3 Mason

With the vision of creating a modern home for a growing family, 3 Mason is a bespoke urban residence in the vibrant neighborhood of The Village of West Greenville. The home featured a variety of design requirements and site challenges that ultimately led to its unique result.

Maximizing a Small Urban Infill Lot
One significant design challenge for the project was to make the most of a limited site area without compromising the comfort, functionality, or aesthetics of the home. During the initial site analysis, it was determined that the house should span the full allowable width of the site to accommodate the desired program for the home. This also determined the location of the required parking, which instead of placing it on the side or rear of the home, was placed at the front of the lot to preserve the rear area of the site for a small backyard.

Massing and Exterior Design
The massing of the home draws inspiration from the surrounding mill homes and incorporates the offset gable pitch for the design of the main roof form. More modern elements such as a flat roof, large windows and exterior trim details were combined with the more traditional/historical roof form to provide an exterior design that was unique enough to contribute its own architectural character while incorporating elements of the neighborhood’s context and history.

Open Floor Plan for Flexibility and Entertaining
A core design principle of the home is its open floor plan. With cooking and hosting a major design requirement, the kitchen was placed in the middle of the main area on the ground floor plan. This seamless integration of kitchen, living, and dining creates a spacious environment where people can interact and flow through the home. Another notable feature is the large folding door off the living room that opens to a large screened-in porch and allows the home to further expand and blurs the line between indoor and outdoor living.

Another key aspect of the home is flexibility, and the home features a “flex room” on the ground floor that opens to a large front porch with a large glass roll up door. This room, currently used as a gym, could later be converted into other uses including another bedroom as the family grows and needs of the home evolve.

Balancing Flow, Volume, and Natural Light
Another essential design feature of the home is the harmonious balance between flow, volume, and natural light. The design pays special attention to the spatial dynamics to ensure each space has the appropriate volume and natural light for its use. The change in volumes were designed to draw you through the home. The expansive height of the living room and large windows draws you through the initial spaces of the home.

Placed at the center of the plan, the staircase allows for efficient circulation, while the strategic placement of two skylights floods the stairs and lower level of the home with natural light. The waterfall white oak stair treads/risers give a sense of seamless connectivity between the wood floors on both levels of the home. The wood slat wall at the bottom of the stairs provides a glimpse of movement while allowing the natural light from the skylights to reach the lower level of the home.

This careful consideration of natural light not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the home, but also contributes to the overall well-being of the homeowners and their guests.