South Carolina Villa

This project is for a private residential house located on a 2.1-acre plot in Traveler's Rest, South Carolina. The concept splits the house into two "L" shapes with an interior courtyard.

ROLE

Project Management/ Concept Design

CLIENT

Ibex Investment LLC

DATE

Oct 2021 - Jan 2022

TEAM

In collaboration with Giacomo Pizzo

The clients wanted a timeless, bespoke design that would accommodate their growing family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧

The clients envisioned a main area that would feel cozy enough for just two people, but also be able to expand in order to lodge a full house. I decided to split the residence into two "L" shaped volumes to create a main house as well as a guest house that connect through an underground space and cleverly utilizes the steep sloping topography.

THE CHALLENGE

Create a home that accommodates many people while still feeling cozy.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Integrate the existing topography into the design and maintain an unobstructed view.

Final renderings of the house

Understanding the site

The project is located on a 2.1-acre plot in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, located just outside of Greenville. It is inside an open yet private community and it features a community house.

Understanding the topography

The topography of the plot is steep. It is a North-West facing plot with a height difference of 88 ft.

What it looks like

Below are photos of the site from the site visit in October of 2021. It is a very densely wooded area with access to a small creek at the bottom.

Initial massing and layout studies

The beginning of this project was composed of trying different massing and layout options to understand how the volume and spaces within it might function.

Massing studies

Layout studies

Developing a strong concept

The concept consisted of two L-shaped volumes that create a "private" interior courtyard between both the guest house and main house.

Creating a moment of pause

The interior courtyard serves as a curated nature within a wild forest. It can be a space for growing a vegetable garden as well as a place to relax, play and enjoy the view.

Where it's positioned on the land

This is the final site plan, facing North. The house lies within the 35 ft offset of the site boundary line. The North-West tilt is a result of the sloping topography (which can be seen in the contours), and in an effort to optimize the view for all sides.

The interior concept

The interior concept is defined by stereoteomic blocks that shape the spaces. These “blocks” are aligned with the low part of the pitch because they contain more practical functions. The entrance starts as a low corridor that slowly opens up to a combined kitchen and living space and then narrows down into the staircase that leads to the underground space connecting the two houses.

Exploded Axonometric

The underground space slowly opens up and leads into the guest house to another, smaller living space. Finally, the corridor to the two bedrooms directs you to a secondary, outdoor entrance back to the main house.

Organizing the spaces

The main house is composed of the master bedroom & bathroom, kitchen, living room, winter garden or workout room, garage, pantry, guest bedroom and bath as well as the stairs connecting the main and guest houses.

Guest House Spaces

The guest house starts at the bottom of the stairs of the main house, with an arrival at the wine cellar and office. The house has three large bedrooms and bathrooms as well as a small kitchen and living space. The guest house sits one story below the main house.

Understanding the details

Below you can find the sections and cross-section of the house. Since the roof is pitched one way, the height of the house changes drastically from the back to the front.

The Solution 💡

Final thoughts

Learnings

🏡 Organizing the spaces within a module.

Finding the right module to organize the spaces within was a challenge. Since the clients had many requirements including having an open flow, all of the spaces had to fall within certain measurements in order to have a cohesive flow while maintaining a beautiful form.

💯 Not compromising quality.

Construction costs are high at the moment and most of the typical homes that are built are made with a lot of imitation materials. One of the most important principles to me in architecture is maintaining high quality of materials and reusing or upcycling as many natural materials in order to create a contextual and honest design.

Next Steps

✅ Getting board approval.

The design must be reviewed and approved by the community's Architectural Review Committee.

✏️ Designing the details.

The second phase of the project is detailed design.

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