Words of today.

Here are the terms and definitions that fit Abito’s approach to modern design. More than a mid-century statement of style, modern design is about an evolved way of using architectural best practices to deliver on the lifestyle needs of today, with sensitivity to sustainability, respect for nature and passion for place. It’s the artistic equivalent of straight talk and direct eye contact.

Abito — Creator of contemporary communities, with architecture, interiors and landscape conspiring to serve up smart, sustainable solutions for a hopeful, healthy home and everything that fits in it. Our brand is an open conversation about modern living, founded on an abiding belief in the power of design. Abito calls out to people who want more out of life – with an eye to the future and a clear point of view about now.

Alphabet homes — Single story structures, common in modern architecture, that appear to be shaped like letters of the alphabet when viewed from above – the plan view.

High performance community — A neighborhood with bold aspirations that fulfills the wants, needs and motivations of its residents. That’s just the ante. It is thoughtfully conceived with a unified vision that considers the individual and communal expectations at once, as a whole. Careful planning assures that the rhythm of the residences aligns with the public amenities, with the built and natural elements working harmoniously together. Housing units are designed for optimal functionality, energy efficiency and aesthetic sincerity. Sustainable design strategies assure that all resources are used with respect, sensitivity and effectiveness. The result is a custom, high quality living experience served up in an alluring package.

Homeowners association — An organization responsible for governing regulations and expenditures of a particular community. Each homeowner within the community is a member with voting privileges.

Indoor-outdoor relationships — Abito’s design approach, blurring the lines between inside and outside spaces. With walls of windows embracing the big outdoors and careful siting of each structure on the lot to create living rooms outside, the actual usable, private space for each family is generous by any standard. By situating homes on the site to accomplish environmental objectives, the residences are primed for passive solar benefits and privacy. Native plant materials are also used in an architectonic fashion on each residential lot to provide natural privacy screens between streets, walks and buildings, and protective cover for small birds and animals.

Open floor plan — A design concept that employs simple volumes of space to create a sense of integration and openness in residential environments. Rather than separating public rooms with hard walls, homes with an open floor plan flow from one area to another, often with a large great room connected visually to the kitchen and other public areas.

Panelized construction — A technique used in the construction phase of development to enhance building quality and reduce fabrication time, waste, build time, on-site labor and more. The benefit to the home buyer is a higher quality finished product than is possible with traditional residential production.

Passive solar — Using energy from the sun as the primary source of heat for a home. Techniques include situating the home on the lot to maximize sun and light exposure, incorporating large south-facing windows into the structure and designing eaves and venting systems to promote heat retention and cooling.

Radiant heat — An approach to heating homes that involves liquid-filled coils in the floors of a building. As the liquid in the coils is heated, the heat is transferred from the surface of the floor to the people, air and objects in the space. The heat circulates as it rises from the floor. Radiant heat is more energy efficient than baseboard or forced-air heating because people are closer to the heat source (warmed from the feet up), so you can lower the temperature on your thermostat and save money on your utility bill.

Shed roof — A style of roof with a single, shallow pitch, commonly used in modern architecture. It is beneficial as a design solution in warm climates as it helps evacuate warm air from the structure, often eliminating the need for costly air conditioning. It also adds to the volume of the interior space because you gain ceiling height inside.

Smart design — An integrated approach to community that elevates architecture, interiors and the landscape to new levels of enjoyment for homeowners by responding with vigor to human values through design for usability, sustainability and high performance – wrapped up in a purposeful aesthetic.

Solar chimney — Most chimneys are used for burning wood. A solar chimney looks similar but uses technology that’s been utilized by humankind for 2000 years as a simple and effective means of retaining and venting heat.

Sustainable design strategies — Using intelligent architectural and landscape design approaches to reduce the impact of the built environment on the natural environment. Techniques to enhance sustainability include orienting homes on residential lots to promote sun exposure and maximize the benefits of passive solar heating along with unconventional venting solutions that reduce reliance on air conditioning. Courtyards, terraces and decks are situated to provide wind protection and maximize sun in winter, while offering afternoon shade in summer. A variety of outdoor areas adjacent to each residence allow one to control the mix of sun, shade, wind and moisture protection, depending on the time of day and season.

In addition to energy efficiency, comfort and ambience, the landscape is designed to function as a contained eco-system. Using native shrubs and ground covers, supplemented with wildflowers, provides seasonal color and food for insects, birds and small animals. This approach celebrates the beauty of our native species and their usefulness as low-maintenance, drought resistant “ornamental” plant materials. All plant materials are watered with an automatic underground irrigation system, using drip technology wherever possible to minimize water use and avoid over-spray.

Exterior materials for the home are chosen based on aesthetic qualities, sustainability factors and low-maintenance benefits. Inside the home, we make choices like radiant heat beneath concrete or wood floors to enhance energy efficiency. And, we are actively exploring alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind power, where appropriate.

Water detention facilities — Our approach to water detention is focused on keeping water on-site within each community, from 100-year flood events to normal, year-round storm surges. Snow storage and storm water are retained on-site and used to water a variety of drought-resistant and low-maintenance native plant materials. Streets and alleys are canted to drain to desirable locations. At these low points, swales are created, which use porous native sub soils in combination with native trees and shrubs to retain storm water and store snow, while serving as biological filter beds. The location of these swales is strategic, with the goal of expediting snowmelt, sublimation and evapo-transpiration.

Zero lot line — An approach to architecture and landscape design that makes use of the entire lot in a novel way. Privacy is created through purposeful design, natural and man-made screening devices, and by locating windows away from adjacent properties. By locating the house on the northern property line with public spaces of the home open to southern light, we maximize passive solar benefits, offer more privacy to the homeowner and optimize usable yard space because the entire footprint of the lot is used to advantage.

Virtual stoop — A cement plinth or retaining wall that runs along the street edge of the block adjacent to the sidewalk, which serves as a seating area in front of every home.