Eggleston Studio Home
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Architecture
Interior Design
Programming
Site Planning -
Enhanced Site Accessibility
Heat Island Effect Mitigation
Light Pollution Reduction
Low Maintenance Materials
Passive Building Envelope
Rainwater Management -
Completed November 2022
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Memphis, Tennessee
The Studio Home was inspired by the journey of the client, William Eggleston, a great American artist and luminary. Offering him a sense of autonomy while remaining close to his family during the pandemic, it fosters relaxation and inspiration with a compact footprint situated at the furthest end of the main home’s site.
A bookend for the main house, with a pool and gracious landscape in-between, the Studio fosters the ongoing exploration of Eggleston’s creative pursuits including fine arts, music and playing his Bosendorfer concert grand piano. The material palette is sparse and comprised of striking contrasts, alluding to the artist’s foundation in black and white photography as well as the contrasts he is known for in his color photography.
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The efficiency in design offers greater allocation to daylighting with viewsheds of the natural environment, accomplishing a living art space influenced by the artist’s expansive body of work. The entire south wallis multifunctional on both the interior and exterior. The interior portion serves as an art display, a cooking/prep space, a workspace, and closed storage. A limited program offers density for the kitchen layout and more expansive storage and display for art. The exterior-facing portion conceals the interior’s control systems and firewood storage. The bathroom is the singular enclosed volume that maintains privacy between the living and sleeping areas. Ensuring access to daylight is not lost, the bathroom is equipped with a solar light tube. Its outward-facing wall creates a spacious viewing gallery from a prominent position in the backyard. Windows span the entire northern length of the house for controlled lighting in the living and sleeping areas with a small south-facing window in the bedroom for a glimpse of dramatic light. The east entry porch remains consistent with the north side elevation and is enclosed by a window system that features screens instead of glass, allowing for fresh air and protection from insects during the sweltering southern summers. Spatial and energy efficiencywere considered for every aspect of the home. The split system air conditioning and tankless water heater provide compact solutions allowing greater allotment to windows and interior volumes, with minimal impact on the environment. Lighting controls and electrical access are tucked into cabinets and underneath shelves, thereby providing a gallery-like setting for experiencing art.