Cane Island house fuses trendy know-how with conventional design | Hilton Head

BEAUFORT — When Rhonda and Invoice Anderson’s Cane Island house was featured on the 2021 Historic Beaufort Basis Spring Architects’ Tour, the 5,000-square-foot residence was nonetheless beneath building.

The annual tour highlights one of the best in up to date residential design, stated Cynthia Jenkins, govt director of the Historic Beaufort Basis.

The Cane Island house generated a lot curiosity in 2021 that it was chosen for the 2023 tour to provide structure fanatics an opportunity to see its totally completed kind. 

It didn’t disappoint. 

Located on the Beaufort River with a view of the McTeer Bridge a couple of mile to the north, the Anderson’s house is on a wooded lot that’s attribute of the 227-acre island.

Frederick + Frederick, the architectural agency employed by the Andersons to design and construct the house, got down to create a home that was energy-efficient, well-suited for the surroundings and infused with design parts endemic to the Lowcountry.

“Loads of the net-zero houses are extra trendy than this one,” stated architect Michael Frederick, design principal of Frederick + Frederick. “We had been capable of incorporate new know-how into a standard kind.”

Beaufort or Beaufort

It was an almost unbelievable dollop of serendipity that led the Andersons to what would finally grow to be their new house.

The avid sailors had docked their sailboat close to San Diego once they felt it was time for a transfer to the other coast. Some research and dialog amongst mates pointed them towards Beaufort due to its energetic crusing neighborhood and deep-water harbor that might accommodate their boat. They set out for a go to.

Arriving in Beaufort, they had been drawn to the city’s allure, although they could not discover proof of the crusing neighborhood they’d heard a lot about. A name again to San Diego revealed the issue. The city they mentioned was Beaufort… North Carolina. They had been within the incorrect state. 

“I used to be like, ‘There’s one other one?'” Rhonda Anderson stated of the mix-up. 

A little bit embarrassed by the error, the couple packed up and headed north. However by then, they had been smitten. They returned to South Carolina and commenced the seek for a spot to name house. 

Creating the design 

When the Andersons approached architects Jane and Michael Frederick, they did so with solely obscure notions of what they needed their home to be. 

That they had a photograph of a house in Savannah, Ga., that had caught their eye. Along with the Lowcountry aesthetic, Rhonda Anderson needed the constructing to exude a Zen-like calm. And, the house wanted to be constructed to face up to the worst climate the Lowcountry may throw at it. 

“I do not wish to fear about not having a home left each time a hurricane comes by way of,” Rhonda Anderson stated.

Other than that, the Andersons gave solely minimal path. The house ought to enable plenty of pure gentle. Each bed room ought to accommodate a king mattress with an en suite. Invoice Anderson requested for an outside bathe. 

With the only photograph and some easy instructions, the Fredericks got down to create a design.

Michael Frederick had, coincidentally, designed a house for a similar lot practically 15 years in the past. Whereas the house was by no means constructed, he was very accustomed to the land. The design for the Andersons was, he stated, utterly totally different from the prior venture, and it was a direct hit with the Andersons. 

“It was good,” Rhonda Anderson stated. “I do not suppose we made any structural modifications after that preliminary walkthrough.” 

Working inside the surroundings

The design began with an understanding of the architectural parts that predated the appearance of air con. 

“It offers us an actual head begin if we take a look at these ideas and apply them to a contemporary constructing that we’re making an attempt to make net-zero,” Michael Frederick defined.

Ranging from the highest down, the house has 13 kilowatts of photo voltaic panels and a Tesla battery system that can run the home for as much as three days if obligatory. The battery eliminates the necessity for an emergency generator, and extra electrical energy might be bought again to the utility supplier. 

Beneath the photo voltaic panels is a standing-seam steel roof that is manufactured from aluminum to higher stand up to the salt-air surroundings. The steel roof simplified the set up of the photo voltaic panels, and its paint displays warmth, retaining the roof cooler. 

“It is what the previous homes used,” Michael Frederick stated. “It is the suitable factor.” 

The home is heated and cooled by an extremely environment friendly geothermal warmth pump. 

The home is raised such that even the basement is above the flood plain. This protects in opposition to a doable tidal surge and has the additional advantage of positioning the home to seize the breeze that comes off the river. 

The design aimed to protect as lots of the timber on the property as doable. Whereas an arborist was introduced in to trim them to optimize the quantity of sunshine reaching the photo voltaic panels, the timber on the west facet of the home defend it from harsh afternoon gentle. 

The timber additionally add to the calming really feel that the couple was after.

“I believe that is the place the Zen half is available in for me, as a result of I really like the outside,” Rhonda Anderson stated. 

The plan comes collectively

Patrick McMichael of Broad River Development was one in every of two builders on the 25-month-long building venture. Architect Tom Rhodes from Frederick + Frederick served because the venture supervisor, and the 2 met weekly.

McMichael stated that some builders bristle at having an architect so concerned within the building part, however the partnership on the Anderson’s house labored properly for everybody. 

Getting a big house to run on the facility it generates requires energy-efficient design and building, McMichael defined. A blower door take a look at was completed to detect leaks round door and home windows.

“We are able to discover the tiniest little spots the place air is getting by way of and make it tight,” he stated. “Not all people does that.”

A lot of the development passed off in the course of the peak of the pandemic, and provide points had been typically problematic. At one level, all building ceased for weeks, ready for the arrival of wanted provides. 

And whereas McMichael stated he misplaced a good quantity of sleep in the course of the venture, he’d do it once more. 

The Andersons had been of their Salt Lake Metropolis house throughout a lot of the building. They stated the venture was streamlined and simple. 

With household in Utah, the couple plans to separate their time between the 2 areas, however Cane Island is changing into their main residence.  

Rhonda Anderson known as the house a retreat, and he or she attributed the success of the venture utterly to the Fredericks and the staff they assembled. 

“I knew we had been in good fingers,” she stated. “It is what you get when you’ve gotten full religion and belief in your architects, your builders and your venture supervisor.”