THE BEST OF LaCANTINA | 2020

Photography by Justin Cordova Photography

BEST IN SHOW / OVERALL WINNER

Bienville House by Nathan Fell Architecture
New Orleans, Louisiana

Nathan Fell Architecture scooped the “Best in Show” Award with Bienville House, a new house in New Orleans that rethinks the limitations of indoor home life on a small urban lot. Using LaCantina’s Aluminum Multi-slide Door Systems, the architects created a poly-access Zero Post opening to the exterior, including a pool that is partially covered by the structure above. The front unit façade is glazed from floor to ceiling as well with 15’ wide sliding panels opening to a deck flanking the front sidewalk.

Photography by Justin Cordova Photography

BEST SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL

Kansas Avenue Residence by AAHA Studio
Santa Monica, California

Photography by Liz Carababas

The accolade of Best Suburban Project was won by AAHA Studio’s Kansas Avenue, a new residence in Santa Monica for a family of 5. For this contemporary home, the architects designed a very large opening to provide seamless flow from the interior great room to the exterior backyard. LaCantina's Aluminum Thermally Controlled Sliding Pocketing Doors sit flush in the poured concrete floors and pocket into a poured-in-place concrete column pocket.

BEST RURAL RESIDENTIAL

River Point Home by Randall J. Kipp Architecture Inc.
Callao, Virginia

Photography by Maxwell MacKenzie

Randall J. Kipp Architecture received the “Best Rural” Award for the stunning River Point Home, a 2,800 square foot residence situated on a small peninsula just off the Potomac River. With polished concrete floors and reclaimed heart pine posts and beams, the residence was designed to symbiotically connect the interior spaces with the beautiful natural surroundings. Large 6’ wide x 10’ Aluminum Thermally Controlled Sliding Door panels by LaCantina maximize views of the water on three sides of the home and glide smoothly with minimal effort.

BEST URBAN RESIDENTIAL

Mama's House by Studio Jhoiey Inc.
Los Angeles, California

Photography by Jhoiey Ramirez

Studio Jhoiey secured the “Best Urban” Award with Mama’s House, a new-build retirement home for the designer’s mother. The home is filled with clean lines and unique details, with bifold doors completely opening up at the back to blend interior and exterior spaces. LaCantina's Aluminum Folding Doors facilitate the flow between the back patio and the kitchen/dining room. LaCantina’s minimal profile and ability to customize sizing provided the perfect solution to open up the space.

BEST COMPACT

Folly by Robert J. Neylan Architects, Ltd.
Harbert, Michigan

Photography by Julian Henri Neylan

Robert J. Neylan Architects secured the “Best Compact” Award for Folly, a pavilion in a remote corner of a Michigan estate which serves a retreat from the primary residence. Sited on a stream, the house features 3′ x 12′ Aluminum Thermally Controlled Folding Doors, converting the interior into a covered exterior space. LaCantina Doors helped to create a true indoor / outdoor space with minimal obstructions of the view, while also eliminating the need for air conditioning.

BEST COMMERCIAL

Golestan School by Stromberg Architecture
El Cerrito, California

Photography by Justin Kaneps

Stromberg Architecture scooped the “Best Commercial” Award for its transformation of a vacant parochial school built in 1954. The architects recognized that the classrooms could be adapted to maximize passive daylighting & natural ventilation strategies with the use of LaCantina's Contemporary Clad Multi Slide Systems. They added sliding doors to the classrooms that lead to new outdoor classrooms, and converted the playground to a natural & edible schoolyard — all in service of the school’s pedagogy for a natural and multi-sensory learning environment.

MOST INNOVATIVE

Balakrishnan by ThoughtCraft Architects
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Photography by Mark Herboth Photography

The “Most Innovative” Award went to ThoughtCraft Architects for Balakrishnan Residence, a home that creates a central living space within the landscape. With floor-to-ceiling Aluminum LaCantina Multi Slide Doors on either side, the central room may be fully opened to the meadow for inside-outside living. The two-story home is laid on an east-west axis to maximize the benefits of passive solar throughout the year.

BEST RENOVATION

Landsberg House by Stephen Moser Architect
Port Washington, New York

Photography by Michael Biondo

Finally, Stephen Moser Architect received the “Best Renovation” Award for Landsberg House, a sensitive restoration and renovation of a historic mid-century modern home updated for a contemporary Japanese lifestyle. The “floating” rectangular-box structure and simple lines of the house were aesthetically suited to the clients’ design sensibilities and wish list, which included a teppanyaki-cooking island in a kitchen that opened to the living room. LaCantina’s Contemporary Clad sliders blend seamlessly with the mid-century modern design of the house.

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