Riggin Residence

Highland, MD

The clients purchased a wooded one-acre lot at Paternal Gift, an eco-community near Columbia, Maryland. The community had 28 lots with two horse stables, donating 75 acres as a land trust in perpetuity. The clients had two young daughters and wanted a cozy farmhouse, with the only requirement being to include a turret.

The house design used the turret as the organizing feature, creating a central hall and curving staircase as the heart of the house. All rooms revolved around this central turret/stair, eliminating dark corridors and creating a more informal massing. Wrap-around porches allow for outdoor living and watching sunsets.
The house also includes a two-car garage, with an office space above, towards the rear of the lot. I encouraged the clients to include a second primary bedroom and bath for visiting in-laws on the first floor, and it will allow them to remain in the house as they get older. The organization of the house encourages entry through the center courtyard, with the front door tucked neatly inside the front porch.
This house was the first home completed in the community, and became the image of the community in all major marketing materials. In this winter view, it looks like it’s been there for over a century.
The gently curving central stairway is the heart of the house, bringing light in no matter the time of day or the season.
The clients’ children were fascinated by the big stair (as was my own daughter). Their eleven-year-old daughter was so taken with the design and construction process that she eventually became an architect. She is now a lead designer in a Baltimore architecture firm