Modern House

She took James at his word. Down came the house as the two of them launched into the complicated process of designing, calculating, thinking, changing, and planning a new home. Leaning on modern master Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's "less is more" aesthetic, Tina and James set their sights on a plan that incorporated what she describes as "lots of natural light, open space, bringing the outside in, and the elimination of superfluous detail."

As a former contractor, James did know something about framing and hands-on construction, and with their shared computer expertise, he and Tina became adept at using AutoCAD software, the same automated design program used by the licensed building crowd.