ATHENS

I first met the homeowners because water from the driveway was running toward the front of their house and had caused a lot of damage inside. They had just bought the place. When I showed up for our first meeting, they had scones waiting for me.

What started as fixing the water problem turned into redesigning the whole property. We raised the parking area about two feet and changed the grade so the water moved away from the house.

The homeowners wanted something modern, but the house has a strong midcentury character. Everywhere in the design I found myself picking up geometry that was already in the house. The tall window led to the concrete panels. The horizontal rooflines led to the horizontal wood. The geometry just came out naturally. We used concrete, corten steel and wood throughout.

The built-in wood seating was something the homeowner and I worked out together. I searched for the right iron brackets so the wood could float off the wall. It’s my favorite part.