Project Team
Charles Cudd Company
Vice President, Marketing: Jim Brownson
Company Profile: The largest high-end builder in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, Cudd builds between 65 and 80 homes per year, each of which typically commands at least $300,000 -- without the lot.

Project Profile
Description: Build new lake home on a 2.5-acre lot with perfect views back to the lake.
Style: Custom contemporary
Type: New home
Location: Cloverdale Lake

Narrative
Key considerations: Take full advantage of breathtaking lake views and the play of natural light in the home.
House would act as an architectural showcase for the builder.

Result: A home that truly works in harmony with its surroundings. Because of the thoughtful teamwork that went into this home’s window package, the owners have much more than a great view outside. Instead, the trees, lake and sunshine are an integral part of their home.

Highlight: Brownson says it’s the service that has sold his company on Andersen® products. "They treat us the way we treat our customers," he says.

Testimonials: "Over the years we’ve been approached by all of the window manufacturers, but we use Andersen exclusively." -- Jim Brownson

"Andersen has set up its product line now so that you can do a million different combinations right from stock. Our architects just take out the catalog and start to design. They love it -- and it works out to be a lot less expensive than custom windows." -- Jim Brownson

"We need to know that when our customers call Andersen, they’ll be treated the same way we would treat them -- because our customers won’t necessarily distinguish between us and our suppliers. We can trust Andersen with our name." -- Jim Brownson

Solution: To take advantage of the natural light, an arched transom is tucked into a soffit in the vaulted sun room. In the breakfast room, the north-facing glass captures the best view, but the window combination wraps around the corner so that the eastern window can pull in the morning sun.

Design Solution

Arches With No Rivals
There’s a reason they call it the "sun room."

This building team captured the view with the basic window combination, but it was the final touch -- the arch -- that really captured the sun. Natural light streams through that transom, playing off of the vaulted ceiling within.

Andersen arch and round windows make it easy to bring in the sun. First, there’s the existing line of 90 standard arch sizes. But for even more flexibility, custom-dimensioned arches are available in equal leg arches, unequal leg arches and partial chords, using eight standard radii.

For a different way to reach up to the sun, Andersen offers the "Springline™ window" -- which has the round-top look without the break between units. And, since it’s available in 57 sizes, it’s easy to combine with other Andersen windows and doors.

Don’t Block the View
One of the most distinctive aesthetic elements in the Cudd home is the grid treatment on the windows. It’s a great look -- but it’s driven by practicality. These are beautiful views, and we didn’t want to interfere with them in any way," says Brownson. "It’s disconcerting when grids block the view."

The answer Cudd’s architects developed with the Andersen team was custom gridwork that worked simply to "frame" the window. "This treatment gives depth and dimension, perspective and interest -- all without taking away from the primary focus," says Brownson

Featured Andersen Products
Andersen Flexiframe®, double-hung and arch windows.