Something Sweet - Gingerbread 2024There are many things that make us feel like the holidays are just around the corner: snow on the ground, holiday light shows, and perhaps even the occasional polar vortex! At the Studio21 Architects office, however, the marker of the holiday season is our annual Gingerbread Design Party. After eleven years of hosting this event for the families of Downers Grove and beyond, we have seen kids literally grow into fully-fledged adults with this party as a yearly holiday tradition. We have witnessed parents turning their kids’ designs into long-lasting holiday decorations (a testament to the magically long-lasting frosting we have created!).
0 Comments
Best of 2024And just like that, we have entered 2025! It does feel like the last year flew by—a blink-and-you-miss-it type of moment—although I’m sure we have all said that about some year or another. This issue of Studio Pages has one foot in the present (2025) and the other in the past (2024) and because of this unique midpoint we find ourselves in, it seems only right to turn this article into a recap of the jam-packed year that was 2024. For Studio21 Architects, 2024 was filled to the brim with excitement, intrigue, bittersweet moments, and, of course, busyness. So, please join us on this walk down memory lane…
The Homeowner's JourneyPart OneI am Jeff Rudolph, married to Jill, and we are 68 and 67 years old, respectively. Currently, we reside in a two-story, 3,400 square foot home in Naperville which used to house us and our two children, who have since left the nest to the west and east coasts. Just over a year ago, Jill suggested we look for a home to age in place; until then, it had never dawned on me to even consider such a thing. After discussing the idea, it made a lot of sense, as such a home would allow us to stay in our own home in our own community, maintain a sense of independence and quality of life, and avoid (or at least put off) moving into a residential facility.
As it turned out, the timing of Jill’s suggestion was perfect, as we are both healthy and able to handle the demands of a move and—what is becoming more and more apparent—the long process of a home design project. So, in August of 2023, our journey began. Re-Wright-ing American ArchitecturePicture this: it’s the late-nineteenth century, squarely amidst the Victorian era. You want to be fashionable, so you look to the current styles in Europe. You want to buy art that’s en vogue, so you purchase a painting or a sculpture that’s European. You want your home to look stylish, so not only do you furnish it with Italian marble and French textiles, but even the design of the home itself is derived from the newest buildings in––you guessed it––Europe. Seems like a theme of sorts is appearing, right?
Timeless Design: The Carlson's PassivhausProject Spotlight
Discover...Design + Build DecodedA Note From BillRecently, I realized that the YouTube series I’ve been working on hasn’t been shared with you all with the fanfare it deserves. As this newsletter goes to print, we’ve uploaded nine episodes, and while that does mean this series is not exactly new, it is likely new to many of our Studio Pages readers. So, let’s officially welcome our not-so-new-anymore series, Design + Build Decoded!
Cheers to 21 Years, Manho!It’s always bittersweet to write these types of articles, where we say goodbye to an integral part of the Studio21 Architects team. A longtime member of our team, Manho, will be leaving us for Hong Kong and while we aren’t happy that he’s leaving, we are happy to share with you all an article that rounds up Manho’s greatest hits over the last twenty-one years!
Another Note...From Another BillDear home builders, Studio21 Architects, husbands and wives,
Around the globe, there is a serious problem developing within our own homes—so serious, that it is causing some folks to throw in the towel and even consider divorce. That problem is what to do with and where to display kitchen hand towels. Most men who use the kitchen enjoy having the towel easily available for the washing and drying of hands or for the drying of dishes during [...] creating with characterproject spotlight
Welcome to the Studio, Beck!The days have been getting longer, the sun is shining, and the cicadas have emerged to scream their screams [Editor’s Note: to date, cicadas have officially stopped screaming.]. Summertime comes around every year, and like the predictability of the seasons, we are back again—right on cue—with another Welcome to the Studio! Surprise, surprise! Our team has been steadily growing over the years, to accommodate more projects and to ensure that we have enough team support to aid our clients at the level which they deserve. Earlier this year, we welcomed another new addition to the design side of the Studio 21 Architects team: Architectural Drafter, Beck!
|