We share here some atmospheres and moods related to personal and private escapes, created together with our clients and friends.

Situated on a hill overlooking Georgia’s beautiful Lake Oconee, this two-thousand square foot 4 level vertically zoned home has a small footprint, limiting its impact on the landscape. This city escape 1 hour east of Atlanta is built from many materials harvested near the site including georgia pine and cypress, and American cherry.

With views of the lake from every room, the stacked spaces create a cool mix of intimate and social compartments. The roof studio was added in 2020, just in time to work from home, affectionately called “the nest”.

Outstanding collection of American art, eccentric furniture palette, two working fireplaces, 4 zone AC, continuous hot water, natural ventilation when desired, garden irrigation and electricity are provided by the lake. This place is “built to chill”.

Architect: GG Creative

Landscape Architect: TerraBonne

Builder: Montagne Construction

Completed Summer 2021

One of the highest rated, and by far the coolest buildings on Santa Rosa Island, Pensacola Beach. 3BR/2BA.

Filled with magnificent maps, globes, books, with a view of English Navy Cove, and steps from the beach, we’ve created an escape that invites exploration.

You can depart from here to every major port in the world.

Towerview is a preservation and adaptive extension of a remarkable mid-century modern house located in Atlanta’s Lenox Park neighborhood. Our approach sets precedent for valuing the mid-century residential past through preservation of the landscape and structures.

Along with the careful restoration, new spaces were added to the inside and outside of the house, all while preserving the vintage aesthetics, and elevating the look and feel with thoughtful additions.

Trees on the site were carefully managed throughout the landscape upgrades which include a pool and social spaces.

GG Creative Architecture and Interiors

Field Landscape Architecture

Montagne Construction

Complete in Autumn 2023

This small urban villa is situated on the footprint of a circa 1970 condo. The redesign tripled the existing square footage and created a distinctive look with a strong street presence. The very limited site constrained the expansion, so the home grew vertically, while ensuring that the new residence was scaled appropriately for the adjacent homes. Living spaces occupy the second level overlooking the neighborhood and a small courtyard to the rear accommodates outdoor cooking and socials.

A 1950s ranch style house converted into an open-planned, contemporary home. Site constraints influenced many of the design decisions; a walled courtyard transitions guests and homeowners from the public street and front yard to the private interior, while a narrow back yard and tight setbacks necessitated a second story master suite. A rooftop deck was added as a bonus to the second floor, as well as a living room off of the front of the house, sheltering the deck from the street.

Location: Taccoa River, GA

Contractor: Marc Nicholson, Nicholson Home Builders

A series of properties along the Toccoa River in Blue Ridge, Georgia became the ideal site for a couple seeking a distinctly rustic but elegant home for entertaining a large extended family and relaxing along the river. The house unfolds along the bank, each room opening up to a view and soothing sounds of the water just yards away. In order to fully appreciate the site, the house has been designed with multiple outdoor rooms, including a terraced yard, a serene hot tub escape, and screen-enclosed dining and living spaces. The grander outdoor areas connect back to the main body of the home through walls of gliding windows that virtually disappear, allowing the atmosphere of the river to spill into the office, kitchen, dining room, and great room.

AIA Atlanta 2019 Finalist, Single Family: Traditional

World Architecture Festival - Finalist | American Institute of Architects - Georgia Chapter - Merit Award >> | American Institute of Architects -  Atlanta Chapter - Merit Award

Site  |  Heavily wooded, steeply sloped, 54 acre wooded lot on Highland Gap Road in North Carolina. A small creek cuts though the northern edge of the site and flows to the Middle Creek, less than 1/2 mile away.
Clients  |  Retirement age couple, downsizing
Programmatic Strategy  |  Eccentrically zoned, compact vertical
Formal Strategy  |  The overall form of the house is predicated on three factors:
- Eccentric pallete of center points based on placement of tree trunks
- Maximum solar gain derived from a carefully calibrated solar geometry
- Air flow capture and connection to the geologic and environmental qualities of the site
Hot Side/Cool Side  |  The upper windward side of the house faces uphill and directly south. An array of framed solar louvers wrap the so called “hot” side of the house, generating enough electricity on average daily basis to light the house. The stair serves as a vertical ventilation shaft, using the hot side of the house to magnify thermal movement on warm days during the swing season. 
The lower windward side of the house faces a small creek with the view extending towards a river basin. With predictable sir current in the mountains, the orientation captures cool air traveling up the hill. Windows serve as soft articulated apertures to emphasize air flow across smooth ceilings.
Energy Kit  |  Ultra efficient energy generating kit with positive energy generation over a 12 month cycle. PV: Monocrystalline silicon panels, moderately ventilated, south orientation and inclination of 45º on southern wall. 0,12 ~0,18 Kpk KW/m2 with a minimum package density of 80%
Cooling system  |   Multisplit system with COP = 2.9
Heating system  |   Heat pump + radiant floors, estimated conservatively at COP = 1. Mechanical supply and exhaust of air @ 0.35 ACH. Heat exchange plates and/or pipes. 20% exhaust air recirculation. Tight envelope @ 0.4 ACH
Sensor controlled lighting  |  Lighting intensity = 5 W/m2. Evacuated tube solar collectors with direct ow system (hot water) 30 m2, facing south @ 30º inclination on roof
Water Conservation  |  Two 1000 gallon cisterns located at east and west side of house
Energy Calculations  |  Ultra efficient system with 80-95% energy generation balance over a 12 month cycle.
Structure  |  CIP reinforced concrete with tube steel bracing at pressurized wall system
Wind Veil  |  3/8” diameter stainless steel beads on the cool side
Envelope  |  Interchangeable pressurized panel system Aluminum Clad SIP, Reyaears Doors and Windows, Hydrotech Roof system

Built in the first half of the 20th century, this 16 unit apartment building in the heart of Midtown Atlanta was severely damaged by fire. Though only half of the structure was directly impacted, our mission was to bring the whole building up to current code standards with new electrical, plumbing, hvac, and sprinkler systems.  Additionally, restoration of the building exterior and upgrades to interior finishes blend historic charm with highly desirable contemporary features, such as curated views of the surrounding city and unit layouts catered to the lifestyle of Midtown residents.

Site  |  1/3 acre, gently sloping in a 1920's East Atlanta neighborhood, with an existing 1100 sf cottage nestled among beautiful, mature hardwoods.
 
Program  |  A recently married, professional couple (both working for non-profit companies) with similar creative interests: one is a painter, one works in clay.
Working with a very limited budget, the program called for a large, connected space of approximately 800 s.f. which would accomidate both mediums as well as serving as a social nexus for entertaining.
The painter requested a loft; the potter a plinth.
Environemntal response is literal, not rhetorical, and emphasizes a strong connection to the site.
 
Budget  |  $85,000 (with some sweat equity)
 
Contextual Response  |  The collection and storage of rainwater was part of the program, leading to a reconsideration of the existing house's form.
An inversion of the formal and oredering elements of the original house was proposed.
 
Systems  |  Existing House -- Studio
Foundation  | Piers and wood joists -- Concrete Plinth
Frame  |  Concealed -- Exposed
Roof  |  Gable/Deflector -- Scupper/Collector
Relation to Site  | Elevated/Enclosed -- Grounded/Expansive
Drainage  |  Incidental -- Intentional

A small, west midtown church converted into a single-family residence. Exterior walls have been opened up in several places to allow more natural light and air into the living spaces. To take advantage of the especially high ceilings, a master suite loft was added to the main level above the guest bedrooms, providing the owners with their own, more intimate space and accentuating the double height spaces in the main living, dining, and kitchen. The interior has a clean, rather minimal aesthetic that ranges from contemporary to industrial with touches of exposed duct work and structure. The freshly painted existing brick exterior and new metal roof, carport, and garage (with roof top deck) create an environment outside that nicely complements that of the interior.

Location: St. Regis Residences, Atlanta,  21st floor

Contractor: Robert Soens, Pinnacle Custom Builders

The extension of an existing residence at the St. Regis to provide entertaining spaces and a large master suite. Rich materials including ebony macassar wood paneling, Fortuny drapes, silver brown wave granite, dark colors and dramatic, but subtle lighting highlighting work of artists such as Todd Murphy and Aaron Morse create moody and relaxing experience with a touch of mystery.  

The renovation and an addition to an existing home in Buckhead, Atlanta was dedicated to and inspired by the owners large art collection. The proposed design, a “white box," offers open spaces that not only allows for entertainment of guests but also curates gallery-like spaces to display the owners’ treasures. 

A rear addition to an existing two-story house located in a residential area of Atlanta. The new 2,400 square-foot building is a two-level studio of that includes a third story loft and a carport and a workshop on its first level. The main level is treated as an open workspace that includes service spaces and a connecting passage to the existing house. Large, operable windows in the main level and the loft allow for fantastic views, ample natural light, and fresh air, generating a great atmosphere in which to work and create. The interior has exposed wooden rafters and beams that complement exterior elements, such as concrete retaining walls, fiber cement panel reveal system, exposed steel beams, and recycled brick sourced from on-site demo work.

Location: St. Regis Residences, Atlanta,  21st floor

Contractor: Robert Soens, Pinnacle Custom Builders

Private elevator access, sweeping views of the Buckhead neighborhood in Atlanta, and an eclectic mix of highly collectable antiques are all key ingredients of this spectacular 21st floor residence in Atlanta’s St. Regis Hotel. Artwork includes pieces by: Picasso, Todd Murphy, Jean De Merrie, Robert Longo, Barbara Amour, Michelle Schuff, and other noted Atlanta artists.  Antiques include a circa 1935 Jules Lelue dining room set, a Tang Dynasty terra cotta horse, a period Czechoslovakian art deco side board, and antique gaming pieces.  New furniture and collectibles are from Ligne Roset, R. Hughes, Moattar Rugs, Travis and Co., Jerry Pair.    4200 sf, completed in 2013.

Location: Campbell Cove Lake, TN

Contractor: Marc Nicholson, Nicholson Home Builders

Campbell Cove Lake House near Ducktown, Tenessee, consists of three independent structures (main house, bunk house, and garage). The modules are held together under a single roof triangulating between desired heights of individual spaces and nodes. The folded structure of ridges and valleys evokes the forms of the mountainous landscape around it, prompting the idea of the structure rhyming with it's context. The breezeway frames the lake view and a key outdoor place sequence encompassing an observation deck, a screened-in porch, garden, and a terrace anchored by a sculptural fire place.

The design ambition for 165 6th Street was to create a simple, luxurious, intimate yet open group of townhouses that respond to the scale of its neighboring Midtown buildings. In order to create an expansive and free-flowing feel throughout the units, the central stair for each unit was designed to be cable suspended with open treads. To even further amplify the airy and open feel of the stair, a skylight was incorporated above, turning the stair into a light well and flooding the core of each level of the home with natural light. Along with the feature stair the units boast large, high-end, low-profile windows that expand the interior and invite in the skyline. Careful consideration was given to ensure that each floor of the home has a unique outdoor space, the crowning glory of which is the rooftop terrace that covers nearly the entire footprint of the unit and offers multiple outdoor “rooms” with individual atmospheres and outstanding views of Midtown and Downtown Atlanta.

Located in Mountain Park, GA, this contemporary home was carefully proportioned to create a timeless fit into its unique neighborhood. The material palette responds to the home’s surroundings allowing the structure to blend with the natural landscape. Overlooking Garrett Lake, the sequence of spaces is designed to capture views and daylighting, which - along with a minimalist interior - creates a serene setting for an art studio and meditation retreat for the owner.

Gartrell Street Townhomes are located in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn District, just around the corner from Edgewood Avenue amenities. This townhomes project consists of 24 units offering contemporary architecture dwelling experience with incredible views of downtown Atlanta. Gartrell Street Twonhomes were designed in collaboration with Epic Development.

The Water Tower Stacks are located in Atlanta’s Historic Old Fourth Ward, right on the edge of Old Water Tower Park near the Eastside Beltline Trail. This townhomes project consists of 10 units offering contemporary architecture dwelling experience with incredible views of downtown Atlanta. The Water Tower Stacks were designed in collaboration with Epic Development.

Constructing new homes in historic urban neighborhoods presents many challenges, and 1211 Oakdale is no exception. In designing a new home over an existing ranch footprint, we redefined an archetypal style to create a home that embraves the contemporary tastes of the owner while respecting the fabric of the neighborhood.

An intelligent plan elimanates waste by making all spaces, including circulation, livable. The owners' love of entertaining led to the creation of large social spaces which flow from the interior to the exterior. The social aspect is heightened by aperatures that create visual connections between all spaces, to the exterior, and fill the interior with light.The program of the house also includes a library, wine cellar, art studio, gallery, and gardens.

Landscape: Douglas Allen, ASLA  |  Contractors: Innovative Building, Inc; Atlanta, GA  |  Location: Atlanta, GA  |  Completed: Winter 2001

Sweeping views of Lake Laceola from every room of the house are accompanied by a series of eccentric dormers that bring in ample direct sunlight as well as ambient light reflected off the walls of the deep shafts. The dormers highlight specific parts of the program-dining, yoga, bathing-and respond with the appropriate light. The houses dramatic roofline and heavy stone walls are complimented by an equally dramatic terraced landscape reaching down to the water’s edge designed by London-based landscape architect Martha Schwartz.

Restoration and rehabilitation of a circa 1963 modern house on a pitched site adjacent to the south fork of Peachtree Creek. New spaces include a lower level owners suite with outdoor shower a and pool, and enlarged family room, screen porch and updated kitchen.  

This design is the first price winning entry for the 2006 Sustainable Home Competition.  
The entry was to improve the quality of life of the people who will inhabit the space and provide flexibility  with various living arrangements. The project budget was $125,000 requiring creativity in use of readily available materials and simplified construction techniques to provide a more customized home for the budget. 

By carefully configuring the program of the house on the site, the solution created a variety of indoor and outdoor public, social and private spaces with the house becoming a Figure and not an Object. The front porch is a strong signifier at the community level and stretches across the front of the lot to elevate social relations, while at the same time providing carport for unloading groceries and people under cover of the house. With access from the front porch and the living room, the garden serves as a focal point for the social spaces of the house. Rainwater is stored in cisterns in both the front and the rear yard and distributed into the vegetable garden via drip lines in between rain showers.  The site plan has been designed to comply with Xeriscape’s guidelines and suggestions for low water usage.

Air moves through the house in a  variety of ways depending on the season.  In the Spring and Autumn, a centrally located attic fan draws cool air in from both the social and private sides of the house through the Living Room.  In the Winter, the house is zoned in such a way as to permit  complete or partial heating.  Windows facing south permit the low winter sun to heat the dining room and kitchen throughout the day. 

The living room is the nexus of all activities in the house by interacting with every space on the site from the most public to the most private. Maximum flexibility is achieved by all load bearing walls at the perimeter of the house in every zone, maximum number of interior and exterior spaces, and services embedded along the side property lines allocating free and open space around the garden and grove. Moveable wall panels allow the house to adept to a variety of family sizes and social arrangements.