Ravine Residence

2013  |  Ravine Residence  |  Chapel Hill, NC

This three-bedroom, 3,500 square foot home is located on a steeply sloped, thickly wooded site in the Westwood neighborhood of Chapel Hill. The site conditions presented design constraints which SDi used to create a dynamic design that relates to the forest beyond.

A thinly-drawn, three-story vertical bar placed perpendicular to the slope of the surrounding terrain is the home’s central design element. The entry is placed on the mid-level of this three-story vertical. The primary living and dining spaces project from the vertical massing out onto the landscape and offer the homeowners an unobstructed forest view through an expansive bay window. A simply rendered staircase that is the main corridor of movement within the home also shares views into the woods. The upper level is reserved for bedrooms and the lower level features an intimate family gathering space and sheltered outdoor hearth.

The primary structure is wood framing erected on a cast-in-place exposed concrete foundation. Exterior cladding is an interlocking composition of stained cyprus and dark brick masonry.

Photography by Sarah Der and Michael Mills