This home was designed from the inside out with particular attention paid to the development of a dynamic, interior space which is both spacious and warm and that gives form to a twenty-first century house while respecting its mid-twentieth century neighborhood.   The house was conceived as a one and one-half story, brick structure which presents an appropriately low scale that is at home in a neighborhood characterized by rolling, wooded topography with winding streets and brick ranch houses.  Garden terraces were incorporated on the street side to act as the “front porch” while enhancing the strong indoor / outdoor relationship of the home. The side walls of the house are splayed ten degrees to follow the property lines and create a wider rear wall facing the southern exposure of the private back yard.

Natural materials - brick, wood and granite - were extensively utilized to provide a visual and tactile warmth and to present a strong, visual connection to nature.  The subtlety of the design, along with the many custom details, provide a layering of experiences that unfold over time.  The extensive use of glass, along with wide and properly positioned roof overhangs create spaces that are animated by the sun and that continually change during the day and throughout the seasons.

The aim was to provide a warm, inviting atmosphere that is comfortably elegant and provides a welcoming retreat in today’s hectic, urban environment.

Structural Engineer:  Charlie R. Mitchell, PE

Builder:  Randy Causey

This home, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, was developed as a retreat for a family with adult children.  The site was chosen for its elevation and view.  Stretching the structure across the site and  zoning it vertically provided the best option for offering spectacular views to the maximum number of spaces while dealing with the steep grade in an efficient and effective way. Dry-stacked stone was utilized to tie the structure to the site - visually and physically - and wood was generously employed, inside and out, to extend the positive indoor outdoor relationship while adding visual warmth.

The anchor space is a vaulted Great Room which serves as a hub to the entry foyer,  kitchen, master suite and covered and uncovered porches.  This space is defined by a custom designed and constructed timber and steel truss system which supports the roof in a dynamic way.

Structural Engineer:  Charlie R. Mitchell, PE

Builder:  Daniel Owens Construction

This new home, in an established neighborhood, replaces a mid-century modern which proved uneconomical to remodel. 

The design pays homage to its predecessor through its zoning, the extensive use of brick and its simple roofline with wide overhangs.  Brick walls and piers, with colored mortar and raked bed joints (to accentuate the horizontal nature of the design), connect the interior with the exterior and are capped with custom pre-cast concrete bands.  The exterior walls, above the brick, as well as the soffits of the wide overhangs are clad in a warm, white stucco to provide a floating effect over the mass of the brick. 

The plan forms an “H” with one wing housing the foyer, study, kitchen and family room; the other wing houses the bedrooms; and the vaulted living / dining space, with glass walls on the north and south sides, connects the wings.  A terraced porch and deck, constructed of ipe, opens off of the south side of the living room and is also accessible from the kitchen.

A horizontal, maple trim band aligned with the door and window heads throughout the interior, provides both scale and design continuity.  Carefully detailed walnut cabinets – with horizontal grain – and a clean island with a quartzite counter top highlight the kitchen while quarter and rift sawn white oak flooring extends throughout the house.

Builder: Peter Hitchens

The program for this existing, small, concrete-block lake cottage called for the addition of a new one-bedroom, separate living space for use by the owners, thereby allowing the existing 2-bedroom space to be used by visiting children and grandchildren.  Buffer issues and the desire to maximize views led to a second story addition.  Two steel frames, supported on new independent footings,  were employed to facilitate building over the existing house, thereby protecting the integrity of the existing space and structure; maintaining the HVAC system in the existing attic space; minimizing new loads on the old structure; and elevating the new addition for a superior view.  A cedar-clad barrel vault, which defines the living spaces below, extends through the structure - from the entry side to the lake side where it shelters a large screened porch.

Structural Engineer: Charlie R. Mitchell, PE

Builder:  Craig Jensen

This Blue Ridge Mountain home was planned after the owners' unsuccessful search for an old farmhouse to restore.  The design concept, material palette and details recall a vintage farmhouse, while the spatial development,  construction, systems and materials are true to modern times.   A fieldstone foundation and a galvanized metal roof frame a structure clad in cypress clapboards sourced from trees downed by hurricane Katrina.

The home was carefully sited to nestle in the existing landscape, requiring no significant trees to be removed, and providing wonderful views to the surrounding meadows and woods.

Interiors feature a fieldstone fireplace, reclaimed heart pine floors and solid wood paneling for wall and ceiling finishes.  A highlight of the interior is the use of reclaimed doors - each unique - that the owners sourced prior to construction.

Structural Engineer: Charlie R. Mitchell, PE

Builder:  Eggers Construction

This new home, in an established neighborhood, is comprised of a three story block of pre-cast concrete panels (typically used for basement walls) and a steel structure which houses the living space at mid-level while providing shelter to a carport at ground level. The ground level of the concrete structure houses a studio; the main (street) level contains the foyer, kitchen, dining and living areas and a cantilevered steel deck on the rear; and the bedroom suite comprises the upper level.  A three story steel stair, detailed with grating and bar stock, provides a dramatic, airy connection of the three floors.

The home, connected to the street by a steel bridge, is sited on the north side of the lot allowing the south side to remain open to the sun and to provide space for outdoor living on the circular terrace.  Steel trellises provide solar protection for the south-facing glass.

Structural Engineer:  Charlie R. Mitchell, PE

Builder: J. R. Warren

This beautiful mountain site is characterized by wooded slopes which surround two ponds bordered by a grassy lea where the property’s 1950’s era home was located.  Design studies were undertaken to examine options for the development of a retreat for the owners and their two young sons.   As the existing structure was solid and the basic layout sound, the owners chose to remodel the existing home to meet their needs.  Among the owners’ desires were a porch for outdoor living, updated interiors and a home with a more “mountain” aesthetic.

The design concept was centered around the addition of a porch structure, with steps cascading onto the site’s front yard, which not only provide an extension of the living, dining and kitchen spaces but, which also serve to provide a visual anchor for the home’s makeover. Other exterior transformations include additional windows and doors to provide a greater indoor / outdoor connection and covering the existing plywood siding with poplar bark shingles.  The interior features new finishes such as cypress flooring; board and batten wall finishes; wood battens on the new gypsum board ceiling; and a new stone face and mantel for the existing fireplace.  The new kitchen has a walnut slab bar top and custom designed bar stools.

Builder:  Enterline and Russell

The clients’ program called for the addition of a family room and master bedroom to their small, factory-built home located on a beautiful, wooded twenty-acre site.  Their initial desire was to add these spaces on the south side of the existing house but, with early sketches they were convinced that it made more sense to go up.  This allowed more efficient internal circulation; better zoning by locating the master bedroom and the children’s bedrooms on different levels; maintaining the natural light for the existing south facing bedrooms; and capturing superior views and spatial qualities for the new spaces.

In addition to a small budget, the owners required that the existing house remain habitable during construction.  Upon investigation of the existing structure, it was determined that as the factory-built roof structure of the existing house was built to withstand transporting the units and lifting them onto a foundation, it would be possible to build on top of the existing roof structure.  For the addition’s roof system, inverted gable trusses were utilized to economically provide a dynamic interior space while providing a new character for the house.  The roof extends up and out to the south allowing a dramatic view down the wooded south-facing hillside while providing a ten-foot cantilevered overhang.  This overhang not only provides some protection for the new deck but, also serves as a passive solar device, allowing the sun deep into the living space in the winter while shading the large glass wall in the summer.   The extensive use of fixed glass and cedar cladding were utilized, inside and out, to make a strong indoor / outdoor connection.

Structural Engineer:  Charlie R. Mitchell, PE

Builder:  Don Tyson

This home replaced a small, existing lake cottage to better suit the clients’ needs for a lakeside retreat.  A paved parking court and porte cochere address the street and provide a connection to a stone-lined walk which leads to the covered entry with its custom-designed front door.  The design is focused on the lake by providing a variety of outdoor living spaces – a covered porch, a screened porch, a deck and a lakeside terrace which are extensions of the living, dining and kitchen spaces within.  An exterior palette of a stone base; board and batten walls; and a standing seam metal roof were utilized to give the house a “Craftsman” aesthetic.  The interior features include reclaimed timbers from an old family barn, which were employed as interior columns and a fireplace mantle and new exposed timber rafters with an exposed wood roof deck which were used to give form to the vaulted spaces within.   Also, the interior walls were paneled with wood to enhance the warm quality of this retreat.

Structural Engineer: Bic Engineering

Builder:  Todd Wilson

My first realized residential project was this three-story home on a heavily wooded corner lot, in the city, for a couple and their three young sons.  The family desired a house which took advantage of the site’s qualities while providing privacy.  The house was sited on the rear, sloping portion of the site thereby minimizing the intrusion of the automobile, preserving the site’s natural features and allowing the more level areas to be utilized for outdoor living and play.

An entry bridge, through the trees, and multiple outdoor spaces - decks, screened porch and terraces - serve to enhance a strong indoor / outdoor connection.  The house is vertically zoned with the master suite and living areas on the main level, the sons’ rooms on the uppermost level and the office and recreation rooms on the lowest level.  Vertical, tower-like brick forms, with exposed brick inside and out, define the two-story high living and dining rooms.  The horizontal cedar siding helps provide a visual connection between the towers while blending with the site’s tree trunks and branches, virtually camouflaging the house from the street.

Builder:  Michael Bernath

This home, for a couple and their children, is located on a wooded site in an in-town development.  The family desired a house which provided a positive indoor / outdoor relationship while accommodating their family-centric lifestyle.  The home was designed and sited to minimize grading; maintain the large oaks existing on the site; and provide private outdoor views.

The house was zoned to provide formal areas (including courtyards) at the front, for entertaining; family areas at the rear, for outdoor access; and bedrooms in a separate wing, for privacy.  A sloping brick base was incorporated to visually tie the structure to the earth, while the wall band above the base is plastered to separate the base from the broadly overhanging roof.  The home’s interior features ten-foot high ceilings, limestone floors and cleanly detailed mahogany doors, trim and cabinetry.

Structural Engineer:  Charlie R. Mitchell, PE

Builder: Michael Moore

Photos:  Scott Stiles

This home’s owner expressed a desire for a concrete structure and interiors with an “industrial aesthetic”.  Pre-cast concrete wall panels, with internal rigid insulation, were utilized to provide structure, thermal mass, pre-finished interior and exterior walls, good acoustics and low maintenance.  The roof structure of the main space is framed with steel beams which support exposed, wood glulam rafters with infill panels of pre-finished maple plywood.  The wood was employed to provide a visual warmth and as a counterpoint to the concrete walls and floors.  A steel bridge which provides a connection between the two second floor wings crosses the Great Room and anchors to the stone tile chimney mass.   

Engineer:  Charlie R. Mitchell, PE

Builder:  J.R. Warren

This addition was generated by the owners’ desire to alter their lakefront home to accommodate the addition of a new pool.  Design studies resulted in the development of a Garden Room, which connects the existing kitchen / breakfast area to the new pool, spa and terrace.  Folding glass doors were utilized to provide a true “garden room” environment and to allow easy access to the pool and spa.  To capture the excellent view up the lake, the roof structure was cantilevered in two directions thereby opening the corner and providing an uninterrupted vista.   The main space has a sitting area with bar while the rear portion of the addition houses a lounging area, changing room, steam shower and sauna.

Engineer:  Charlie R. Mitchell, PE

Builder:  L & M Construction

This traditional Myers Park home had been subjected to several additions by previous owners.  To meet the clients’ program of a more open living area, a new master suite and children’s bedrooms, the existing footprint and structure of these additions were utilized to provide additional second floor space to accommodate the new requirements.  The new master suite is located over the sunroom allowing a wonderful view of the private rear yard.  The existing wall between the living and dining rooms was removed and a linear, glass enclosed gallery was added to create a more open living space that opens onto the new brick terrace.

Builder:  Bill Mullis

The addition to this home replaced an existing garage and family room with a new rear foyer, three-car garage, cabana and loggia on the main level and a new master suite and family room on the upper level.  The new spaces open to the wonderful views of the refurbished pool, terrace and year yard.  A new car port, which features arched brick walls supporting a copper clad, barrel-vaulted roof, with a barrel-vaulted wood ceiling, was added later. 

Builder (Addition): Bill Mullis

Builder (Carport): David Burton

This small (less than 600 sf), two-room, mountain cabin presented a challenge due to its seven-foot high ceilings and the resulting lack of natural light. To improve the quality of the space without expanding the footprint (due to a tight budget) other than the addition of a small screened porch, the roof structure was opened up and more glass was installed to promote views and lighting. The ceiling was clad in thin, beveled cedar siding to provide a warm glow and pleasing texture. 

These vignettes provide a brief look at projects of various scopes and scales. 

My practice has allowed me the opportunity to address projects of varying functions including: religious facilities; office buildings; retail; restaurant spaces; warehouse conversions; and small planning projects. Good design principles apply, regardless of a project's size or function.

Not all projects make it off the drawing board but, each provides a good learning experience.

"God is in the detail."

       Ludwig Mies van der Rohe