Architects should design more houses

Pictured above: Kyodai, from Imprint Architecture + Design, is a lake cabin that was included in the 2024 Minnesota Homes by Architects Tour. Used with permission from AIA Minnesota. Photo credit: Round Three Photography.

A year ago, my daughter and her husband moved back to the Sioux Falls area. We spent several months looking for houses in all price ranges. First, there was very little available. Second, the houses we saw were not very well-designed in any price range. Usually, many architects and firms do not design many houses. Custom homes are very time-consuming and often not profitable.

Early in the 20^th century, many houses, great and small, were designed by architects. After all, Frank Lloyd Wright became famous as a house designer. Things have changed and now architects have abdicated house design to builders, and tract homes abound. However, houses now are bigger, more complex and more expensive. I think it is time for South Dakota architects to get back in the game.

Are you an AIA SD member who provides residential-design services? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below or via email at events@aiasouthdakota.org. AIA SD is updating its list and plans to make this a feature part of the AIA South Dakota website in the near future.

Last year, I saw an announcement for the Minnesota Homes by Architects Tour, sponsored by AIA Minnesota. AIA MN has been doing these tours since 2008. Two of my daughters and I signed up. What a delightful couple of days. There were 14 houses on the tour, some big, some smaller renovations. It was a wonderful display of beautifully designed and finely detailed projects. The ticket price included some additional houses that could be viewed only online because of distance from the Twin Cities.

After reviewing most of the homes included on the 2024 tour, I found some common features:

• No mansions. I would call them “right sized.” All had no more than four bedrooms.
• High and vaulted ceilings, many with overlooks to the main spaces.
• First-floor bedrooms.
• Beautiful kitchens and roomy pantries. Much of the cabinetry was custom with intricate detailing.
• Surprises. We saw several secret rooms. In one, the children’s wing was closed by a full-height pivot door. In another, an unused space accessed by a secret door was a delightful Moroccan themed reading room. There were also security/storm rooms.
• Native landscaping. We saw one small patch of grass, otherwise it was all woods or native plantings. Two of the houses were in a development dedicated to preserving the prairie. We did see one roof garden. The bonus: no watering.
• Thoughtful garages. Some were hidden but most were integrated into the design.
• Integration of interior and exterior spaces. Most of the houses were on great lots with views and no close neighbors. The exterior spaces were carefully designed to eliminate railings.
• Almost all of the houses were designed for energy efficiency and attention to the environment.

It occurs to me there is exciting residential work going on in South Dakota and I just don’t know about it. I have talked with fellow members of the AIA SD Communications Committee, and we are committed to promoting residential work done by architects. Please comment below, and we will see what comes from this conversation.

Click through the slideshow below to view selected projects from the 2024 Homes by Architects tour. All images used with permission from AIA Minnesota.

It’s almost time for this year’s Minnesota Homes by Architects Tour, which starts Saturday, Sept. 27.

• On Site: Sixteen homes will be available for in-person tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 27-28.
• Online: Take a virtual tour of two of those homes, plus an online-exclusive cabin in Wisconsin from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12.
• Tickets: Preview the 2025 homes and register at www.homesbyarchitects.org. Prices vary depending on tour option.