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By CANDACE JACKSON, WSJ

When violent winds knocked down trees and damaged their home, a Minnesota couple seized the opportunity to start over.

Architect David Solner bought a small home on a wooded lot in the mid-1990?s with plans to build a dream home. But it took a tornado in 2008 to spur him to begin building. He used wood from the downed trees and other recycled materials throughout the contemporary, 4200 sq. ft. house.

Apple Valley, Minn.

About 15 years ago, architect Dave Solner and his wife, Chip, bought a modest home with plans to tear it down and build their dream home. ?I saw the potential of the site,? said Mr. Solner, who liked the densely wooded lot, the area?s rural feel and the good schools. But a decade later, the Solners, who subsequently had two energetic sons, were still in their 1,500-square-foot ranch home.

Photos: From Ranch to Contemporary

Chad Holder for The Wall Street JournalDave and Chip Solner replaced their 1,500-square-foot ranch home in Apple Valley, Minn., with this 6,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bath contemporary.

In August 2008, nature intervened. A storm with 70-mile-per-hour winds knocked down dozens of trees and damaged their house as well as the small rental home they owned next door. As the Solners surveyed the damage, ?it just kind of hit us,? Mr. Solner said. ?If we didn?t do something now, we never would.?

They gathered friends, neighbors and hired hands and for several weeks used chainsaws to salvage wood from the more than 50 downed trees, which they stockpiled and eventually milled on the property. Mr. Solner, whose professional projects have included designing dozens of Rainforest Cafe restaurants world-wide, said the salvaged lumber was then used to build everything from staircases to a fireplace mantle to the dining table.

Designed by Mr. Solner, the new house is a 6,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bath contemporary. Wrapped in recycled stainless steel and cement fiber-board shingles, it looks like a series of interconnected boxes. Inside, high ceilings and floors at varying levels distinguish the rooms in the otherwise open floor plan.

A sleek kitchen with 20-foot ceilings and dark wood cabinets is at the center of the home. A large stone fireplace in the living room and wood throughout the house lend a warmer touch. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows along the back of the home overlook a feature created by the storm?a view onto a small lake nearby.

Architect Dave Solner replaced his storm-damaged home with a 6,000-square-foot contemporary, wrapped in stainless steel and recycled wood shingles, that looks like a series of interconnected boxes. Candace Jackson has details on Lunch Break.

The house was also designed to consume minimal energy and incorporates a number environmentally friendly features, including geothermal heating and cooling and recycled tile floors and countertops.

Mrs. Solner, a homemaker who grew up on a farm in Wisconsin and enjoys gardening, has several skylit indoor gardens she enjoys tending, often filling them with tropical plants and flowers. Mr. Solner, also originally from Wisconsin, has a woodshop in the garage. ?

Their two sons, 9 and 11, have the upstairs wing to themselves, with a playroom and two bedrooms (one painted bright orange and the other green). One of the family?s favorite places to hang out is an outside patio, decorated with strings of light bulbs, warmed by a fireplace and with its own TV. The Solners said the patio, along with a hot tub and a fire pit near the lake, means they spend lots of time outside, even during the frigid Minnesota winter.

The home stands out in dramatic contrast to the more conventional homes in the area. ?There are really pretty Ethan Allen and Pottery Barn houses that anybody could step into and live,? said Molly Wellik, a neighbor. ?But Chip and Dave?s house 100% reflects both of them.?

Mr. Solner, a partner at Minneapolis-based Cuningham Group Architecture, said he spent about $900,000 building the home, which is on five acres. The figure reflects some cost-savings from some free labor from friends and colleagues, and longtime relationships with vendors and consultants. A Victorian-style 4,600-square-foot five-bedroom house built in 2004 on a quarter of an acre is on the market nearby for about $600,000.?

The couple said building after the storm forced them to get financing in 2008, an extremely challenging time for loans and one of their biggest obstacles to completing the project. But it also eliminated the challenge of building around all the old trees on their lot. And they still have a lot of wood left over, stacked piles lining their property perimeter. ?We?ve still got plenty of wood for bonfires,? said Mr. Solner.

Write to Candace Jackson at candace.jackson@wsj.com

Source: http://inside-real-estate.com/elenaravich/2012/02/09/the-house-a-storm-built/

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