It’s a mistake to think a house in the city can’t bring you closer to nature and community life, for that’s exactly what this new house by Tina Govan Architect and ThoughtCraft Architects does for its client. Inspired by the existing fabric, especially a historic house with a commodious front porch and a big balcony across the street, Trott Residence layers privacy and public engagement with creativity and sophistication.
“We were both inspired by the location,” says Tina Govan of her collaboration with Jason Hart of ThoughtCraft. “This is a neighborhood that is really evolving,” says Jason. “Tina and I spent a lot of time walking around the streets. There’s a whole pattern of front porches and private gardens. The house weaves together all those elements and distant views of Durham.”
Other essentials were an emphasis on sustainability and a commitment to giving back to the community by using local craftspeople and trades. Says Jason, “Our client was very philanthropic about practicing ‘slow money’ and investing in small businesses.”
Starting from the big, open front porch, the house unfolds in a series of layered spaces. Spaces are sometimes open, sometimes semi-private, and, in the case of a secluded garden off the primary suite, completely private. The garden makes use of a large green roof that intensifies the natural bounty of the site. “The green roof lightens the mass of the house, because it reads as landscape and garden,” Tina explains. Our judges agreed: “They did a lot to reduce the mass. They really played off creating something new using the existing proportions of the neighborhood.”
Citation
Tina Govan Architect with ThoughtCraft Architects
Trott Residence
Durham, North Carolina
Project Credits
Architect: Tina Govan, AIA, Tina Govan Architect, Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina, and Jason Hart, AIA, and Chris Johns, AIA, ThoughtCraft Architects, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Boston, Massachusetts
Builder: Bob Wuopio, Form Design/Build, LLC, Raleigh
Landscape Architect: Laura Moore, ASLA, Chapel Hill
Project Size: 3,470 square feet
Site Size: 0.65 acre
Construction Cost: Withheld
Photography: Mark Herboth Photography
Key Products
Bathroom Ventilation: Panasonic
Cabinetry Hardware: Mockett
Cladding: Thermally modified poplar
Cooktop: Wolf
Dishwasher: Fisher & Paykel
Entry Doors/Windows: Marvin Elevate collection
Faucets: Franz Viegener, Dornbracht, Hansgrohe
Fireplace: Heat & Glo
Lighting Control: Lutron
Outdoor Grill: Blaze
Ovens/Refrigerator/Freezer/
Specialty Appliances/Washer/Dryer: Whirlpool
Paints: Sherwin-Williams
Roof Windows: VELUX
Roofing: Standing seam GALVALUME steel, green roof by Living Roofs, Inc.
Sinks: Duravit, Julien (kitchen)
Thermal/Moisture Barriers: VaproShield
Toilets: TOTO
Window Wall Systems: Folding Sliding Door Co.