"Ghost Trees" aka the White Residence, Carrboro, NC
The house was designed to feel lower at the front. We put the garage doors away from the street so they wouldn't be the first thing one sees.
The colors of the house were determined by the Clients' analysis of prevailing colors on the property in the fall, including rust colored leaves, and deep blue sky.
A double decker porch soars in the back of the White residence. The porch faces a creek and prevailing breezes.
The house was designed to feel lower at the front. We put the garage doors away from the street so they wouldn't be the first thing one sees.
The White family had been living in a very tight developer house, with two parents, three kids and a very active dog named Cinnamon. Working from home, especially during the pandemic became nigh unto impossible and the family decided it was time to build something that works for, rather than against, their family's needs.
The solution was a house that looks modest from the street, but bursts open toward the view of the creek in the back. The front belies it's height on the back! Hannah and Eliot's suite is on the main level, on the far end away from the family spaces and kids' rooms. This helps ensure a quiet zone for sleeping and rest. Due to the drop in the site at the back and impervious limit constraints, we put the kids' bedrooms downstairs on the lowest level with a large playroom of their own. The lower level also has the most direct access to the creek. The very upper level has offices for Hannah and Eliot that connect to the second floor deck above the screen porch. This upper deck allows for the joy of working outside when the weather is good!
The front of the house faces due west, so we minimized windows on that face to reduce solar heat gain, creating thin frosted lines of glass to recall the tree trunks at the back of the property. Hence the name, "Ghost Trees".
This lovely family was such a delight to work with. We enjoyed every minute and were honored to be selected as their architect!