Orchard Creek Overlook

The homes of Orchard Creek in Orono, Minnesota, offer a private, protected natural setting with suburban amenities, a nearby golf course and highly regarded public schools, all just a short drive to downtown Minneapolis. As the property’s developer and homebuilder, Gordon James Construction & Development ensures the houses seamlessly blend with their surrounding environment and close community.

The home, now known as Orchard Creek Overlook, was the second of five approved and built on the 39.5-acre parcel. John Quinlivan, founder and CEO of Gordon James, Construction & Development worked closely with Tommy Everson of Everson Architect from the earliest conceptual stage through final construction. Completed in 2022, the new home hosts 5,300 square feet of livable space plus 1,800 square feet for mechanical rooms, a garage and an athletic court.

“It’s a popular area,” said Quinlivan. “People scour the City’s activities to see when a new development gets approved and jump on it. It was quickly known that we were developing this site. Before we even had our permit to build, people had connected with us and we already had an agreement to hold three lots.”

While all five lots are located within a protected reserve, Orchard Creek Overlook presented a premier position and idyllic setting for a family with two children. Quinlivan explained, “There’s a large wetland in their backyard. No one can ever build there. It’s a very private setting with great views.”

Everson elaborated, “One of the main drivers for the layout of the house was capitalizing on views of the wetland to the west. The great room was oriented parallel to the wetland, in order to maximize glazing on the west façade and provide panoramic vistas. Main level bedrooms were also positioned along the west side of the house so that each could have their own unique view of the wetland. They also really enjoy all of the natural light that they get, even in the lower level, where there is significantly less glazing.”

“An open floor plan and large custom windows allow natural light to flood the main living spaces and promote uninterrupted views to the surrounding nature reserve,” according to Gordon James Construction & Development.

“We build custom homes for our clients and often build lifelong friendships in the process. We are intimately involved in their home’s development, design and construction,” emphasized Quinlivan. “Our reputation is founded in the details, crafting professional artisan designs for each project. Every room is customized for them and what they want it to be. We want to understand why they are doing what they’re doing; what the motivation is behind their choices.”

To fulfill the client’s vision, the house was designed as three wings. “The design concept was organized around a central core that contained the public/gathering spaces, and two flanking wings that contained the private spaces, with utilitarian links connecting them in between,” said Everson. “The north wing consisted of the kids’ bedrooms and bath, as well as the mudroom and garage. The south wing consisted of the primary suite, laundry room and office. The central core consisted of the great room – kitchen, living, dining, entry. Those wings were connected by hallway links that contained a powder room, butler’s pantry and screened porch.”

He continued, “The great room, which consists of the front entry, kitchen, dining and living areas, opens up to an expansive limestone terrace that overlooks the wetland. Inside, a large gas fireplace with a stone chimney anchors one end of the great room, and a marble and white oak-clad kitchen the other. To conceal food preparation and clean-up from their guests, the dishwashers, refrigerator, freezer and wall ovens are organized along a hallway and butler’s pantry directly adjacent to the great room.”

“The home’s lower level functions as its entertainment hub for the homeowners and their guests,” added Everson. “It is complete with a family room, wet bar, golf simulator, fitness area and sport court. Two guest bedrooms and a guest bathroom are located down a gracious hallway adjacent to the wet bar.”

Clear communication and collaboration allow both the builder and architect to meet, and ideally exceed, a client’s expectations. Everson already had the benefit of a strong relationship and open communication with the client.

“This is the second custom home that I have designed for the homeowners. They found the lot and then reached out to me about designing another house for them,” said Everson. “They wanted a sprawling single-story house, that complimented their scenic property. They were inspired by Mountain Modern style homes.” As examples, they shared home designs from Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Aspen, Colorado; and Deer Valley, Utah.

Midwestern flourishes and unique finishes were added to bring a personalized approach to the client’s preferred architectural aesthetic. These design details included one-of-a-kind ironwork railings, hand-blown glass light fixtures, locally sourced limestone flooring and Wisconsin-made Kolbe Windows & Doors.

“We are very involved in the design process,” said Quinlivan. “We continue to check in with the client and architect to confirm we’re incorporating everything they want and holding to their priorities.” High-quality, custom-crafted windows and doors to frame its exceptional views were among the client’s priorities.

“Early in design development, we took a visit to the Kolbe showroom to look at their offerings, and the clients fell in love with the VistaLuxe WD LINE windows and doors that were on display,” remembered Everson. “They really liked the clean lines, elegant details and sleek grids, and felt that they couldn’t get the same product from anyone else.”

Kolbe’s VistaLuxe WD LINE features a low-maintenance, extruded aluminum exterior frame with a natural wood interior. An industry-leading frame-to-daylight-opening ratio increases the viewing area. Multiple units can be joined together for an even more expansive experience.

They really liked the clean lines, elegant details and sleek grids, and felt that they couldn’t get the same product from anyone else.

 

 

For Orchard Creek Overlook, Everson selected the Flush profile style to capitalize on its contemporary, streamlined appearance. The majority of the windows and doors showcase a Colonial pattern muntin grid with performance divided lites (PDLs). PDLs are aligned from the top clerestory windows to the lower windows, and from side to side across the glass openings, including the French doors.

“The project is a blend of traditional forms, modern detailing and rustic materials. We felt that the windows and doors should reflect the hybrid nature of the design. The VistaLuxe WD LINE was a good fit because of its narrow profiles and thin square grids,” described Everson. “We designed the windows and doors in the great room on a 3-foot by 8-foot module, so that they would read more cohesively and be simpler to align.”

“Kolbe was just the perfect fit for this project,” reiterated Everson. “Stylistically, the VistaLuxe WD LINE gave them the right combination of sophistication and rusticity. Without these products, I do not think the house’s design would have been as successful.”

On the exterior, the window and door framing is finished in a dark Corbeau color to compliment the dark finish of the metal roof. On the interior, the natural wood is painted black to contrast with white walls and ceilings, and to outline the views. Natural materials extend the connection between outdoor and indoors, with wood and stone floors, exposed wood beams and a stone fireplace.

Stylistically, the VistaLuxe WD LINE gave them the right combination of sophistication and rusticity.

 

 

Along with complying with the development’s architectural standards and attaining the aesthetics desired by his client, Everson selected glass options to optimize performance of the windows and doors. Specifying standard double-pane glass with low-e coatings throughout the home maintain comfortable temperatures in both cold winter months and hot summer months. The glass choice also helped mitigate direct UV exposure, minimizing damage to interior furnishings, finishes, artwork and piano.

While respectful of the exterior environment, nature also presents challenges. “All additional stormwater run-off created by the project had to be captured on site, due to the home’s proximity to a protected wetland area. This made grading and water control paramount to the design, both in terms of siting the house and landscaping around it. This required a coordinated effort between the architect, landscape architect, civil engineer and builder,” said Everson.

Another area for careful coordination that Everson highlighted was the great room’s window wall overlooking the wetland, that featured numerous expansive openings. “The wall required a steel moment frame since there wasn’t much solid wall area left for shear loading. We used sheetrock returns for all of the windows and doors in the house, and they required very tight tolerances around the steel columns and beams,” continued Everson. “Given all of the glazing on the west façade, that was no small task for the builder, but they managed to make it look seamless.”

“Kolbe’s products are great and the installation went smoothly,” complimented Quinlivan. “The client is super happy.” Construction began in February 2022 and the homeowners moved in March 2023. The entire home was built in 11 months in spite of pandemic-related supply chain constraints.

“The clients are thrilled with how the house turned out,” echoed Everson. “They were very happy with their decision to use Kolbe products. They love how the house feels integrated with its surroundings, both inside and out.”

Together with Gordon James, the clients chose to celebrate their new home as part of the 2023 Artisan Spring Home Tour. Nearly 4,000 visitors were welcomed into their home to find inspiration in its custom design and construction.

They were very happy with their decision to use Kolbe products. They love how the house feels integrated with its surroundings, both inside and out.