House for Mr. & Mrs. Smith

156 Val Halla Cove, Memphis, TN 38018 United States

Building Area (sf): 5,265 sf (htd.) 874 sf (un-htd.) 6,139 sf (total)

Completion: Feb. 2023

Architect of Record:

designshop, pllc

Tim Michael, AIA
Scott Guidry, RA
Emily Sidden-Redding, RA

• Owner/Client:
• General Contractor: RKA Construction
• Electrical: CSA Engineering, Inc. (Ben Knoernschild, PE)
  Engineered Comfort, Inc. (Walter Nelms, PE)
  Clear Advantage Lighting (Ben Avant)
  
• Engineering:
  
• Other:
  
• Photography:
  firm
  

A newly retired couple had grown tired of their typical spec house and purchased the last remaining lot in an eclectic ’60s era neighborhood encircling a small lake. They sought a house that accentuated the site while simultaneously providing beautiful spaces in which to enjoy the simplicity of daily life.

Though retired and living as empty nesters, the couple required an extensive program resulting in a large house on a small, pie-shaped site in a cul-de-sac. Sloping downward to the water’s edge, the site’s size presented challenges; however, its topography was suitable for a multi-story house imposing a minimal footprint on the site.

The house consists of two linear bars forming an “L” and is positioned to preserve a very mature cypress tree. Communal spaces occupy the bar parallel to the lake, allowing sweeping views across the water. Private functions are housed in the bar perpendicular to the water aligning with the angled property edge and culminating in exceptional views for the master bedroom. Entry into the house is made where the two bars meet. An entrance gallery guides one’s path toward the lake and stair where the floor gives way to double-height space and glazing. The kitchen, dining, and living spaces all share the large communal volume. Walls enclosing the pantry and powder room and supporting kitchen cabinetry are kept low, representing smaller objects in a larger space, allowing the volume of space to extend over them and feel more expansive. Though more closed to the street, the communal volume opens to the lake with floor-to-ceiling glazing and a roof that is clearly articulated from interior to exterior. Within the private bar of the house, the master suite occupies the main floor level with a second floor suite intended to house a future caregiver as the couple ages. A lower level embedded into the hillside provides a shop/storage, kitchenette, restroom, and office that opens onto an exterior terrace.

Exterior materials were selected with maintenance and cost at the forefront of consideration and applied in accordance with the building diagram. Standing seam metal clads the communal bar while corrugated metal wraps the private portions of the house. The rear of the house features expansive glazing and fiber-cement siding within the galvalume roof profile, all resting atop a masonry base.