Project: Bull Creek Residence
Architects: Samsel Architects (now Altura Architects)
Builder: Sulaski & Tinsley Homes
Landscape Architect: Cloos Landscape Architecture
Custom Fireplaces: Orling Interiors
Location: Asheville, North Carolina, United States
Photographer: Keith Isaacs , David Dietrich
Text by Samsel Architects
Recently retired, the owners of this modern mountain home overlooking Bull Creek, outside of Asheville, wanted a home that would offer refuge from their working lives – somewhere quiet, minimalistic and connected with nature. The geometry of the home is a heliotropic response to the movement of the sun across the site. Nestled into the hillside on it’s northern exposure, the house fans out to the south and southwest, a gestural invitation for the sun to enter. North opens to south. Privacy opens to exposed. For a house so near to the city, it feels decidedly remote.
Located on a wooded lot not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway, this two-story modern mountain home serves as a comfortable and practical retreat for its residents. The land is protected on three sides by mature forest, yet the gentle uphill slope of the road allowed for a perfect perch to take advantage of mountain range views to the south and west. Broad windows line the south side of the residence to capture views to distant mountain ranges. Clerestory windows are used on the uphill side to maximize the diffuse northern light, while providing privacy from the road. Deep overhangs shield the high azimuth of summertime sun but allow much desired solar heat gain in the winter months.
The home’s form is a simple angled geometry with a dark exterior color palette. The dark, low-profile roof blends seamlessly into its wooded surroundings. The form of the home splits at an angle with the main entrance and public living spaces on one side and the private entrance and owner’s suite on the other. The covered front porch offers a cool respite in the summer, while the southern-facing screened porch with fireplace allows for year-round enjoyment of the outdoors. The main level is a bright and airy space that uses a minimal palette and generous windows. The lower level is a simple and pragmatic space that houses a screen-printing and woodworking studio.
Upon entering, the dark porch ceiling follows you into the foyer, harmoniously transitioning you from outside to inside. Once inside, the clean, light interior aesthetic offers a satisfying contrast to the darker exterior. Bull Creek Residence is a spacious home with three bedrooms and a large great room on the main level. Naturally finished oak wood floors are used throughout the residence to warm up the crisp interiors, aided by the owner’s unique collection of art and pottery. This moderate color palette lets the views from the generous windows remain the focus.
The kitchen is sleek and minimal, utilizing only base-cabinet storage to keep the great room feeling uncluttered. The majority of the storage is located off to the side in a separate pantry room which holds the refrigerator and other appliances. A custom white oak slab tops the generous kitchen island, while matching open shelves flank the range on the opposite wall.
