view from the south
southeast elevation
east elevation
ground-floor plan
north elevation
A Small House that Lives Big
This house is part of a family compound. Several houses and various out-buildings share a 176 acre parcel of land in Rockbridge County, Virginia, with unobstructed views to the Blue Ridge Mountains in three directions. We had just completed a renovation of the parent’s house when their son approached us to begin the design of his residence. He had an intimate knowledge of the rolling hills, prevailing winds, views of the mountains, and wildlife. We sited the house to take advantage of this, connecting it to the land with stone porches on the south, east and north sides.
Although at 1500 sq. ft. it is considered a small house, it feels big because of plentiful views to the surrounding landscape, access to porches from every room, high ceilings and custom fabricated built-in storage.
Energy-saving features of the house include 2×6 exterior walls with R19 insulation, a geothermal heat pump system, porches for solar protection, and siting and window placement designed to promote natural ventilation.
Carey Reid Kirk, of Annapolis, designed the interior finishes and furnishings. Albiston Associates, of Charlottesville was the landscape architect.