March 1, 2021
This week’s story comes from the financial planning office of Elwood & Goetz in Athens. Lindsay Elwood and Joe Goetz came to Arcollab wanting to rehabilitate an historic residence on Milledge Avenue. This project came with a twist, however, as they planned to convert the historic residence into their financial planning firm’s offices.
“Our vision in converting an historic house in the heart of Athens into an office for our financial planning firm was that clients would truly feel at home when they walk in,” said Elwood & Goetz. “We wanted to blend the warmth and familiarity of a living space with the functionality of an office, and Arcollab executed that vision to perfection.” Thanks, y’all!
This historic rehabilitation project won an Outstanding Rehabilitation Award in 2017 from Historic Athens (formerly Athens Clarke Heritage Foundation).
From the team at Elwood & Goetz, “Here are a few of our favorite spaces in ‘the Green House,’ as we affectionately call it.”
The open concept kitchen, which features high ceilings, elegant modern fixtures, unique accent pieces and lots of natural light, is one of the team’s favorite spaces to spend time when we’re not at our desks. After a meeting, we often bring clients through the kitchen on their way out to the parking area behind our office. We hear lots of comments on how pleasant and inviting this space is.
The sitting area adjoining the kitchen is by far the most popular place for team members to eat lunch, hang out and chat, or work on their laptops for a change of scenery. We’ve hosted happy hours, birthday lunch celebrations, and holiday parties in the space. The French doors onto the back porch blend indoor and outdoor perfectly when the weather is nice.
The glass and steel-walled room off the main foyer was an incredible addition by Arcollab, bringing a highly visible modern element to a mostly traditional-feeling part of the house. We use the “glass room” for team meetings, client Zoom meetings, and phone calls when a little extra quiet or privacy is needed.
February 22, 2021
The fifth post in our series highlights a modern addition to a 1920’s craftsman bungalow in East Atlanta. “Our house is – was – a typical craftsman bungalow built in 1929. We essentially lopped off the back third of the house and extended back and up with a modern design.” Thanks, David & Brigette, for sharing these reflections with us.
We love passing through this transitional opening from the original warm and woody front half of our house to the bright and clean addition. The new kitchen ends where the original house footprint ended.
Our corten steel-faced fireplace and minimalist stair treads make for an interesting feature wall in the den. This space used to be a rustic brick patio right outside the old back door. The fireplace warms the room with its heat and beautifully patinaed surface.
Descending into this light-filled stairwell every morning, you really get a sense of how the lower and upper floor work together to become one grand space that we never get tired of moving through and living in.
Going from one tiny bathroom downstairs to having this oasis right off the master bedroom was one of the biggest upgrades in our living situation. The multiple windows fill the room with natural light, and when the trees are in full spring and summer green majesty, we feel like we’re showering in a giant treehouse.
David and Brigitte asked “let us know if that’s enough for a blog post!” Perfect, y’all — we love it!
Please check out the project page for more images, including exterior views.
February 15, 2021
Arcollab worked with our clients, Frances and Jim, and local builder, John McLeod, to restore an old house located within a historic neighborhood in Athens. “There were constraints on changes we could make to the exterior,” said Frances. “Nevertheless, working within the footprint of the existing house, Arcollab was indispensable in the creation of a livable and beautiful space that introduces modern design elements and honors the origins of the house.”
When asked to contribute to this project, Frances responded, “It was difficult to choose what features to highlight, there are so many things about our house that we love.” Join us for a peak through our client’s lens.
The living room is located on the north side of the house and can be dark, especially in the winter months. Since we were unable to add additional windows, Lori designed the room with a vaulted ceiling and added two solar powered skylights (that automatically close if it rains) which bring light into the space and help to cool it in the summer. The vaulted ceiling exposes the original beams which add character and warmth to the space.
Lori designed several custom built cabinets made of reclaimed pine that are incorporated in several spaces in the house to complement more modern elements. This side cabinet in the kitchen is a shining example.
This is another example of the reclaimed pine custom cabinets. The shelves give us space to display pottery and provide storage. The divider is open to the living room which adds lightness to the design. The upright supports are reclaimed wall studs. The old fireplace and chimney were previously buried in the walls. We chose to expose and highlight this historic element of the house.
This is the view from our bedroom, which is located in a new structure connected to the original house via an enclosed breezeway hyphen. Since this was new construction, we could have large windows with a beautiful view of the garden. It’s a joy to wake up in this space.
February 8, 2021
In addition to designing commercial/public projects and custom residential homes, Arcollab’s architects have worked on a variety of projects including reviewing designs of the creative and fun Athens-Clarke County bus stop shelters, reviewing plans for Habitat built homes, and designing “other” spaces such as the project featured this week.
Mary Pearse is the Area Chair for Jewelry and Metals at UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art. In her words, “Welcome to my studio in my backyard.” Thanks, Mary! Let’s take a look through your lens …
I never imagined that the bathroom would be one of my favorite aspects of this space. Perhaps it’s because it says “look at me” but not in an attention seeking way.
The stairs lead to a little loft space, or as I like to say, a nook. Hand holds are built in to the treads. I find excuses to go up and down just because they are so fun to use.
The next step is to have shelves built in, opposite the stairs, for some of my books.
The builder lived in the space before it was completed. Then a friend of a friend needed a space “temporarily” which has turned in to a year due to COVID. The studio was never meant to be lived in, but it’s doing a lovely job providing shelter.
The break room has a little patio off the side where I plan to sit and have coffee in the morning.
February 2, 2021
Our house is made of light
It shines in from squares and rectangles
On walls and ceilings
And sliding doors
Moonlight at night
Sunlight by day
It plays with the walls and the floors
It dances
And warms the house like a constant friend
— A. Haynes
Sunlight with promise
Through windows thoughtfully placed
Happy to wake up!
— J. Chin
The outside is home as well
Filled with living space
To lounge and gather with friends
— A. Haynes
January 25, 2021
1. Fireplace – We lived in the house for a year before the stone made it onto the fireplace. In that time we debated whether we even really needed it. Lori convinced us the room would look unfinished without it. As always, she was right. This beautiful stone, recycled pieces of granite, makes a bold, yet somewhat subtle statement. Stone on the fireplace, reminiscent of old lodges in the mountains, was high on the list of must haves for the house. We are so happy with this big central element. It makes the room.
2. Entry – We love the way this entry welcomes people to our home. The 16′ ceiling, the capiz light fixtures, the long bookcase, the stone on the back of the fireplace, and the space for art are beautiful. They’re a little grand but not intimidating – people come in and immediately want to see the rest of the house. It’s like these pieces of the entry come together to say, “This is a great house – wait until you see the rest.”
3. Bookcase – One of us is a minimalist and one of us could never have enough books and has collected pottery for a long time. The beautiful, 10′ tall bookcase allows the book loving pottery collector a place for her treasures while keeping things organized and all in one place. It provides both a focal point for the living room as well as something of a divider between the living room and kitchen.
4. Kitchen – Our home is open so it was a given that the kitchen would be beautiful. I cook and I bake so this kitchen needed to work hard. It does and it is a joy to gather here to cook, to visit, to just be in this lovely space. We plan to age in place so I read everything I could find about designing a kitchen for older folks. The drawers below, the microwave drawer, the ovens that swing open to the side are all features that will make cooking here a joy into my 90s.
5. Porch – Our home sits on a hill in the woods, above a river, with two sets of shoals giving us the constant sound of flowing water. We wanted outdoor space where we could enjoy the river, the birds, the trees, and the deer that wander through our backyard. Our porch is remarkable. The 16’ ceiling, the great view, and the fireplace combine to make this a space we use year round. The master bedroom and the living room open onto it. It is perfect and one of the things we most love about our home.
Arcollab’s principals, Lori Bork Newcomer, Gabe Comstock, and Joe Smith, have been designing custom homes for clients for about fifteen years. We approach designing a home as a melding of the architect’s artistic expression and the client’s dreams within a specific contextual location to create a lasting contribution to the fabric of the surrounding community. We are deeply committed to designing spaces and structures that look beautiful and feel good, that function well, that provide comfort and pleasure to the occupants, that respect and engage their location, and that are healthy places in which to live. We care about the materials used, the way light moves through space, how air circulates, and how people live within their homes – including inside and outside spaces. Each project is designed as a one-of-a-kind – we do not replicate custom residential plans.
We often photograph our projects throughout the process of construction and when they are recently completed. This initiative, which we’re calling Through Our Clients’ Lenses, is an opportunity for us to reconnect with many of our past clients and explore architectural design from the perspective of our clients.
We have invited our clients (and in some cases, those who currently live in homes we designed for someone else) to share glimpses into the spaces and places of their homes that they appreciate for one reason or another. We have also asked them to briefly describe the images they send to us. What you will see and read in this blog series will truly be a reflection on Arcollab’s work as observed through our clients’ lenses. We hope that this will be interesting and fun for our clients, for us, and for others who visit our website and social media.
This spring, Arcollab is hosting Amanda Ochieng, a senior at Clarke Central High School in Athens, as a Young Dawg intern. Amanda is also enrolled at the University of Georgia while she wraps up her senior year in high school. As part of her internship with us, Amanda is helping to coordinate this Through Our Clients’ Lenses initiative.
