randy brown architects, omaha
When a Home Depot opened up in Omaha, Neb., it sparked a subversive idea in local architect Randy Brown’s mind. “You can buy a bath there and basically plug it into your house,” he says. “We decided to do the opposite.”
After gutting the first-floor bath in his own residence, a 1950s farmhouse, Brown got to work. He purchased conventional materials from Home Depot–cement board, metal piping, and concrete–and proceeded to use them in completely unconventional ways. The cement board, sealed with epoxy, forms the finished shower walls. The exposed, continuous piping serves as a towel rack, shower-curtain rod, toilet-paper holder, light-fixture holder, and, of course, as actual plumbing pipes. And Brown fabricated a concrete sink that doubles as a countertop. “Ambitious and remarkable,” the judges said. “This is a big idea for a little budget.”
project architect: Randy Brown, AIA, Randy Brown Architects
general contractor: Randy Brown, AIA, Randy Brown Architects
project size: 75 square feet
construction cost: $11 per square foot
photographer: Randy Brown