The clients, a retired couple who wanted a place for their adult children and grandchildren to gather, sought the house to never feel too small, while at the same time delivering a healthy, nature-inspired design that captured elements and splendour afforded by the unique, and beautiful, island setting.

According to this brief, the expansive project by Chelsea and Matt Anderson, owners of Habitable Form and Maghwa Luxury Homes, respectively, was customised to capture the pleasant, south-westerly breezes running off the Atlantic Ocean and into the home. The central living space on the first-floor features large bi-folding doors to become one large, covered porch. The second-floor bedroom suite was isolated completely with private exterior access so it could be closed off when not in use, giving autonomy to those who use it. 

Looking at the exterior, clean, straight, horizontal lines and wooden screens were fitted in continuous fashion, including on the garage doors, which are camouflaged with the siding. An exterior staircase located on the front corner of the home is framed with wooden slats as well, bending the light that pours into the home at different times of the day.  

The site provided only a minimal area to build on, in order to protect the ancient live oak trees that encompass the property. As such, this required a design that was vertical in its approach, while keeping a narrow form that to would allow for natural lighting and ventilation of the property.   

Chelsea Anderson said she had initially proposed a combination of wood species on the exterior, but the Kiawah Island Architectural Review Board urged her to keep a minimal palette and encapsulate the entire façade house of the house using sustainably sourced Kebony Clear wood cladding.  

Developed in Norway, Kebony provides an alternative to tropical hardwood building materials, helping to ease the global dependence on traditional construction materials, and reducing the environmental damage caused by tropical deforestation. Sourced from fast growing FSC-certified sustainable softwoods such as pine, dually modified™ Kebony wood offered Chelsea, Matt and the homeowners a product with the same durability and dimensional stability of a protected wood species, without compromising on the symbiotic relationship with Kiawah Island’s forested habitat.  

Team:

Architects: Habitable Form

Photographer: Kristian Alveo

Materials Used:

Kebony