Jekyll, Hyde, and Huebner

The Brickstack-designed home has town and country views.

“I tend to design homes with a sort of Jekyll and Hyde concept,” says Scott Huebner. “This one is no different.” 

The 75-foot wide, 3,300-square-foot residence maintains the architect’s signature element of surprise. “The drama of the design is not fully revealed until you enter and move through the home,” explains Huebner.

A focal point is the floor-to-ceiling glass walls, 11 feet tall. This feature answered his clients’ desire to maximize the property’s southern views of downtown Asheville and its long-range views to the west. “The sheer amount of glass demanded very high-performance glazing,” says the architect. “So we’re using a sophisticated system from Belgium.”

Architect Scott Huebner, principal of Brickstack Architects.
Portrait by Morgan Ford

Other exterior materials will include exposed concrete, clear cedar, Corten (a steel product with a naturally oxidizing finish), stone, and a standing-seam metal roof. That roof is nearly invisible from a casual view; however, as with most things that appear to be seamless and minimalist, something deeper is at play. It’s “supremely complex structurally,” Huebner says.

 Roof notwithstanding, the project unfolded from the ground up. “I listened to what excited the clients about the property,” he notes. The homeowners, requesting anonymity in a joint comment, say they were drawn to North Asheville’s Ventana community for its combination of beautiful views and a relatively urban location. “A neighborhood connection was very important to us,” they say.

As for style, they continue, “We knew we wanted modern, but it needed to be attuned with nature.” Professional kismet was paramount, too. “As important as the architect’s ability to deliver on the design aspect of the project was, the decision came down to the chemistry between the three of us.”

Huebner says that while his clients didn’t have a specific design in mind at the outset, they did have a few ideas on their wish list, including an open floor plan with tall ceilings and large windows to conceptually expand square footage, and the use of steel, concrete, and stone. “Scott literally nailed the exterior on his first attempt,” the homeowners agree.

This high-tech rendering forecasts the interior scope of the house a year from now, after the project’s completion.

Armed with what the architect calls a “very exciting collection” of artwork and furniture, the owners also demanded a high standard of sophistication on the inside. “They were instrumental in raising the bar of design to the highest levels,” says Huebner. His clients have lived most of their lives in Texas, where building sites are generally flat and open. “The notion that their new site would dictate some of the early design decisions was novel, but not unwelcome. How we placed the house on the site and how you enter the site were some of our longest discussions.”

The narrow, half-acre property is wooded and slopes away from the street. Mountain land like this often means the front of the lot is given over to a garage, turnaround parking, and the necessary tall retaining walls. “In order to avoid [this], we decided to have the garage face the street,” says Huebner. “This way, we were able to use a series of smaller retaining walls to create an intimate courtyard entry with landscaped terraces. I believe we achieved a home that maximizes views but presents a modest but modern façade to the street.

“Sites like this are always a balancing act,” he adds. Likewise, the triumph of creative solutions is always worth the tough logistics. “Modern architecture represents a freedom to not subscribe to a particular time or style,” he says.

It’s been a year since Huebner was the first local architect to be awarded the George Matsumoto Prize for modernist residential design. Construction of Huebner’s latest project is expected to begin this fall, with a projected completion date of Fall 2019.

The architect notes that his own family lives in a house almost 100 years older. “What I love most about [our] house is the quality of materials — the craftsmanship and proportion. However, I have no desire to recreate this, as this was a reflection of its time and those who crafted it.

“I want my homes to do the same for the times in which we live.”

Scott Huebner, AIA, principal of Brickstack Architects, 573 Fairview Road, Suite 4, Asheville. For more information, call 828-545-4233 or visit www.brick-stack.com.

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