Legacies in the Landscape
Exploring residential architecture from Chicago to Charlottesville (and beyond!)
Issue No. 5
IN THIS ISSUE
BUILDING: Charnley House: Louis Sullivan’s Rare Foray into Residential Design
READING: Virginia Vernacular Architecture by Dell Upton and Camille Wells
WORKING: Fox Knoll Farm: A Modern Family Farmhouse
BUILDING
Charnley House
Louis Sullivan’s Rare Foray into Residential Design
BY: TARO MATSUNO
Not usually known for residential work, this Louis Sullivan project features Frank Lloyd Wright as a draftsperson before he went off on his own. I first heard about the house two years ago, and got a “one year ago” reminder to go see it.
See SOM Foundation’s documentation of the renovation, or the Society for Architectural Historian’s virtual tour
READING
Virginia Vernacular Architecture
Dell Upton and Camille Wells
BY: TARO MATSUNO
Contemporary architectural education doesn’t really teach you how to recognize an Ionian column, so to work in a place like Charlottesville with a strong historic identity, you need to learn by working for someone with that experience (like brwarchitects) or by hitting the books.
These two articles I dug up were the clearest discussions of the architecture all around us:
“The Planter's Prospect: Houses, Outbuildings, and Rural Landscapes in Eighteenth-Century Virginia” - Camille Wells, 1993, Winterthur Portfolio
Wells uses newspaper advertisements for 18th century land sales to understand the how Virginia plantation homes were organized with respect to the land and production.
“Vernacular Domestic Architecture in Eighteenth-Century Virginia” - Dell Upton, 1982, Winterthur Portfolio
Upton’s paper explains why so many houses around Virginia are “like that,” and once you see the pattern you can’t unsee it. The pattern is the Georgian four-square central hallway type, brought over by English settlers
This paper is great because it talks through the variations and development of this type of house. All building is done in a community of owners, builders, designers, craftspeople, who are looking at each others’ work, getting inspired, and improving their own buildings, project after project. This was true in the 18th Century as well, and you can see how this general idea above could evolve into the image below:
Dell Upton’s paper and Camille Wells’ paper.
WORKING
Fox Knoll Farm
A Modern Family Farmhouse
BY: CANDACE CABRAL
Tucked into the rolling hills just west of Charlottesville, the 43-acre estate at Fox Knoll Farm was envisioned as more than just a retirement property for our client couple. Their goal was to create an intergenerational hub—a place where their children and grandchildren, who live on an adjacent property, could gather for years to come. The result is a home rooted in the land, shaped by family, and built to grow with time.
Senior Partner Bruce Wardell, FAIA; Design Associate Gerardo Hernandez; and Waterstreet Studio Landscape Architect Eugene Ryang, ALSA, began their collaboration by walking the land with the family. Together, they envisioned the home nestled just below the natural rise of the topography, offering a filtered view of the private lake through the wooded slope.
A clear vision for organizing the home’s expansive 6,500-square-foot floor plan shaped its massing, exterior expression, and relationship to the landscape. The family’s appreciation of finely-crafted traditional architecture, clean lines, and the surrounding natural beauty guided every aspect of the design—from the overall composition to the finishing details.
The result is a farmhouse that seamlessly blends timeless tradition with modern sophistication.
A standing seam metal roof and black iron light fixtures evoke the simplicity of traditional country living, while painted white brick and a refined interior palette provide a contemporary touch. Square columns support a portico, framing the home’s barrel-vaulted formal entry. Inside, the foyer opens into a two-story living room and kitchen area—the heart of the home.
Just off the kitchen, an octagonal breakfast nook overlooks a serene outdoor pavilion, perfect for gathering around the fire on cool nights. Beyond, a sparkling 25-meter lap pool offers fun for the grandkids. A lavender-filled garden promises to bloom and thrive alongside the family for years to come.
