In late 2007, our firm was contacted by Chris and Christine Dabbs to design for them a small, single family residence, to be located on a wooded lot they’d recently purchased in Holly Springs. The Dabbs were moving from California back to good old North Carolina to retire, and spend more time in the company of their children. The lot was relatively ‘in the country’ and they wanted a structure that felt right at home in the Carolina pines.
Front Porch of the Dabbs Residence - Holly Springs, NC
In spending a lot of time looking through Architecture and shelter magazines, it’s easy to overlook traditional, vernacular design as a source of inspiration. But there are lessons to be learned from the vernacular, valuable lessons that ought not be overlooked. Take the front porch for instance, a deep, welcoming front porch shades windows from direct sunlight, while simultaneously brings visitors into the house.
Front Porch Columns - Holly Springs, NC
A nicely proportioned column gives not only the literal support needed for the porch, but conveys a sense of stability and structure that the average person picks up intuitively.
Overhang Detail - Holly Springs, NC
Functional details can become something more. Deep overhangs are present on vernacular structures for their shading abilities, much like the front porch, and also for getting large amounts of water out and away from the structure during the heavy Carolina rainstorms.
Clerestory Detail - Holly Springs, NC
High, operable windows bring natural light into lower spaces, and allow for passive ventilation via the stack effect, bringing in cooler air while letting warm air out. You may have noticed small structures popping out of the roofs of old tobacco barns, they’re operating in much the same way.
Screened Porch - Holly Springs, NC
And don’t forget the screen porch. There are more than 60 species of mosquito in the Old North State, and while they don’t all bite humans, you can bet the ones that do will find you. A screened porch can be the perfect outdoor extension of the house, and in our temperate climate, a screened porch can be comfortable for nearly nine months out of the year.
For additional photos and my comments while the Dabbs residence was under construction in 2008, click here and here. Much thanks to Elliot with EMK Construction, Inc. for making Chris & Chris’s dream a reality, and to Chris and Chris for being some of the finest clients I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.