Kelly and I toured this 70's contemporary home on Saturday with a couple of our modern clients. It has long been one of our favorites sitting just out of reach in the hills north of Grove Park Inn. The efficient home didn't disappoint given it's layered, experiential layout connecting private gardens, to living spaces to treetops and the Asheville city view beyond.

The architect, William Moore, originally built the home for himself and his wife in 1973. It was then constructed for $42,000. Moore was the designer for the Unitarian Church on Charlotte St near the Grove Park Inn.Southern Living Magazine originally published the design and plans of the home. Following, publication he sold plans to many others who wanted to create this simple living space for themselves. The home showcases one of his signature design features of a dominate roof. He told me, "Roofs are traditionally cheaper to maintain and replace." So he dedicates maximum square footage to the roof in containing interior spaces.

Brandon comp

Modern Sensibilities within a Local Context Local Architect Brandon Pass and I had the chance to sit down over coffee at City Bakery last week and enjoy a mutual, academic exchange on architecture in Asheville and the incredible potential that exists here for a new vocabulary of building that combines modern design thought with the rich natural and social landscape of our region. We both noted instances where that has successfully surfaced, but recognized that most construction stems from what is known or copied without further thought or context involved. However, I easily got sidetracked from my intention here, which is to simply introduce you to Brandon today. You will hear more from him in the future as I have asked him to become a regular contributor to Modern Asheville. Below is content from his website and a link.Brandon Pass is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universities College of Architecture and Urban Studies where he received his Bachelor of Architecture in 1997. Since, he has worked in top-level design firms in locations such as South Carolina, Chicago, and New York City and holds licenses to practice architecture in Illinois, New York and North Carolina.Brandon creates an architecture practice striving to merge modern sensibilities and detailing with the vernacular influences of the region.  His small, multidisciplinary practice pursues an architecture that recognizes the responsibilities of the built form where environmental, social and contextual factors shape each insertion into a given landscape. Architecture should seek to express a given function through a strong clarity of space and form where the details become expressive and exploratory, respecting the hand of the maker while expressing a connection to a greater whole.  The responsibility of the architect, in part, is to be aware of all factors of a given context that may inform the design process. It requires an extensive knowledge of and desire to learn new methodologies creating architecture of the highest quality respectful of both time and place.You'll be hearing more about Brandon Pass in the future, but in the meantime feel free to browse his website.