On a wooded lot, overlooking the Beaufort River, the owners wanted to maximize their view, their connection to the beauty of the site, and the natural light within the home. The great room is flanked by four twelve foot wide, ten foot tall glass sliding doors, and there is another connecting the kitchen and screen porch, resulting in ample daylighting. Skylights and windows in the stair hall also contribute to this effect. With the sliding doors open, the transition from inside to outside is seamless. There are motorized, retractable screens to defend against mosquitos and gnats when needed. When privacy is desired, motorized shades lower to cover the doors at the touch of a button.

A calming, neutral environment was the objective for the interiors. This was realized through the use of a muted color palette. On top of this neutral palette, we brought in natural materials to layer texture and create interest.  The fireplace wall is rendered in Venetian plaster, the plaster is applied in thin layers which creates a soft, earthy look. Artist Doug Foltz was commissioned for the dining room painting.  The white oak flooring  and 16′ white oak countertop with waterfall edges add warmth to the spaces. The aesthetic throughout is clean, modern and sleek, without being sterile.

The house is designed to be extremely energy efficient, with a predicted energy usage that is close to net-zero. Our approach to sustainability is  holistic, starting with the placement of the house on the site to capture the breezes and utilize shade and sun in a thoughtful manner. The systems incorporated include a super-efficient geothermal heat pump which also provides hot water, 11.9kW solar panel array, Tesla Powerwall battery, along with a tight envelope, low solar heat gain coefficient windows, and occupancy sensors that activate ERV’s. In hurricane prone Beaufort, resilience is of the utmost importance. This house is raised up with its living spaces a story above the base flood elevation. It’s structurally designed and built to withstand 140 mph winds and debris impact and has impact resistant windows. The large sliding doors are protected by roll-down hurricane screens. In the event of a multi-day power outage, the house is operational, thanks to the solar panels and backup battery.