Date: June 28, 2012 | Story: Kathleen Bridges | Styling: Diane Carroll |
When Boyd and Trisha Logan moved into a mid-century ranch style home in Fayetteville shortly after graduating from college, they didn’t expect to stay long. Though the design-savvy couple appreciated the home’s clean, modern lines and the privacy of the surrounding woods, they knew their family would soon outgrow the home’s modest 1,200 square feet.
Seven years and two sons later, the Logans realized they’d rather alter their three-bedroom, two-bath home—untouched since 1959—than give up its unique amenities. Located near legendary architect Fay Jones’ former residence, the home sits on a half-acre abutting the Brooks-Hummel Nature Preserve, nearly 14 acres of protected land trust in the heart of the city.
“Ultimately, we knew we wanted to stay in this home,” says Trisha, “but we needed more breathing room, and Boyd and I needed a space of our own.” The Logans turned to Goshen-based Skiles Architect to design an energy-conscious, 584-square-foot addition that would marry seamlessly with the home’s existing flow and mid-century modern aesthetic.
The first step, says architect Lisa Skiles, was to come up with a thoughtful site orientation for the addition, which included a master bedroom, adjoining bath and an office, all accessible by a hallway connected to the home’s original living and dining area.
“We are trained as architects to consider the path of light and how it can affect space,” says Skiles. To increase the home’s efficiency, she knew she needed to maximize passive solar gain—the use of sunlight to heat a space without mechanical systems—as much as possible. “Fortunately, it worked with the Logans’ land to position the addition with the longest wall facing south,” says Skiles, “which is by far the best type of light.”
To further the sustainable effort, low-e windows were used throughout the space. Strategically placed vertical window boxes flood the bedroom with light and warmth during the winter, and rollout windows along the bottom allow for air circulation and cooling in warmer months. In the new office space, where Trisha works from home as a graphic designer and art director, Skiles placed the windows high to offer a deeper trajectory of diffused light throughout the day. To filter some of the harsher west-facing light and to frame the view to the woods beyond, a 109-square-foot porch with a dramatic cantilevered roof extends along the back of the space, allowing for what Skiles terms a peaceful “pause place” for Trisha and Boyd, an English teacher.
Soy-based foam insulation, renewable bamboo flooring, low-maintenance metal siding and a light-colored metal shed roof that evades heat absorption—all part of Skiles’ palette of sustainable materials—were also programmed into the design.
“It’s not enough to come in at the end of the design and put in some recycled glass tile and say you’re building green,” says Skiles. “It needs to be systemic across the project.”
Trisha heartily agrees: “For us, it’s just a part of how we live.”
Design Resources
Architect Skiles Architect, PA, Fayetteville, (479) 521-5010, skilesarchitect.com
Contractor John Firmin, Build-A-Home, Fayetteville, (479) 263-1164
Bathroom cabinetry Smith Cabinet Shop, Inc., Farmington, (479) 267-2993, smithcabinetshopinc.com
Bathroom flooring Tom January Floors, Inc., Fayetteville, (479) 521-2422, tomjanuaryfloors.com
Bathroom mirror Fayetteville Glass Co., Inc., Fayetteville, (479) 442-8181, fayettevilleglasscompany.com
Bathroom plumbing fixtures Ferguson Plumbing Supply, Springdale, (479) 927-2793, ferguson.com
Exterior building materials Architectural Solutions, North Little Rock, (501) 945-5522; City Lumber Co., Inc., Fayetteville, (479) 442-8221; Metal Mart, Springdale, (479) 756-5536
Flooring Stock Building Supply, Springdale, (479) 756-6145, stockbuildingsupply.com
Office lighting Lacuna Modern Interiors, Fayetteville, (479) 582-3876, lacunamodern.com
Outdoor furnishings HomeGoods, Conway, (501) 764-4000
Paint Sherwin-Williams, locations statewide, sherwin-williams.com
Windows Butterfield Millworks, Springdale, (479) 750-4441
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