This new, ground-up home was recently built atop the Richmond Hills. Despite the beautiful site with its panoramic 270-degree view, the lot had been left undeveloped over the years due to its modest size and challenging approval issues. Saikley Architects handled the negotiations for County approvals, and worked closely with the owner-builder to create a 2,300 sq. ft., three bedroom, two-and-a-half bath family home that maximizes the site’s potential. The first-time owner-builder is a landscape builder by trade, and Saikley Architects coordinated closely with for him on this spec home. Saikley Architects provided building design details which the owner then carried through in many unique interior design and furniture design details throughout the house. Photo by Chi Chin Photography. https://saikleyarchitects.com/portfolio/hilltop-contemporary/

Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Photo by Matthew Millman

Carving out a smaller living room within larger open floor plan allowed space for a library, foyer and space for the dogs to play. Featured in 'My Houzz'. photo: Rikki Snyder

This stunning modern farmhouse residence in Columbia, Tennessee, sits atop a transformed hilltop parcel, originally raw land that was expertly excavated to create a level 2-acre plateau. The site development included installing essential infrastructure such as paved roads, water lines, and electrical systems, turning an undeveloped ridge into a private, family-friendly haven with panoramic valley and mountain views. The home features a crisp white board-and-batten and horizontal siding exterior, accented by natural stone foundations and stained timber beams for a perfect blend of rustic charm and contemporary edge. Dramatic black-framed windows flood the interior with natural light, while the dark asphalt shingle roof with gabled peaks adds depth and contrast. An expansive covered front porch, supported by cedar posts and topped with metal roofing, invites relaxation with seating areas overlooking the sunset. Additional highlights include an oversized two-car garage with white doors, a lower-level walkout basement ready for expansion, and smart-home-ready elements like energy-efficient construction. Twilight lighting accentuates the clean lines, making the house glow against the evening sky. The landscaped yard is thoughtfully designed for everyday enjoyment, with manicured green lawns, gravel pathways, and low-maintenance shrubs lining the foundation. A circular asphalt driveway provides easy access and ample parking, curving gracefully around the property. In the backyard, a gravel patio area with a fire pit offers a cozy spot for gatherings, while a covered rear deck extends living space outdoors. The setup includes potential for additions like a pool, outdoor kitchen, or expanded entertaining zones, with features like a satellite dish and HVAC units discreetly placed for functionality without compromising aesthetics. Perched on a scenic hilltop surrounded by wooded forests, the 2-acre lot provides plenty of flat, open space for children and dogs to play safely—ideal for games, picnics, or simply running free amid the fresh air. The elevated position ensures unobstructed, layered views of rolling hills, distant valleys, and seasonal foliage, creating a serene rural retreat feel. In summer, lush green trees frame the property; in fall and winter, bare branches reveal even broader vistas. This custom-developed site balances privacy, accessibility, and natural beauty, making it a true dream property for those seeking a luxurious escape in Tennessee's countryside.

Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Photo by Matthew Millman

Nestled in an undeveloped thicket between two homes on Monmouth road, the Eastern corner of this client’s lot plunges ten feet downward into a city-designated stormwater collection ravine. Our client challenged us to design a home, referencing the Scandinavian modern style, that would account for this lot’s unique terrain and vegetation. Through iterative design, we produced four house forms angled to allow rainwater to naturally flow off of the roof and into a gravel-lined runoff area that drains into the ravine. Completely foregoing downspouts and gutters, the chosen design reflects the site’s topography, its mass changing in concert with the slope of the land. This two-story home is oriented around a central stacked staircase that descends into the basement and ascends to a second floor master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet. The main entrance—a triangular form subtracted from this home’s rectangular plan—opens to a kitchen and living space anchored with an oversized kitchen island. On the far side of the living space, a solid void form projects towards the backyard, referencing the entryway without mirroring it. Ground floor amenities include a bedroom, full bathroom, laundry area, office and attached garage. Among Architecture Office’s most conceptually rigorous projects, exterior windows are isolated to opportunities where natural light and a connection to the outdoors is desired. The Monmouth home is clad in black corrugated metal, its exposed foundations extending from the earth to highlight its form.

Nestled into the existing landscape.
Inspiration for a small rustic one-story wood exterior home remodel in Seattle with a green roof

Mountain style home design photo in Portland

The owners of this vegetable garden purchased the undeveloped lot adjacent to their home and developed the sloping area into a collection of raised beds. - Photo by Kevin Bost

Meyer and Meyer partnered in the design and construction of a modestly sized single-family residence located in a Historic District in a suburb outside of Boston Massachusetts. The initially undeveloped, gently sloping lot is uniquely situated in a residential neighborhood between an enclave of mid-century modern and Victorian-era homes. Within this context, the clients favored a traditional approach. Early formal iterations were traditional two-story colonial in form. However, in deference to the relatively lower roofed adjacent twentieth-century neighbors, a wholly expressed second story was abandoned and replaced with a two-gabled dormer connected by a shed in between. This gave the house a lower profile and began to suggest a more transitional character. In an effort to further this connection to a more eclectically permissible mid and late twentieth century detailing, a dramatic wrapping window was added to the kitchen located in the front corner of the house. In addition, a parallel wrapping window box below integrates the entire window composition into the generally traditional detailing of the house at large. Notwithstanding these features, all of the forms and detailing are solidly drawn from vernacular New England language. Ultimately, the goal was to comfortably transit aesthetically between the significantly disparate period styles of the adjacent neighborhood fabric, all the while maintaining the clients desire to work within a traditional idiom of detail.

Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Photo by Matthew Millman

What hockey player wouldn't love their own synthetic ice rink in the basement?
Example of a look-out basement design in Other

Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Photo by Matthew Millman

Inspiration for a timeless patio remodel in San Francisco

Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Photo by Matthew Millman

Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Photo by Matthew Millman

Despite an extremely steep, almost undevelopable, wooded site, the Overlook Guest House strategically creates a new fully accessible indoor/outdoor dwelling unit that allows an aging family member to remain close by and at home. Photo by Matthew Millman

Exterior front elevation with existing neighboring homes. This “in-fill” custom new home was created on the undeveloped half of a double lot. The home, designed by Jeffrey A. Lindgren of Jalin Design, LLC was created to blend with the existing neighborhood and homes. Great care was taken to create a home that melds with its surroundings. Also, the homeowner's interior esthetic was inspired by the "House of Turquoise" blog site. Photo by Troy Thies Photography

The architecture was designed to maximize the parkland exposure while providing a “protective” courtyard of privacy. The strategic L-shape opens to the undeveloped parkland views and creates a naturally serene outdoor and indoor experience. The large expanse of glass in the rear opens the interior of the house to its natural surroundings. Kevin Weber Photography