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client: Private Residence
employer: Marlow Designs
role: Project Architect | Designer | BIM | Renderings | Construction
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year: 2013
renderings: Marlow
In mid-2012 I began work on a new private residence on a site in North Carolina. The clients are extended family of my old boss, friend and mentor, Jeffrey Scherer – founding partner of MSR Design.
The clients had just purchased a vacant property in northwestern North Carolina.
New Residence:
2,200 Living square feet
Features:
Naturally, the project went thru a few iterations prior to the final documents being submitted for construction.
The site is located in a naturally wooded area near a river. The property was triangular in shape, sloped, with an immovable access point to the property. In order to maximize the views of the surrounding nature and still work with the existing grades, placement was paramount.
Separating the sleeping areas from the communal/living functions was an original stated goal for the new home.
After a greater setback was discovered along the west property line, we had to go back to the drawing board.
Staying within the same parti would’ve pushed the entire home down the hill, requiring greater excavation, and represented a significant bust to the budget for the project. So we had to bring the bedrooms back into the overall massing and compress the footprint and organization of the home. I still like the initial relationships between the elements – but that particular solution needed to be scrapped.
After a few other project refinements to simplify framing, roof elements and several design review meetings – a ‘builder’s set’ was released in 2013.
The home is now nestled overlooking a valley in northwest North Carolina, providing several outdoor vistas of the surrounding nature, and a place of comfort for this family away from the bustle and noise of big-city life. I would imagine, by now – the walkout basement has been finished out and the double-sided fireplace has played host to many nights of warmth and conversation.
The loft in this instance, serves as the ‘man cave’ for work, contemplation, the occasional respite with television access, and as an ardent marathon runner – a place to get in some indoor miles on the treadmill while having access to the views of the valley and access to a private deck.
Usually, and with the corporate work that I’ve encountered – opening a Revit model usually has me covering my eyes and peeking thru my fingers. The cringe comes while witnessing the workarounds and elements hacked together to meet a deadline, despite the necessary experience or resources to properly execute what needs to be done.
Thankfully – this model had none of that. The custom families are a little dated, and I’ve learned a LOT in the time since – but the model stands up well enough that I could explore a little more using Enscape.
Since Enscape operates off the Revit material library – its an endeavor to get everything looking passable for an adequate finish rendering. I didn’t go thru the process of adding the additional layers of entourage from stock libraries – but rather opted for a simple test of materials to add a splash of color into this project that couldn’t be provided with finish photos, as my interactions with the client & contractor (great people, all of them) were via phone and email.
I’m still a little curious why my suggestion of deck access from the Master Suite wasn’t desired, and I was hoping for a little more articulation on a couple facade items, but put simply – it’s not my house.
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