Meanwhile in Nashville...

Project: Snyder Court
Developer: Nuck & Beal
Location: East Nashville

I’ve been working on a new project that should break ground in East Nashville this fall. Called Snyder Court, it’s a development of 4 single-family houses aimed at first-time homebuyers. Each unit is roughly 2000 square feet and has 3 bedrooms. Some of the units have 2 full and 2 half baths, and others have 3 full and 1 half bath.

Each project has unique challenges and this one is no different. In this case, there were three particular challenges to solve, and here’s how the client and I handled each issue:

Providing a gracious, dignified living environment in a small footprint

Clearly, on a small lot, we had to go tall to be able to provide 2000 square feet of living space. The bottom floor of each unit contains the garage, a porch, and an office or bedroom. The kitchen and open plan living space are on the second floor, with additional bedrooms on the third floor. We located a bath on each level for easy access. The porch on the ground floor and a balcony on the second floor extend the living space outside and are sheltered from the street by a two-story wood screen. Each unit is defined with a pop of bright color that frames and accentuates the screened area.

Getting these tall (3-story) houses to fit in with the scale of the current housing in the neighborhood

Although going to three stories let us provide plenty of living space, it presented another challenge—these houses could potentially loom over the existing buildings on the street. I worked hard to bring the scale down by finessing the roof lines, pulling the eaves down so that the third floor felt more like an attic story and the overall volume felt more like the conventional 2-story houses already in the area.

Creating privacy on a busy street

These houses will be on a street with a fair amount of traffic and noise. To give the homeowners privacy and shelter, I created wrap-around screening that extends up to the second floor. These screens will allow plenty of light to flood the living spaces while also blocking out the hectic sights and sounds of the busy street.