Smoky Mountains Residence

Location: Walland, TN

Completed: 2003

Square footage: 3,315 (heated), 655 (exterior)

This family loved their annual vacations to the Tennessee Smoky Mountains, and the couple dreamed of retiring there. Then they figured out a way to build their retirement home, move there now, and keep working.

We designed the Youngs' Smoky Mountains home while they were still living in Houston, so we conducted workshops and site visits (and withstood hundreds of chigger bites) to make sure we properly located the house within its surroundings: slightly below a ridge, to take advantage of views and solar orientation while minimizing construction costs. The approach and footpaths provide pleasant views of the house from many directions.

The Youngs hired a local contractor to build the house and rented a home nearby during the year of construction. They enjoyed the process of seeing their dream home become a reality through daily visits.

In the questionnaires we gave them to help us learn more about their lifestyles and preferences, Our clients had listed making music as a very important part of their family life. We designed the home around their baby grand piano and provided storage and display areas that put musical instruments within easy reach. Now grandparents, siblings, children, and friends love to visit the Youngs, and the music they make echoes off the slopes around their mountain home.