James McNeal Architecture and Design

06/11/2026

Hundreds visited last weekend. Come see it this weekend!

We are Home #1 on the Artisan Hour Tour, 153 Lakeview Lane S., Wayzata, MN 55391. Tickets available at the door.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. We can’t wait to see you!


🛠️ Hendel Homes
🗓️ Parade of Homes Minnesota

06/04/2026

Starts tomorrow!

We’re excited to announce that The Sanctuary is Home #1 on the Artisan Home Tour!

Our architecturally designed custom home is focused on creating a private backyard oasis centered around a reflecting pool. The living room's high ceilings, clerestory windows and wood ceilings create a bright, warm and spacious atmosphere.

Because the homeowners love having guests, we designed an open flow between gathering spaces and outdoor areas. We carefully oriented views from the entry and main living spaces to draw attention to the oasis.

While most of the home is on the main level, we did design bedrooms located above the garage with a link and stairway going over to an exercise/entertainment area which is above a full guest suite below. Because of the link and the way we architecturally designed the massing of the exercise/entertainment area, it creates the look of a casita.

In the primary suite, we designed the bedroom with a vaulted ceiling, a private patio for morning coffee and a vaulted bathroom with an olive tree in place of a freestanding tub. Clerestory windows throughout the hallway bring in additional natural light.

Other entertainment-focused design includes a wine room, plus a large, separate scullery kitchen that keeps appliances and prep work hidden from the main kitchen. The kitchen incorporates a sleek, integrated cooktop design for a cleaner appearance.

Architecturally, the home is anchored by a prominent stone façade, with stone detailing to highlight the home’s main points of arrival.


🪟 Marvin
🌿 PEBL Design
🔌 Admit One Home Systems
🛠️ Hendel Homes
🗓️ Parade of Homes Minnesota

Buy tickets for the Artisan Home Tour > https://facebook.com/events/s/2026-summer-artisan-home-tour/974496288624472/

06/04/2026

Hear about the intersection of wellness and technology in architecture!

🌿As Architects and Designers, we know that our environment profoundly impacts our health. That is why we actively integrate biophilic design principles into all of our projects and frame picture-perfect outdoor views.

We bring nature inside using rich organic materials like exposed stone, warm wood, calming water features and lush greenery.

And we communicate this whole philosophy with our clients in three dimensions. So homeowners can walk through their design long before the builder breaks ground.

We believe your home should be your sanctuary. 🌱

Hear President Rob Hull talk about JMAD’s design philosophy and process on the latest episode of the PowerHouse SMART Networking & Education Cool Collabs Podcast > https://www.powerhouse-co.com/podcast-episodes/episode-41---where-architecture%2C-wellness-%26-technology-meet%3A-rob-hull-on-designing-homes-that-enrich-daily-life

In this inspiring episode of the PowerHouse SMART® Cool Collabs Podcast, Wendy Cohen sits down with Robert Hull, President and Principal Designer of JMAD (James McNeal Architecture and Design), an award-winning residential architecture firm known for creating immersive, wellness-centered luxury hom...

05/21/2026

Lights up for our Modern Country home design in Orono.

This site visit was an electric walk through the home with the client, builder, electrician and interior designer to discuss light fixture locations, outlet locations, switch locations, etc.

The electrical walk might seem like the electrician's domain, but we make it part of our design process for good reason. Being on site to review fixture locations, switches, and outlets ensures every decision still reflects the intent we've developed with our clients and interior design partners. Catching discrepancies now is far easier than opening walls later, and it keeps the whole project moving toward the cohesive outcome everyone has been working toward together.

🛠️ Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc
🛋️ Randolph Interior Design

04/27/2026

A challenging lot can be an architectural opportunity.

Introducing our Vineyard Estate, where a stone landscaping wall grounds the front of the home and acts as a screen to direct views out front toward a pond, rather than traffic on the streets or parked cars in the driveway.

The landscaping wall also creates a variety of formal courtyards for indoor-outdoor living. At the rear of the home, the hill gave us a unique opportunity to incorporate stepped retaining walls.

We love thinking through the best ways to design within a challenging lot and this home shows how we do it. Our Vineyard Estate Home feels like a stroll through Napa. 🍷 🧀 🥖

See more of this home > https://www.jamesmcnealarchitectureanddesign.com/vineyardestate

🛠️ Hendel Homes
🧱 ORIJIN STONE
📸 Spacecrafting

04/16/2026

We can’t wait for this one to be ready to tour!

04/14/2026

We love working with people who not only “get” the vision but carry it through. This one will be ready to share fully, soon!

04/07/2026

What OneKindesign loves about our Nature’s Edge home:

“What makes Nature’s Edge truly remarkable is not any single space or design decision; it’s the extraordinary coherence of the whole.

Every room connects to the landscape. Every material tells the story of the place. Every detail, from the Wisconsin quarry limestone on the exterior walls to the live-edge coffee table at the heart of the great room, speaks to a philosophy of design that puts nature first and architecture second.

This is a home that will only grow more beautiful, more loved, and more rooted in its remarkable site with every passing year.”

One of our design principles is to work with and around nature, letting nature shape the home. Called biophilic design, we create homes for the wellbeing of our clients; Nature’s Edge is a prime example of our approach.

Read the full article from our friends at OneKindesign >> https://onekindesign.com/nature-inspired-wisconsin-home-st-croix-river-views/?utm_source=1+Kindesign+List&utm_campaign=f6b28308d2-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4db3b38cfd-f6b28308d2-560989257

See the home on our site >> https://www.jamesmcnealarchitectureanddesign.com/naturesedge

03/02/2026

It is officially fake Spring #2 in Minnesota and a good week to open every window and door to let the fresh air in.

The team at JMAD designs with connecting to the outdoors in mind. Here, this multi-season room can be opened fully and is connected to an outdoor dining area as well as the kitchen.

We love Spring in all its forms, real and otherwise.

https://www.jamesmcnealarchitectureanddesign.com/themodernnest

02/19/2026

At JMAD, we think in three dimensions and we design that way, too.

Every space is thoughtfully and architecturally designed — in this case, in rather dramatic style.