Designer Strikes a Green Melody
By Gina Dostler
Local Laguna architectural and interior designer Arlette Cummings of AYC Design was recently recognized by the ICF Builder Awards as constructing one of the most innovative projects in the country. This event held annually stands as a project-of-the-year competition for the insulated concrete form (ICF) industry. Cummings showcased an inventive design, instilling quality and craftsmanship with this construction method. She talks about why she likes ICF and why it’s a viable method of construction locally.
Q: Were you surprised with the award?
A: Yes. It’s pretty competitive with more than three dozen entries including a 22 story high-rise, the nation’s first all ICF school in Texas and residential projects of every shape, size and style. There is such a variety and scale of projects utilizing ICF. It’s really amazing. My project was a sound studio and gallery for a Santa Rosa residence. Between inclement weather, we finished the project in about two years. I’m very proud of it.
Q: How did the design come into being?
A: As a designer, I love working with curvilinear forms and since the gallery held some beautiful marbles that played with curves, I decided to lend this feature to the whole project. I designed it so everything about the space flows together – the exterior, the acoustical interior and the gallery with its sculptures. So utilizing ICF was the perfect answer to creating this design.
Q: What are some fast facts about the project?
A: The studio and gallery combined is 922 sq. ft., using 2,140 sq. ft. of insulated concrete with multiple radius walls. The building has just a single right-angle corner and has radiant hydronic heating with EPS (expanded polystyrene) insulated flooring. And there are many stained-glass windows accenting the design that I commissioned from local Laguna resident, Dirk Maes.
Q: ICF is becoming more popular with residential construction.
A: It’s slowly becoming noticed as a versatile way to design a home. States with extreme heat such as Arizona and Las Vegas have certainly taken advantage of this technology. Yet the technology has been around for some time now, with only the shifting of brand names over the years. But finding competitive pricing due to the small number of professional builders working with ICF has kept it from taking off. But as it gains in popularity, more ICF builders will pop up.
Q: What are the benefits to the homeowner?
A: Because it uses hollow foam blocks, you can virtually make any shape with it. As an artist and designer it’s perfect because it allows me so much more room to create than being restricted with the regular mode of constructing with wood. But besides the obvious of creating unique designs for homeowners, the concrete poured into the foam blocks provides an outstanding form of insulation.
Q: How thick are the walls?
A: From the exterior of the home to the interior walls it is 12” thick and keeps an ambient temperature of around 65 degrees. It doesn’t matter what the temperature is outside, the temperature inside remains the same. This type of construction can reduce energy bills up to 70 percent and recognized as a popular way to build “green.” And it is extremely disaster resistant. So with hot weather, fires and earthquakes all part of the Southern California makeup, ICF makes perfect sense. It also blocks exterior noise making it incredibly sound proof.
Q: Looking at your impressive resume, are you a designer or a musician?
A: Actually, I consider myself an artist who encompasses both design and music. I grew up in a musical household and while I studied abroad in architectural design I continued with my musical education. I still play the piano after studying for all those years. The classical music background definitely helped transition me toward architecture and design. How I design my projects relates to music in many ways. An analogy would be a certain melody carries through each classical piece of music. In the same way a certain “melody” can carry through architecture and interior design, from the overall concept to the small finite details.
Q: Any local projects?
A: I worked on a home in Laguna Beach up in Bluebird Canyon. It was a new construction built by a contractor in 1995 utilizing ICF. I did a complete remodel, keeping the old ICF and adding to it so the architecture remained the same. Everything turned out great.
CONTACT INFORMATION
AYC Design
Arlette Cummings,
Architectural and Interior Designer
1445 Glenneyre St. Suite B
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Cell 949.923.0536
Fax 949.272.0089
Skype 949.272.0808
arlette@aycdesign.com
