Project size: 2,000 square feet

Program: This single-family residence was built as a turnkey home within a development near Oxford, Mississippi. The objective was to design a contemporary house that is integrated into the landscape and that features local and natural materials. Private bedroom wings are separated from a central living area, and adjacent outdoor spaces allow a close connection between house and landscape.

Location: Oxford, Mississippi

Solution: The design reinterprets elements of traditional houses, such as the balconies and colonnades of antebellum residences, to create a modern-vernacular home that is integrated with its environment and attuned to local climate conditions. The house floats above the landscape on piers. A catwalk leads to a covered and compressed entry, which frames a view to the lake. The house is divided into three zones: the main living area, centrally located in the plan; the master bedroom wing, located across the main entry space of the home; and the guest room to the west, which is separated from the main volume and accessed via a screened porch area. The house’s layout was informed by carefully calibrated axes, set to guide residents throughout the interior, and frame views.

Construction and materials: Elevating the house on piers allowed for as little interference with the earth as possible. The exterior of the building is clad in locally-sourced cypress tongue-and-groove boards, and overlaid with vertical battens. The battens offer visual relief from the larger expanses of wall; their shadows give a sense of depth to the building’s skin. A simple material palette comprising cypress, Douglas fir, and galvanized metal, is inspired by rural building typologies.

Additional Information

Completion date: October 2017

Gross square footage: 2,000 square feet  

Total project cost: $1.3M

Total construction cost: $780,000

Client: Splinter Creek Development Co.

Owner: Ellen and Eason Leake