Modern Take on Southern Charm

A recently completed pocket community in Augusta, Georgia generates a new context for a blighted neighborhood on the rise. As the hometown of the owner the goal was to restore the vibrancy and charm of the neighborhood while providing contemporary homes fit for today’s inhabitants. The result is a modern take on southern vernacular architecture. A combination of single family and duplex units line the north and south sides of Wrightsboro Road, constructed in two phases with two unique manifestations.

Phase I homes are efficiently designed with repeating floor plans and clean natural materials used inside and out. Multifamily buildings house one bedroom apartments on the ground floor and three bedroom apartments on the upper floors. Single family homes have identical layouts. The natural cedar exterior cladding on all the units brings a sense of serenity, blending into the area’s landscape.

Phase II homes all have two bedrooms and an open floor plan. Slight variations in window combinations, porch and entry configurations, and building setbacks create the feeling of a diverse streetscape. The bright color palette sets each unit apart and pays homage to the vitality of this once thriving community.

All units include porches and overhangs to provide shade from the intense summer sun. Crawl spaces under the buildings and large windows encourage air flow and cross-ventilation in the hot and humid climate.