The project is a renovation of a lakeside farmhouse built in the 1970s and inhabited by multiple generations of the same family ever since. A retreat from the family’s primary residence outside Atlanta, the home functions both as a gathering space for family & friends as well as the nexus of the farm’s robust working life, which includes an impressive kitchen garden, deer and quail hunting, and an active tree farm.

The scope of work included a complete demolition and rebuild of the kitchen, living and dining volume, an overhaul of the existing envelope, and updated interior finishes and fixtures throughout. Project goals included:

• Updating and refreshing the look, feel, and functionality of the home’s architecture while maintaining a sense of connection to the land’s natural and built environments

• Restoring daylighting and lake views in the main living area that had been blocked by successive additions, including a screen porch on the lake side of the house.

• Helping the home better serve its twin functions as a space for entertaining guests and supporting the (often messy) work of the farm.

• Improving the home’s energy performance.

A system of 22 asymmetrical exposed trusses forms the structural basis of the new construction. Arranged in a regular cadence along the full length of the home, they impart a sense of overall unity and cohesion. Prefabricated from glue-laminated southern yellow pine, these members prominently celebrate and elevate the building material produced and stewarded in the family’s multi-generational tree farm. Deployed in a sequence that begins and ends outside, the truss system reinforces the continuity between the interior and exterior life of place.

New weathering Corten corrugated metal siding wraps the existing bedroom volume, providing a high-performance, low-maintenance contemporary sheathing solution that nevertheless rhymes with the ubiquitous corrugated agriculture panels used as siding throughout the farm.

The screen porch moves to the side of the house – out of the line of sight to the lake –  and the living room is provided with a 25-foot run of high-performance floor-to-ceiling windows. Further daylighting in the kitchen and mudroom is achieved with large casement window assemblies and clerestory windows running the full length of the house.

The entrance sequence and kitchen are strategically reimagined to help the home better serve its dual roles. A large mudroom situated adjacent to the main entrance can be easily accessed or bypassed at need. Besides providing space to shed dirty clothes, boots, and equipment, the mudroom comes equipped with ample storage for fresh and preserved produce; meat; and gardening, hunting, and fishing gear. The kitchen includes separate zones for vegetable processing and cooking, each with its own dedicated sink and countertop surfaces.

The home’s energy performance is upgraded in several significant ways. Besides the installation of performance-optimized mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, updated and expanded fenestration boost insulative properties and reduces the family’s need for artificial lighting during the day. Functional awning windows running nearly the full length of the house improve ventilation. Integrated translucent window shades reduce unwanted solar gain during summer months.