DesignNews, April 2022
April 24, 2022 § Leave a comment
The modern, net-zero “Wolf-Huang House” on Lake Orange designed by Arielle Condoret Schechter [ M.Arch. ‘87] was featured in an eight-page spread in Chapel Hill Magazine’s January/February edition. Another Schechter project, her award-winning net-zero “Haw River House,” is featured in Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation, a new book by renowned environmentalist and NYT bestselling author Paul Hawken.
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HOME BUILDER DIGEST: “The 18 Best Residential Architects in North Carolina”
February 8, 2022 § Leave a comment
North Carolina is one of the most popular states to live in the country. The “Triangle” region of the state, which includes Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, provides visitors and residents with a myriad of reasons to enjoy the state. It has a diverse culture, rich history, and a wide array of job opportunities. Scenic mountain vistas, pristine beaches, and fantastic weather make it a thriving area.
The state is home to vibrant communities filled with adventures. With a population of over ten million people, North Carolina is the ninth biggest state in the country, and it is still growing. For those considering relocating to the region and those seeking to upgrade their North Carolina homes, the best residential architects are necessary.
The list below showcases the best residential architects in North Carolina. These firms were selected based on their experiences in residential designs, awards won, years in the industry, and media coverage, and they are the best in the industry…
…Arielle Condoret Schechter, Architect
What separates multi-award-winning firm Arielle Condoret Schechter, Architect, from the other architects is a clear understanding of how each project is about more than designing an exceptional space. Each project has the capacity to enhance people’s lives and lifestyles, and this small firm is dedicated to doing exactly that. READ MORE
CHAPEL HILL MAGAZINE: “Lake Living”
January 18, 2022 § Leave a comment
by Morgan Cartier Weston | Photos by John Michael Simpson
TO READ THE ARTICLE IN THE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 EDITON, CLICK BELOW AND GO TO PAGE 57
New book by best-selling author/environmentalist Paul Hawken uses Haw River House to illustrate key element of his visionary treatise
October 30, 2021 § Leave a comment
The modern net-zero Paradis-Zimmerman “Haw River House,” designed by Chapel Hill, NC architect Arielle Condoret Schechter, AIA, is featured in Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation, a new book by Paul Hawken. The renowned environmentalist chose Arielle’s award-winning house for his chapter on energy.
“The Haw River House is a 2800-square-foot home in North Carolina,” the caption to the photo states. “Its rooftop solar array provides all of its electricity. Insulation, passive house design, energy-recovery ventilators, and solar reflective shades improve energy efficiency and help maintain a constant temperature. A geothermal heat pump handles the rest of the heating and cooling needs. It is also water independent; a small well supports a rainwater collection and purification system that, when full, can provide water for 230 days.”
Unfortunately, the author misunderstood this water collection system. As Arielle explains, a massive, custom-designed gutter leads to downspouts on each end of the house. There, the butterfly roof funnels 100 percent of the rainwater that falls on the roof into two 5000-gallon above-ground cisterns. When full, the cisterns can provide the house with water for 230 days without rainfall.
Despite the misrepresentation of her rooftop water collection system, Arielle says she is deeply honored to have one of her residential projects featured in Hawken’s newest title.
The Haw River House, located in Chatham County, NC, is part of Arielle’s consistently growing portfolio of modern net-zero residences. Green Building & Design showcased this house and other examples of Arielle’s work in its May 2020 edition online and in print. (To learn more about the Haw River House and see more photos, click here,)
About the book: According to the book’s publicity, Regeneration is “a radically new understanding of and practical approach to climate change... [It] offers a visionary new approach to climate change, one that weaves justice, climate, biodiversity, equity, and human dignity into a seamless tapestry of action, policy, and transformation that can end the climate crisis in one generation. It is the first book to describe and define the burgeoning regeneration movement spreading rapidly throughout the world… Regeneration is the inspiring and necessary guide to inform the rapidly spreading climate movement.”
About the author: Paul Hawken has written eight books published in over 50 countries in 32 languages. Five of his books have been national and New York Times bestsellers, including Drawdown, which focuses on global warming. He has been a guest on nearly every major news talk show in the U.S. and his writings have appeared in a host of national publications, including the Harvard Business Review. (For Paul Hawken’s more extensive biography, visit www.paulhawken.com.)
Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation (Penguin Books, publisher) is available on Amazon.
ARCHINECT: “Wolf-Huang Lake House”
October 27, 2021 § Leave a comment
Across the east fork of the Eno River in Orange County, six miles north of downtown Hillsborough, Lake Orange has attracted well-heeled homeowners to its shores for years, many of whom have built their very large, very traditional dream homes there. Many hardwoods and evergreen trees have disappeared in their wake.
Now another new home has appeared along the lake’s shore, nestled among the lofty trees, that is the antithesis of those houses. Designed by Chapel Hill architect Arielle Condoret Schechter, AIA, the Wolf-Huang house has introduced modern, sensibly sized, and environmentally sustainable living to the Lake Orange neighborhood. Inside, it is the essence of minimal, reductive design — simple and serene. READ MORE
June 9, 2021 § Leave a comment
AMAZING ARCHITECTURE.com: “Baboolal Residence in Chapel Hill, United States, designed by Arielle Condoret Schechter, Architect, PLLC, AIA”
by Naser Nader Ibrahim
The Baboolal residence is a net zero house is for a multicultural family of four. The husband is Indian originally from South Africa and the wife is American. They are both in high stress professions: he is a pediatric anesthesiologist and she is a pediatric nurse. They have two small children and pets.
The impetus for building this house was their previous frustration with living in a cookie cutter developer house with a lot of wasted space and illogical planning.
They decided to build a custom house that would give them openness for family time, while also creating privacy and quiet areas for the parents to rest between shifts and for the kids to have their own spaces. Also, an immediate connection between indoor and outdoor space was part of the brief. READ MORE…
INHABITAT: “No waste, no carbon, no wonder this net-zero home breaks the mold”
April 19, 2021 § Leave a comment
By K.C. Morgan
When the Baboolals looked around their North Carolina community, they saw what many people see in their local areas: cookie-cutter houses that consume excess energy. A desire to break free from this mold is how their journey to create a net-zero house began. Working with architect Arielle Condoret Schechter, the Baboolals outlined a few essentials for the home...READ MORE
RESIDENTIAL DESIGN: “Design Lab – Baboolal Residence”
April 12, 2021 § Leave a comment
By Claire Conroy, editor
Yes, there are custom residential projects where money truly is no object, but those are the exceptions to the rule. Unless your clients are bitcoin billionaires, there’s a limit to how much they can or will spend on their house.
Architect Arielle Condoret Schechter, AIA, understands this acutely. Her clients in North Carolina’s Research Triangle are ordinary people tired of their ordinary houses, and they trust her to keep their best interests at heart. That drives her to seek out value at every turn on her projects, trying to hit that perfect balance of budget, sustainability, livability, and delight. ..READ MORE
HOME BUILDER DIGEST: “The Best Residential Architects in [the Triangle]”
April 5, 2021 § Leave a comment
Arielle Condoret Schechter, Architect
440 Bayberry Dr., Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Arielle Schechter, a registered architect recognized by the A.I.A., has made a name for herself in the Triangle area for her nationally recognized custom houses, Micropolis micro-houses, and mid century renovations. She is currently based in Chapel Hill. For over 26 years, she has specialized in warm, energy-efficient, and modernist residential architecture, including cutting-edge Net-Zero design and passive house construction… READ MORE
Chapel Hill Architect Arielle Condoret Schechter, AIA, Receives Two “Best of” Houzz Awards for 2021
March 1, 2021 § Leave a comment
Chapel Hill-based architect Arielle Condoret Schechter, AIA, recently learned that she has received two Best of Houzz Awards for 2021 — one for Design, the other for Client Service — adding to the four Best of Houzz Awards she’s received since 2016.
Houzz is a leading platform for home design and remodeling. Over 40 million unique monthly users comprise the Houzz community. The awards recognize just three percent of the 2.5 million active home professionals represented on the website.
Houzz presents its annual awards in three categories: Design, Customer Service, and Photography. The Design Awards honor professionals whose portfolios are the most popular among the Houzz community. (Follow this link to view Arielle’s Houzz portfolio.)
Customer Service honors are based on several factors, including a professional’s overall rating on Houzz and client reviews submitted in the previous year. Since she joined the platform in 2016, Arielle has maintained a “5 out of 5” rating for “Work Quality,” “Communication,” and “Value,” and she continues to accrue glowing reviews from her clients.
“I’m honored to receive both awards this year,” she said. “And I’m so grateful to all of my wonderful clients who took the time to write those kind reviews. No matter what they wrote, the pleasure was truly mine.”
ACS Press 