Goodbye June, Hello July

A monthly newsletter from Sustainable 9

This month on The Ninth Edition, we're reflecting on a month filled with thoughtful design, exciting new projects, beautiful interiors, and meaningful connections. From breaking ground in Edina, to offering six new homesites for sale, and welcoming hundreds of visitors during the Artisan Home Tour, here's what's new.

Midwest Design Magazine recently shared the story behind one of our unique projects: our own office. What was once a cramped and compartmentalized acupuncture clinic has been transformed into a bright, collaborative workspace that reflects our approach to modern, sustainable design.

Throughout the renovation, we uncovered and preserved historic elements while introducing an open-concept layout designed to foster creativity and collaboration. By exposing hidden brick walls and old doorways while also using reclaimed materials allowed us to create a living showroom that demonstrates our sustainable design philosophy in action.

At one of our latest projects to break ground, the Woodland Residence is designed for effortless entertaining and everyday wellness, seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor living through expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and thoughtfully curated spaces. Amenities include a lower-level fitness studio with a private sauna, multiple decks and patios, and inviting outdoor living areas overlooking Minnehaha Creek.

A pair of distinctive oculus features at both the front and rear of the home create striking architectural focal points, drawing in natural light while establishing a strong visual connection throughout the residence. These sculptural design elements elevate the home's character and enhance the overall spatial experience.

For a family transitioning from a historic Rochester property filled with Old World charm to a new sleek, contemporary home, the primary challenge is bridging two distinct design eras from the ground up. This vision included a modern living room that welcomes everyday life and special gatherings.

Discover how layered textures, quiet palettes, and a bespoke fluted Cambria quartz fireplace surround seamlessly integrate antique charm into a modern custom home.

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We are offering a unique opportunity to build a custom home across one of six exceptional homesites — each offering a distinct setting, privacy, and the option for customizing one of our designs or starting from scratch with your own ideas.

The Point At the end of Shady Beach Trail, where the land narrows to a single dramatic point and the lake opens in every direction, one of Prior Lake's most extraordinary properties awaits its defining home. This is The Point: a premier peninsula lot offering approximately 287 feet of level, sandy shoreline and sweeping panoramic views that few waterfront sites in the Twin Cities can match. Offered for the first time in over thirty years, this is not just a building site — it is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

The Ridge Set atop a natural ridge overlooking Lower Prior Lake's main body of water, The Ridge offers something rare even along the coveted "Gold Coast" of Shady Beach Trail: an elevated vantage point with 270-degree southern panoramic views, 131 feet of sandy shoreline, and a building site that places a future home above the landscape rather than beside it. This is a property defined by its commanding position — a site where architecture can rise to meet the horizon.

The Grove Hidden within a heavily wooded landscape of rolling hills and mature hardwoods, The Grove is a homesite that feels discovered rather than found. Set among a neighborhood of mid-century modern and contemporary homes in Minnetonka, this lot offers something increasingly rare in the western suburbs: enough land, enough trees, and enough topographic character to support a home that is truly one of a kind. This is a site for architecture that lives among the trees — not beside them.

The Deephaven Den Just a block from the shores of Lake Minnetonka, in the heart of one of the Twin Cities' most coveted neighborhoods, a bold Scandinavian modern home is ready to take shape. The Deephaven Den is a study in contrasts — a home of striking architectural drama on an intimate village lot, where 25-foot ceilings and expansive walls of glass meet the walkable charm of Deephaven's tree-lined streets. Designed for daily life, built for lasting impression.

The Cove Where 804 feet of shoreline curves around a quiet pocket of Lake O'Dowd, a singular homesite waits — wooded, private, and shaped by water on nearly every side. This is The Cove: 2.25 acres of build-ready lakefront that wraps the shore like a natural harbor, offering panoramic views in every direction and the kind of waterfront privacy that simply cannot be replicated.

The Canopy Deep within 2.35 acres of wooded Orono, a place within the trees awaits — where a sculptural home reveals itself among mature timber and dappled light. This is The Canopy: a rare homesite where architecture and landscape exist in quiet dialogue, and where the experience of living beneath the trees becomes the architecture itself.

Each site is envisioned for a custom home designed for comfort, livability, and thoughtful design. Opportunities like these don’t come twice.

Another incredible Artisan Home Tour is in the books. Thank you to everyone who visited our home in the Highland Bridge neighborhood of St. Paul to connect with our team, and experience what it means to “build beyond code”.

Throughout the tour, we welcomed hundreds of visitors, sparked meaningful conversations about high-performance home building, shared the benefits of sustainable construction, and inspired future homeowners to imagine what's possible when thoughtful design and exceptional craftsmanship come together.

Weren’t able to tour the home? Take a peek inside the home below.

As summer continues, our team is busy designing, building, and creating homes that prioritize health, performance, and timeless architecture for our clients. We can't wait to share more project progress, design inspiration, and exciting announcements in the months ahead. If you have a project that you’d like to begin planning for yourself, please reach out to us to set up a consultation.

Until next time,

High impact design. Low impact development.