Farmhouse

Architect: in situ studio (visit website)

Location: Rolesville, NC

100 Word Description: The house is in the trees behind the front field, hidden from the road behind a slight rise of the land. The main volume presents a traditional front and is wrapped on the west and south by a deep porch.  Living and dining spaces access the porch.  Two children sleep upstairs, and the master stretches towards the forest in the rear.  A guest basement is carved out beneath the master.  All three levels are organized around a singular circulation spine that provides a full visual sweep of the interior.  Ceiling contours and skylights are carved into the gabled roof forms.

Architect’s Statement: Our clients are a young couple with two children who own a small organic farm northeast of Raleigh.  They approached us to design a small house that would reside near the fields, out of view, and allow their family to enjoy a private yard carved from the forest.  We located the house just in the trees and hidden from view by a rise in the land.  The house is accessed by a drive that bends around the edge of the field, obscuring a clear view of the house until you are upon it.  The front of the house faces west, and, per our clients’ request, this elevation appears as a traditional, two-story farmhouse, complete with a porch.  A private yard is south of the house, and the front porch wraps the south elevation to provide a transition between the yard and the interior.  The children’s rooms are tucked under the roof of the second floor.  The master suite, which includes a private deck, extends east off the main volume of the house and rises above the sloping site.  There is basement beneath the master that also opens to the site via a small patio.  All three levels and public and private spaces are connected by a single circulation spine.  The kitchen, mudroom, and laundry areas are immediately adjacent to a sweeping carport, generous exterior storage, and a small area for grilling.

Type of Construction: The house is built of a traditional wood frame on a concrete foundation.  Deep overhangs protect the walls from sun and water.  The section of the house from front to rear cascades down with the natural contour.  The material palette is humble, with parged foundation walls, hardipanel siding, and a standing seam metal roof.  HVAC systems are tied to a geothermal ground loop, and the envelope is well insulated.  The house is designed to admit enough natural light to preclude the use of artificial lighting during the day, and the entire house opens to the exterior spaces and the yard, encouraging kids to run in and out at will.  Despite being smaller than 3,000 sf, the house accommodates four bedrooms, three and a half baths, and a surprising generosity and variety of spaces.

Photography: Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc.