About River Dwelling
River Dwelling sits on a quiet stretch of the Toccoa River, across from
the Chattahoochee National Forest and a short drive from Blue Ridge,
Georgia. Sitting high on its concrete pedestal, River Dwelling guests are treated to
the spectacular surroundings of old growth pines, oaks, and the hypnotic
rhythms of the river.
Eschewing the standard "vernacular" of the "authentic" log cabin, the
design team looked to create a sublime visual dichotomy between the
verdant and the man made. With a moveable wall and large expanses of
glass, the lines are blurred from that which is outside - wild, and
natural, and the inside - clean, and machined.
Bisected by a small gravel road, the site posed interesting design
challenges. Subtracting the required setbacks from the river and the road left a
building area just over 20 feet wide that tapered quickly across the
width of the site. Additionally there was an existing septic tank/field
that precluded construction at one end of the site. These "constraints"
allowed the design team to conceptualize the house as a thin wall. Only
20 feet total in width, the house is divided in two parts; a "solid"
that houses the support functions of the house and a "void" that
contains the living spaces. This "solid", facing the road, became a
deliberate opaque monumentality, allowing for a systematic unveiling of
the river views as one moved around the site. On the river side, the "void" dematerializes to an uplifting transparency that allows direct
visual interaction with the river.
River Dwelling is owned by Dan Kaufman and Heather Kaufman of Atlanta. River Dwelling was designed by Robert A Tretsch, AIA of Harrison Design Associates in Atlanta, Georgia. The successful execution of the design
was by Juan Ramirez of Studio D+C construction. This project was a
unique convergence of three people who share the same ideals and
passions for modern architecture. Both the architect and the builder
were former colleagues at Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, a
large commercial architecture firm in Midtown, Atlanta.
Juan and Robert have since collaborated on several successful projects together. The owner and the architect have a professional relationship that also
traces back to TVS. As a Division Manager at RJ Griffin & Company,
General Contractors and with a degree in architecture and Construction
Management, the Owner was a knowledgeable and integral part in the
design and construction process.
Amenities and Accommodations
- Full Contemporary Kitchen with stainless steel appliance and poured concrete counter tops
- Unique poured concrete dining table that seats 8 people
- Indoor/Outdoor Fireplace
- 7 Person Hot Tub
- 42 inch High-Definition Plasma Television
- Surround Sound and DVD Player
- Pool Table and Ping-Pong Table
- High Speed Wireless DSL Internet
- 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms with a Sleeping Porch that sleeps 2
- Sleeps 12-14 People
- 200 feet of Toccoa River frontage
- Deck at the river with fire pit
Jezebel Magazine Article about River Dwelling - Spring 2007
