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Architects: Szostak Design
- Area: 5560 ft²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Keith Isaacs
Text description provided by the architects. The site for this home was the impetus of inspiration for its design. The lot encompasses ten acres near Duke Forest, where the owners were drawn to its natural serenity and woodland beauty. The approach to the home is via a 900-foot-long undulating driveway, passing under the canopy of a tall pine and oak forest and over a meandering creek. The home sits at the top of the hill and because of the careful placement and siting, each of the many views out of the house is magical.
The owners came to us intending to build their "age-in-place" home. They wanted the main living spaces to be on a single floor and for the spaces to be open and gracious in order to welcome guests across multiple generations. We created three main volumes; the Great Room, the Primary Wing and the Guest Wing. These zones offered both open public spaces and intimate private ones. The open-plan Great Room has abundant windows on either side and a stately fireplace that anchors the 15-foot-tall common area.
At the east end, the kitchen welcomes the warmth of the sun reflected off of white oak floors and quartzite stone. At the other end, soft light enters the primary bedroom, which faces west and sits under the shade from the overhangs above. They are connected by a "meditation hallway" that contains a wall of full-height windows on one side and displays artwork on the other. Upstairs the Guest Wing provides their adult-age children with bedrooms above the garage, giving them privacy from the main living space when they come home to visit.
We also understood “place” as the delicate balance between natural and built systems and how we can achieve sustainability over the lifetime of a home. The house uses resources from its site both above and below ground. Solar panels sit on the roof above the dormers and a geothermal mechanical system heats and cools the home, tapping into the earth’s temperature 400 ft below ground. Within the landscape, concrete pathways choreograph circulation around the pool, which is surrounded by clusters of native grasses and wildflowers.
The elegant choice of materials for the house exudes warmth, light, and earthiness. The silver metal roof and abundant windows reflect the light and sky. Thermally treated Ash siding clads the exterior, echoing the surrounding forest. White oak floors, wooden beams and a stone chimney ground the home as though it has always been rooted in the surrounding nature. Internally, the house performs at a high level. Zip board sheathing and spray foam insulation provide a high R-value. Two screened-in porches allow for the owners to enjoy a seamless continuity year-round, between indoor and outdoor environments.
