Common Pond is a 38 acre residential development located in the mountain community of Ellijay, Georgia, two hours north of Atlanta. Possessing panoramic views, a 1 1⁄2 acre pond, and a portion of the land held in a perpetual conservation easement, the property encompasses a variety of terrains, from meadows to steeply sloping hills.

Houser Walker was presented two concurrent challenges: to create five different house types that could uniquely respond to the topography and views unique to each of the sixteen sites, as well as have each prototype be “ecologically intelligent”, affordable, durable, energy efficient, and architecturally interesting.

Our primary design approach was to maximize the site’s “free” attributes: daylight, ventilation, and stunning vistas by planning out where each of the five prototypes could best be developed, and lay them out on each site plot.

Each home shares similar ecological features including whole home radiant floor heating, highly insulated building envelopes, solar hot water, and rainwater harvesting. The homes maximize locally standard construction techniques, regionally sourced materials, and provide homeowners a high degree of customization.