Project size: 5,000 square feet

Program: This single-family house for the architect and his family was designed to be quiet and subdued, in contrast with the surrounding spec homes.

Location: Toco Hills, Atlanta, Georgia

Solution: Simple and clean in its form, the house started as a twenty-two foot wide cement panel-clad extruded box. The width was chosen based on the span of a reasonably sized wood truss; this ensured that no interior support walls were required, allowing for an uncomplicated open floor plan. Cut to the desired length based on the space requirements, the box is subsequently split into public and private volumes allowing for a clear delineation between functions. The private portion is rotated ninety degrees around the sky-lit stair hall to maximize views to the serene woods behind the house. A complementary warm ipe wood, alluding to the softer interiors of the house, clads the cuts. The exposed roofs are covered with vegetation, adding to the landscape. A series of concrete site walls, carefully nestled into the steep lot, cascade down the front hill from the street to create a terraced entrance garden that becomes the exposed foundation of the house.

Construction and materials: Wood and steel frame construction on a concrete foundation with ipe wood and cement panel rainscreen siding.

Additional Information

Completion Date: April, 2018

Project size: 5,000 square feet

Total project cost: Withheld

Total construction cost: Withheld

Client: Debra and David Goldschmidt

Owner: Debra and David Goldschmidt