Artist Residence by the Creek
Year
2025
Client
L&A
PROJECT STAGE
Permit Approved
square feet
2150 sqft
PROJECT SCOPE
Residential design
Team and collaborators
Project Overview
The Artist Residence by the Creek is both a home and a sanctuary for creative practice. Designed for a couple of full-time artists, the residence blurs the line between living and working, offering spaces for everyday domestic life as well as large, light-filled studios for making and displaying art. The design balances intimacy with expansiveness, creating a retreat where creativity and nature are in constant dialogue.
Site
Nestled along the quiet edge of a creek and surrounded by the wooded landscape of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the site itself sets the tone for the project. Morning light streams in from the east, and a continuous wall of glazing along the main house opens the interiors to the water. The residence is designed not just to sit on the land, but to orient itself around its features—capturing sunlight, framing forest views, and maintaining a close relationship with the natural setting. The sloping shed roof echoes the silhouette of the mountains beyond, tying the architecture to its larger context.
Floor Plans
The plan unfolds in layers to accommodate both living and working. On the ground level, the southern “elbow” of the plan extends toward the sun, with living and entertainment spaces oriented southward to maximize daylight and openness. Bedrooms are positioned on the eastern and northern edges for privacy and morning light. A flexible garage and guest suite connect seamlessly to the main house and can be accessed from both upper and lower levels, providing space for visitors, workshops, or quiet retreat. Rising above, the second level holds a generous open studio, with an exterior sky deck linking the main volume to the guest apartment above the garage.
Form and Expression
The architectural expression of the residence is guided by a balance between openness and anchoring. A prominent stone chimney grounds the main volume with rustic warmth, while tall vertical windows punctuate the façade to filter soft, forested light into the interior. The shed roof, influenced by mid-century modern aesthetics, slopes dynamically to echo the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond. Asymmetrical massing avoids strict symmetry while achieving visual balance, creating a composition that feels both dynamic and cohesive. Solar panels integrated into the stepped roofline reinforce the forward-looking, sustainable ethos of the project.
Light and Creative Space
Inside, the design prioritizes light and flexibility, offering varied spatial experiences for both living and artistic practice. The art studio on the upper floor is conceived as a single, expansive room—an adaptable canvas where making and displaying art overlap. Generous glazing along the east and south walls fills the space with natural daylight, while the workstation is strategically placed to capture a direct view of the creek. The guest suite, recessed from the main residence, is connected by an exterior sky deck that extends the living space outward, linking indoor creativity with the surrounding landscape.
A Retreat Shaped by Imagination
More than a residence, this project is a lived-in canvas—where the rhythms of nature, the daily rituals of home, and the fluid processes of art-making merge. The design prioritizes light, openness, and connection to the land, offering the artists not just a place to live and work, but an environment that continually inspires their practice. It is a home that celebrates creativity while remaining grounded in its mountain and creekside setting, a retreat shaped by both nature and imagination.
Testimonials
