Home of the Month turns 21 years old in 2024. This venerable joint venture between AIA/MN and the Star Tribune is now mature enough to pop champaign and celebrate. If you’re not familiar with this program, AIA Minnesota presents one representative home design on the first Sunday of each month in the Star Tribune. AIA/MN holds a competition with approximately 50 entrants each year to select the 12 to be featured. Each has been designed by a Minnesota architect, and they may be a significant renovation, new home or cabin located within the regional distribution of the newspaper.
I take a lot of pride in this program, having initiated it with the Star Tribune in 2003.
In the first 20 years of Home of the Month there have been 240 projects featured and they represent the work of over 40 area architects. This joint sharing of all our work helps our profession, even for architects designing institutional or commercial buildings. It’s not surprising that our colleagues in other cities see all we do for each other in AIA/MN as, ”the Minnesota Model,” or an extension of Minnesota Nice.
Sharing of other architect’s work has interested me ever since writing articles and books on the subject of cabins. It’s my form of research to see what great ideas are being explored around the country. It has allowed me to travel from Maine to California with entry doors open to the wonders of innovative cabin design. Most architects have particular design proclivities that run the gamut from modern, vernacular, to classical. Sharing the breadth of design thought, always explored with rigor, has tantalized me for decades.
SALA has been honored with many selections in Home of the Month. From addition/remodel, new homes and cabin designs. We’re sharing a few here from several different SALA architects.
I hope you too find Home of the Month informative by exploring what Minnesota architect’s imaginations have managed to build. Onward to another 20 years!
