Happy holidays from Luce Architects!

Christopher Luce recently spent some time looking into his ancestry and uncovered some old photographs from his family’s past, including the one above. In a time before modern luxuries like refrigerators and air conditioning, his ancestors sold ice from the truck pictured above; then later, began selling coal in the winter months from the same truck. Like his ancestors before him, Chris has used diversification in his own business providing residential, commercial and industrial architectural design, as well as interior design and green consulting services.

The staff at Luce Architects

As we celebrate another year of continued success, Luce Architects would like to express our sincere appreciation to our clients who have made it possible. Despite the fluctuation in the market, our firm has been able to thrive as a result of our diversity. Some of our latest projects include custom homes designs, renovations and additions, pool houses, office buildings, interior design for the home or office and art selection services. We are very proud of what we have accomplished and we would like to thank our clients for helping us to achieve this level of success. We look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.

Garden Building rendering

As we enter the summer months, our minds drift from the work at hand to the pull of the outdoors, BBQing, enjoying the sun, cooling off in the pool, and of course, the much longed for vacation. But if you can’t get away, what better way to enjoy the summer than to vacation at home with a new outdoor living space.

Pool House rendering

Vacation year round by creating a getaway in your own backyard. Add extra living space with a pool house or garden house and create an outdoor oasis. Include a gourmet kitchen and dining area and increase the entertaining space of your home. Adding an outdoor room can increase the usability of your backyard, providing protection from the elements and extend the use of your backyard into the late spring and early fall.

The Thornbury, the winning design for Custom Home of the Year, references French Manor style with a modern flair and incorporates every luxury a family might desire. The entry opens to a two-story foyer with majestic circular stairs and views of the great room beyond. The great room contains a two-sided fireplace, which connects to an outdoor bar area and one of the home’s three porches.

Barrel vaults and arch openings accentuate the main hallway leading to a guest suite adjacent to the study and parlor. The kitchen includes a cozy inglenook, sunroom, and an adjoining elevator, to escort passengers upstairs. A private back entrance opens to the rear foyer and a circular staircase enclosed within a turret leading up to a family studio with a built-in desk for activities and crafts. The master suite features a private sitting room, his and hers walk-in-closets and a luxurious master bathroom. The bathroom includes double vanities, a compartmentalized toilet, a separate shower and five circular windows that encircle the sensual soaking tub. Two of the second floor bedrooms share a Jack and Jill bath and the princess suite boasts a private bath.

2010 Certificate of Appreciation

On November 3rd 2010 Luce Architects received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Philadelphia Mayoral office of Michael Nutter.  Luce Architects was acknowledged as a significant contributor to the continuing growth and development of the City of Philadelphia.  The award was given in appreciation of the City of Philadelphia’s growth, education and awareness in Green Building and creating opportunities for improvement.

Architectural Intern Day

In August, Luce Architects held its annual Architectural Intern Day which is designed to introduce students to the profession of architecture. Owner Christopher Luce, AIA headed up the meeting and covered issues such as academic requirements, intern expectations, and areas of specialty within the profession. “Not only does it give students valuable information about a possible profession, but it also gives us the opportunity to interview people for our Intern Development Program,” says Luce.

Conducted in the conference room of the Luce Architects main office, after the seminar the students were welcomed to walk the premises, see projects on the board, and ask staff additional questions. “It was a great turn out and beneficial for all who attended. There has been such a positive response to these gatherings over the years, that were now considering providing these events twice a year,” explained Luce.

The project started as an addition to an existing garage which was intended to be an area for the properties caretaker. Our initial visit identified some very suspicious construction practices. Items such as, wall tile set on the plywood subfloor of the bathroom, unfinished roof and ventilation details, water infiltration, nonfunctional hvac systems, and electrical fire hazards. The list goes on, but perhaps the most disturbing item we found during further investigation was the ½” drywall used as exterior sheathing. (See picture to the right) the exterior wall is covered in stucco and the exterior grade is level with the sill plate of the wall. Where the other architects drawings are unclear as to the construction of the exterior wall, they certainly do not call for drywall. Construction had recently been completed however; our findings as well as our engineers require this structure to be demolished in its entirety. This is consequentially, a complete loss for the homeowner.

At Luce Architects, we offer our clients an array of construction administrative services to ensure their project is completed according to our drawings. We also work with a variety of reputable contractors and builders who share our work ethic and have demonstrated their professionalism and expertise over the years working with our firm. Together, our efforts ensure the client’s interests are paramount.