A Sense of Place
by Jonathan McGaha | June 30, 2016 12:00 am
A nicely sited ranch house draws inspiration from the region agricultural heritage
When is a vacation home not a vacation home? When it’s on a 3,000-acre ranch in northern Mississippi. Two Memphis doctors had purchased the land some years ago with the plan to retire to the property at the end of their medical careers, swapping one kind of hard work for a very different kind.
The couple turned to Todd Walker, FAIA, principal of Memphis-based archimania, to design their retirement home, but upon its completion, they liked it so much they moved in permanently and now commute to Memphis. Lighter schedules make the two-hour commute more reasonable.
Local Inspiration
The home was inspired by the agricultural buildings in the area of northern Mississippi. “One of the things we have an appreciation for,” Walker says, “is wonderful old farm buildings. Barns and things of that nature. Some of them are made of wood. Some of the farm structures are made of metal. The ones that have lasted for some time-are sustainable- are made of corrugated metal. They’re low, one-story structures that have the simplicity of farm buildings and take advantage of the landscape.”
Walker drew on that inspiration to echo those buildings with a simple, metal-clad house that features vertical ribbed panels that extend to the eaves. Above that point, flat standing seam panels define the upper reaches of the house, accentuating the simple, sloped-shed roof, also made of standing seam metal. The wall and roof panels were supplied by Jackson, Miss.-based Reelfoot Metal Building Supply and installed by Francisco Sanchez Metal Roofing, Jackson.
Careful Placement
The 3,020-square-foot house is sited on the top of a rise with the cantilevered overhang facing the southwest to protect from the bright afternoon sun. The hayfield spreads out below the house and a nearby stock pond-enlarged as part of the construction- serves double duty. It captures the run-off from the roof, which is directed by a natural swale toward the pond, and it works as the geothermal heat pump source.
The low structure and large fenestration break down the barrier between the indoor and outdoor. “One of my favorite part of the house,” Walker says, “is that there are several transitions. You have a view over the pool through the overhang. If you’re under the porch, you have a similar view but more expansive. If you’re outside under the overhang and you look down the length of the house, the view is framed by the house.”
Changing Colors
The metal also captures the changing colors of the environment. Walked says: “One of the nice things about the metal is the reflectivity on this site. It takes on different hues when photographed. It can be more blue or more white or more gray. Depending on even one hour later, you have a little different view.”
Surrounding the pool, the bright reflectivity of the metal is softened by a natural-stained wood cladding from Thermory USA, Chicago. “It’s an added element that brought nature back to the house,” Walker says. “We really used it to contrast the metal and offer a warmth you don’t naturally get with the metal.”
A Simple Floorplan
The house is divided between public and private areas. At one end near the garage, the main entrance is a small visitor’s suite that overlooks one end of the pool. Across the hall is the kitchen and dining areas. Both of those areas have easy access to an outdoor sitting zone and a screened porch.
Separating the public zones from the master suite is a short hall and a room set up as a storm shelter. This part of Mississippi is known for tornadoes and the owners had a house built 25 years ago blown away by a tornado.
The materials selection of the interior reflects the simplicity of the exterior with polished concrete floors that can withstand the rough treatment a ranch house will typically get. The owners are very active, as well, with interests in biking and running among many other outdoor activities. The bright interior and its openness to the vistas surrounding the house capture that sense of the outdoors that is so important in their lives.
Sustainability
The selection of metal cladding material was part of the desire to make the house more sustainable. Walker says they considered solar panels but opted for the geothermal heat pump. In a way, the idea of sustainability is woven throughout the very idea of the structure itself. The first element of the green ethos is reduction even before re-using and recycling. “We were very careful with not being excessive with materials,” Walker says. “We used concrete floors and captured water dropped directly into the pond to support the heating and cooling. We use LED lighting and all the appliances are low energy and the fixtures low-flow.”
Walker adds, “The house is really crafted with a high level of quality.” The panel of judges concurred with that assessment, pulling out the house for special recognition as a judge’s award.
Photos: Hank Mardukas
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A+M Residence, Sardis, Miss.
Completed: October 2015
Total square footage: 3,020 square feet
Building owner: Private residence
Architect: archimania, Memphis, Tenn., www.archimania.com
General contractor: Oak River Fine Homes, Memphis, www.stevemedlin.com
Metal installer: Francisco Sanchez Metal Roofing, Jackson, Miss.
Metal wall/roof panels: Reelfoot Metal Building Supply, Jackson, www.reelfootmetal.com
Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/a-sense-of-place/