Bernheimer Architecture

R-House was created in full collaboration with Architecture Research Office. The prototype residence that our two design firms envisioned for Syracuse, New York, is called “R-House”, a winner of Syracuse University’s “From the Ground Up” competition, held in conjunction with the Syracuse Center of Excellence and Home Headquarters as part of their initiative to revitalize the Near Westside neighborhood of Syracuse. R-House presents an affordable, innovative paradigm for minimal to net-zero energy consumption embodied in architecture that is meant to nurture the spirit and engage the community as much as it is meant to perform in terms of cost and sustainability. Wrapped within its iconic exterior are expansive and luminous spaces that require only the equivalent energy of a hair dryer for heating. This efficient plan can be tailored to meet the needs of different families and is readily adaptable as these needs change over time. Designed for high economic and practical performance, R-House strengthens the physical and social structure of the Westside neighborhood.

R-House won a 2011 National AIA Award for Housing, a 2011 Sustainable Design Award from the Boston Society of Architects, a 2010 Award of Merit from the NY Chapter of the AIA, a 2011 Green Good Design Award for Architecture from The Chicago Athenaeum, and an R+D Award from Architect Magazine in 2009.