Located in the Pulaski Heights neighborhood of Athens, Georgia, the site is situated two blocks north of downtown and a block south of the CSX railroad line. The neighborhood is home to historic factory, mill, and warehouse buildings which grew up around the railroad as well as the early 20th Century modest mill cottages which once housed the workforce for these businesses. The neighborhood’s proximity to downtown and its bohemian history as a haven for Athens’ musicians, artists, and students coupled with the availability of interspersed vacant lots have made it attractive to residents who want to build creative modern homes in a walkable neighborhood. Many of Athens’ other in-town neighborhoods have been made historic districts with preservation guidelines for renovation as well as new construction. The unique creative freedom offered by the Pulaski Heights neighborhood has led to homes which have grown organically in the spirit of this progressive community. They may have a more modern language than their historic mill cottage neighbors, but the houses bring a sensitivity to place which helps them positivity contribute to the neighborhood’s rich culture, creativity, and community. The Reilly-Canfield residence exemplifies the 21st Century evolution of this downtown Athens neighborhood.
The scale and massing of the home is influenced by the surrounding historic gabled cottages. The 2,974 sf main level is divided into two wings to reduce the impact of the scale. One wing houses the public living areas and the other the private bedrooms. The public wing is sited with its long exposure facing north and south for optimal passive and active solar orientation. The public wing terminates with a large, screened porch elevated a story above the sloping grade at the rear of the property. The porch feels like a treehouse among the kudzu-covered trees along the bank of a creek at the western edge of the property. The bedroom wing runs perpendicular to the public in an L-shape to frame a backyard area for their young children to play. The east and west facing facades of this wing have strategic openings, views, and awnings to minimize the western exposure. The two wings are connected by an entry hyphen clad in textured black brick with a projecting Flemish bond. The local brick is manufactured with 100% recycled content in North Carolina. The rusticated brick pattern creates playful shadows, and its tactile nature invites guests to the front door. The large windows in the brick hyphen have a welcoming glow at night and allow views straight through the entry into the courtyard-like backyard where the homeowners like to entertain their guests.
The two main wings of the home are simplified gable forms – a modern interpretation of the surrounding mill cottages with a 6/12 roof slope designed for optimal solar exposure of the 10kw photovoltaic array on the south-facing roofline. The gabled wings are clad primarily in standing seam Corten steel. The evolving rich patina of the weathering steel is reminiscent of the nearby corrugated metal mill buildings. To protect against heat gain, the Corten steel rainscreen cladding is held off of the walls and roof sheathing with a continuous air space leading to a ridge vent at the peak of the roof. The 8” thick walls and 14” of roof insulation further contribute to the high-performing building envelope, designed to keep out the Georgia heat and allow air conditioning systems to work more efficiently.
Secondary cladding materials are thermally modified, locally milled Poplar rainscreen and slat walls and painted fiber cement panels used to infill around window openings. The fiber cement panels (with recycled content) are sourced from Nichiha’s nearby plant in Macon, Georgia. To customize the color scheme for each of the panel compositions, the homeowners engaged local artist, Lou Kregel, whose beloved chrysanthemum murals are iconic to Athens. The house is responsive to regional climate, solar orientation, and materials while embodying the character and creative spirit of its local community.
