Lanning Residence

Designed for the lifestyle and budget of a young married couple and growing family, this home offers a viable alternative to the generic speculative home. Occupying a small leftover developer site, just under four tenths of an acre at the end of a suburban cul-de-sac, the Lanning Residence site is anchored by a one hundred year old oak tree. The parcel, once undesirable to developers and their speculative plans, became the inspiration for the project form.

Acting as both designers and builders, the decision was made early to utilize a strategy typical to most suburban construction; maximizing square footage while minimizing the building perimeter. An analysis of the surrounding suburban fabric revealed that the adjoining property lines were heavily planted. Views and window placement were organized to take advantage of the adjacent landscape while maximizing natural light.

The house program is distributed within two main volumes that are connected by a translucent circulation volume. The spacious interior volumes, large windows, plywood shear walls, sheetrock, and simple details allowed for a light construction budget. Spray foam insulation and well designed mechanical systems allowed the family to reduce their monthly utility bills by over half, creating a far more energy efficient lifestyle.

architect: katherine hogan architects
construction: katherine hogan architects
location: Cary, North Carolina
photography: JWest Productions