Intro - Project description

Holly Hill is named for the many American hollies on beautiful high piedmont land sloping dramatically to Lake Hartwell. Holly Hill, a retirement home for an architect and engineer whose hobbies, respectively, are gardening and classic cars, will be nestled into the site contours to maximize views of the lake and minimize impact on the site.

Passive design features will include extensive eaves, sheltering porches and high albedo roofs as strategies for considerably reducing solar heat gain. Daylighting with clerestories reduces daytime lighting requirements. Ground source geothermal heat pumps ensure minimal space conditioning costs. Corten® siding satisfies client requirements for low maintenance. The design team members anticipate achieving LEED Silver certification.

The house is comprised of three wings joined by bridges: an Architect's wing, an Engineer’s wing and a central activity, living, dining wing. Open and screened porches are strategically located to allow pleasant outdoor use at any time of day or season. Dramatic cantilevers allow the porches to project into the site’s beautiful mixed hardwood tree canopy.

The three wings of the house cantilever toward the lake. The lower floor of the middle wing consists of a activity room and patio with lake access.

Screened porches, sheltered by eaves in the summer, allow lower angles of the winter sun to create year round enjoyment

The Clerestory of each wing of Holly Hill infuses the interior with natural light.

The open porch of the central main opens toward the front garden.