal residence, a conversion of an Irish estate chapel into a residence, and more.

Energy efficiency is a crucial element in building today, and the winning Architect’s Challenge projects seamlessly fused efficiency and beauty. Several of the winners feature extensive window walls that simultaneously deliver superior energy efficiency and breathtaking views. One project won a LEED Platinum designation, the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest level of “green building” performance.