Memphis-based Archimania is intent on using good design to improve the city. Associate principal Andrew Parks says the firm thrives on “practicing within an existing context, which gives us something to respond to for scale, proportion, texture, and materiality,” adding, “We’re also trying to make an impact in the city core, going after projects to enrich Memphis through architecture.”

This custom infill home is in East Memphis, a suburban-style neighborhood where lots are more varied than in the city’s older, historical areas, but are also larger, which makes the construction process less complicated. Parks says the site’s commercial surroundings and lack of historical restrictions also allowed the team to skew more modern on the design, per the client’s wishes.

A U-shaped floor plan solves several issues on the 80-foot-wide, 250-foot-deep site: It wraps around a courtyard featuring a pool and covered outdoor dining area, providing privacy, plus it allows room behind the house for a verdant yard complete with a tree house. The footprint also takes advantage of the narrow, deep site by framing views of existing mature oak trees the firm preserved.
Inside, the base of the U contains a soaring foyer leading to open public areas where the family can enjoy group activities, while the bedroom wings give family members space to do their own thing. As occupants move through the house, this inward-focused plan presents multiple connections to the landscape without opening lines of sight into neighboring homes. The primary suite has its own wing, separated from the rest of the house by a pocket courtyard that lets natural light flow into all spaces.

“The biggest benefit of infill is everything is already established, from infrastructure to neighbors who may have lived there a long time, so there’s existing context for homeowners as well,” Parks says. “This site is on a fantastic street with huge, mature trees but no historic house typology or major restrictions. We didn’t feel like anything we did would be shocking to the context.”
Project
East Memphis House
Architect
Archimania, Memphis, Tenn.
Builder
RKA Construction, Memphis
Related Stories
Custom Builder
A Historical Fix on a Modern Foursquare
The Foursquare is an American architectural staple, but modern building has removed some of its historic details. Restoration expert Brent Hull uses a hypothetical redesign to illustrate the point
Case Studies
Building a ‘Happy Place’ on Florida’s Waterfront
Designing and building a custom waterfront home requires experience, expertise, and a good team—which is exactly what this client got
Case Studies
The Art of Weaving Custom Homes Into the Urban Fabric
These homes demonstrate the challenges and opportunities of custom urban infill
Case Studies
A Pittsburgh Rowhouse With a View
Working mostly within the city limits but in a variety of neighborhoods on different building types, architect Darren Lloyd says every project is instructive for projects that follow, regardless of type.
Case Studies
Cool Desert Design in Tucson
Ibarra Rosano Design Architects referenced traditional Mexican houses for inspiration to resolve a typical infill issue: admitting natural light while maintaining privacy
Project Management
Site-Specific Design: What It Means to Design for Place
Designing custom homes to preserve and enhance the natural qualities of a site
Case Studies
Pushing Performance
Energy Auditor and sustainability Expert Drew Smith provides insight into the purpose, process, and price of home performance testing and consulting
Case Studies
Custom Prefabrication: Weather Proof
GO Logic's Alan Gibson studied prefabrication in Sweden and came to find he preferred the panelization approach over modular prefab for its flexibility.
Affordable Housing
Custom Prefabrication: Urban Sensation
Architect Brett Zamore, principal of Houston-based Brett Zamore Design, customized a modular/prefabricated plan to create a three-story modern manufactured home.
Case Studies
Custom Prefabrication: High-End From Factory to the Bay
Prefabricating a custom home may seem counterintuitive, but building components indoors to standard specs allows for individual designs that accommodate unique sites and clients