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            Beginning at 10 a.m. and concluding at 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday,

the American Institute of Architects chapter will offer self-guided tours of seven homes in North Dallas, Lakewood, Oak Lawn, Uptown, East Dallas, and Midway Hills.

            Bob Borson AIA of Bernbaum Magadini Architects, 2009 tour chairman, said architects who designed these homes will be on hand to answer guests’ questions about their design intentions and special features of the homes.

Homes reflect owners’ diverse personalities

            “Tour participants will see how well the homeowners’ personalities are reflected in their homes’ design.  Residents include an Austin filmmaker, a professional artist, a noted art critic and book collector, and several families devoted to eco-friendly design.

Seven featured residences

4311 Middleton Rd. by Mark Domiteaux AIA, Domiteaux Architects—This contemporary residence includes a central living area, owners’ suite and teenage children’s wing.  A 1,500-gallon cistern collects rainwater for landscape irrigation

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and a geothermal heat pump system.  Sustainable aspects include bamboo-veneer cabinets, Paperstone countertops and native xeriscaping.

            7206 Tokalon Dr. by James Manning AIA, Dave Rolston and Julie Cohn, James Manning Architect—Located on one of the most beautiful streets in Dallas, this Lakewood residence was originally a Better Homes and Gardens House of the Year. In 2006 a fire required that the home be stripped down to its studs.  The owners—a landscape architect and textile artist—seized the opportunity to expand ther home and open it up to the outdoor landscape.  Not to be missed is a special hidden rooftop feature that provides the couple’s children an aerial lawn to play on as well as insulation for the space below.

            8645 Labron Ave.  by Kelly D. Mitchell AIA and Garry Walling of

mitchell I garman architects—This professional artist’s residence is a modernist’s dream of indoor-outdoor living in a veritable tree house.  The open living/dining/kitchen area and oversized balcony on the second level feature expansive views of the wooded site. A bridge links the second level to an art studio above the garage.  Bedrooms are located on the first level, giving the master suite direct access to an outdoor shower and landscaped lawn.  Throughout this home, visitors will notice evidence of the owners’ passion for sustainable living.

            1810 Bermuda St. by Ron Wommack FAIA and John Rice of Ron Wommack Architect—This 3,500-square-foot home takes the shape of a two-story box.  Around two sides an engawa, a veranda of Japanese origin, anchors a linear garden and morphs into an enclosed porch on the upper level. Since the owner has an extensive book and art collection, the residence was designed to maximize wall space for exhibitions. Innovative building materials include cast-in-place board-form concrete, red-painted hardy plank and vertical corrugated metal.

            4143 Buena Vista St. by Ron Wommack FAIA and John Rice of Ron Wommack Architect—Five contemporary town home units each feature three

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levels. Three units face the Katy Trail, while two freestanding units with roof decks take advantage of downtown views.  This design allows town homes to connect and seemingly disappear into the Trail environment.  Vertical corrugated copper, milsap stone reclaimed from earlier WPA projects down the Trail, and ipe wood screens provide privacy and architectural interest in this Uptown neighborhood.

            2918 Maple Springs Blvd. by Sharon Bodum AIA and Lonnie Burns AIA of Sharon Odum Architect—This challenging Oak Lawn site is located beneath the Love Field flight path.  To help mitigate aircraft noise overhead, rooftop penetrations were minimized and the home’s attic was sheathed in multiple layers of gypsum board.  Galvalume metal, with its low maintenance and sound and heat deflection qualities, is used as siding.  Simple concrete floors, Baltic birch millwork and clear-sealed windows complete the minimalist design.

            7121 Bob-O-Link Dr. by Dan Shipley FAIA, Kalynn Weiss and Tully Weiss of Shipley Architects—The owners of this standard 1970s Fox and Jacobs tract home in East Dallas liked their neighborhood, yet wanted a more open floor plan compatible with their lifestyle.  Rather than tear down their home and build anew, the couple removed several partitions and combined two bathrooms into one.  They removed wood flooring and carpet, then polished the concrete slab for a contemporary finish. Indirect lighting and a solar tube were added to enliven the space.  A special feature of the backyard is a pergola constructed of rebar and welded wire mesh.

Ticket availability

            Tickets good for the entire weekend are $25 and $10 for viewing a single home.  They’re available online at www.hometourdallas.com or by calling the Dallas Center for Architecture at 214.742.3242. Single-home tickets may be purchased at the tour home on the day of the viewing.  Proceeds will benefit scholarships and programming at the Dallas Center for Architecture.