Cliffs Valley Residence

A design rooted in traditional prairie style with modern touches make this home in the mountains. The exterior massing consists of three distinct hipped roof forms that feel like a tree canopy over the site. Inside, each space is intentionally designed to subtly usher you to the next.

The Cliffs Valley Residence was inspired by traditional prairie style motifs – emphasizing horizontal and geometric elements, using hipped roofs and broad overhangs. The home is located in The Cliffs at Mountain Park in South Carolina and our challenge was to create a modern home that fit into our mountain region and conformed to the community design guidelines. We took the prairie style principles but turned up the dial of modernity.

This property had a gentle knoll that gave us the perfect perch. Following along the natural curve of the property, the design of the house is composed of three distinct roof forms. The massing of the home is reminiscent of a tree canopy. The roofscape delineates the three stacked spaces inside. The middle and largest roof form is the main stack that holds the public spaces, like the kitchen and main living room. More private spaces including the owner’s suite and guest rooms bookend either side of the gathering spaces.

Inside, the house doesn’t immediately reveal itself. There are layers to work through. This is an intentional design that creates a choreographed journey through the house. When you walk through the front door, you find yourself in a closed foyer that offers glimpses into the spaces beyond. To the left, there are openings that give a teaser to the staircase. In front is an opening, inviting you to step forward. Once you’re through the threshold, you’ve been transported to a new space that is open, filled with light from generous windows and views to the surrounding forest.

The great room holds the kitchen, dining and living spaces. One of the unique features of this space is the dual fireplaces at the entry threshold. Instead of having a traditional fireplace/TV combination in the living room, we used dual fireplaces at the dining to create an anchoring focal point in the room.

Around the corner from the great room is a grand stair. The custom designed floating steel staircase keeps the space transparent allowing light from the main level windows to flood into the lower spaces.. A vertically based light fixture emphasizes the height of the staircase. The lower level contains guest bedrooms , a secondary living space and screened porch, and mother-in-law suite with easy access to the elevator.

There are plenty of outdoor spaces to enjoy throughout this house. After the layered, choreographed entry on the front of the home, the exterior is completely open and free to let the owners and guests enjoy the mountain lifestyle.