House in the Hills

Arkansas’ best known political cartoonist, the late George Fisher, referred to this project site as his “Bird Sanctuary.” Located at the end of a residential street and inhabited with bluejays, cardinals, scarlet tangers, a hawk and pileated Woodpeckers, this rocky terrain slopes 33 feet to a running creek, close to the home of a family of groundhogs. The client wanted a 3,300-square-foot house within this sanctuary. Not wanting to disrupt the site, the house was designed as a simple rectangle, 22′-0″ x 56′-0″ in size, tucked between the easements and setbacks. The house is clad in standing seam metal panels, a low-maintenance and green product, and incorporates low-VOC paint, bamboo flooring, dual-flush toilets, double-insulated windows, Energy Star-rated appliances and instant hot water heaters, but most importantly, is sited correctly on the land to take advantage of the natural elements without disturbing the environment.

Featured in:

Arkansas Life, “A Well-Laid Plan” by Nancy Elizabeth Dement, September 2010

Arkansas Green Guide, “Inside a Green Home” by Mark Hengel, 2009

New Home, “Sleek and Modern Place to Dwell,” Winter 2008