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Finishing this project was such a rush of excitement and inspiration. I am thrilled to share my completed project ( & first whole building). The professor assigned the instructions and due dates on the first day of what would quickly become my favorite class, Construction Docts & Planning.
The first objective was to identify a need, purpose, and site for construction. Initially, I gravitated toward the East Campus Entrance connecting to University Parkway, behind the Davis Residence Hall.
Above: Assignment Sheet for Tiny Homes Project
Very quickly into research on the site, I realized there was a property easement. (legal permission to use another person's land) CSX transportation has held the easement since 1911 for an active railroad that cuts through campus and encompasses the site I pictured for development. Above: View from East Campus Entrance of Davis Residence Hall - Credit to Google Maps
While the site was attractive for its connection to University Parkway and, eventually, I-26, there were no other structures on the plot of land. Small-scale construction would be out of place adjacent to Davis and cause significant disruption in a critical intersection.
Because the site acts as a barrier between ETSU's campus and the railroad, it is incredibly dense with vegetation. It has a sharp incline in elevation, making it excessively challenging to build. The noise pollution of this particular location would be jarring for most guests unaccustomed to railroads and high-traffic intersections.
Left: Orange Hatch shows CSX Easement - Credit to Acres Survey
Right: Map view of Buccaneer Creek Through Campus - Credit to Google Maps
With this information, I relocated the site to someplace unexpected and often ignored, which happens to be right in the center of ETSU's gorgeous campus. Less than half a mile West on J L Seehorn Jr Rd, between parking lots 12 & 12a, runs a small creek from the base of Buc Ridge to the intersection of W Maple and University Pkwy. This tiny creek is the perfect fit for a tiny home, with a fantastic location, arguably more convenient than any of the current residence halls.
Buccaneer Creek Site Gallery
The site's tiny creek reminded me instantly of the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" positioned over Bear Run Creek in Southwest Pennsylvania, designed to serve as a summer retreat for the Kaufmann family in 1935. The entirety of this building, but most specifically the structure & purpose, sparked the inspiration for my concept to sit over Buccaneer creek.
In the first few weeks after picking the site, I read "Fallingwater" by Edward Kaufmann Jr, the son of Wright's client for the building. I found this book insightful and comprehensive about the construction and design history of Fallingwater. Specifically, reading Kaufmann Jr.'s perspective and analysis while growing up with the building and the surrounding land was transformational in my understanding of architectural themes. I began conceptualizing the more profound narrative surrounding the balance between man and nature and the greater intention behind a masterpiece outside visual aesthetics.
The most iconic feature of Fallingwater is the multistory cantilever over Bear Run Creek; I aimed to imitate the form on a much smaller scale, suitable for around 800 sqft. I had little interest in creating two separate structures to fulfill the assignment's requirements and jumped on the idea of cantilevered levels as soon as it came to mind. With the first burst of inspiration came Buccaneer Creek's Original Concept Board:
With a vision beginning to form, I returned to a tool that has served me well for many years as a young designer, The Sims 4. The game is quintessential for every Interior Architecture student's childhood; I found the build mode as an accessible medium to convey my first draft.
Sims 4 Concept Gallery:
I loved this first draft and used it as a great jumping-off point. My professor received it well but strongly advised that the porches be covered as the elements would quickly wear any furniture or finish away.
The strengths of this concept lie in the interior layouts and exterior aesthetics provided by the vegetation and material choices. However, this mass feels unbalanced and blocky. It doesn't maximize space for the home's function and needs to work on following a theme or single style.
I took this concept into AutoCAD to give a clearer view of the floor plans:
After fleshing out a concept model with the tools, I have years of experience with, I took on the challenge of teaching myself Revit to write construction documents and render the structure in 3D. I had humble beginnings that came out as hidden line-drawing screenshots, but now the primary porch was covered! The building began to look more structured, but something needed to be fixed with the basic form: the orientation of the second and third floors.
First Revit Model:
Around the same time, I drew the first draft of Buccaneer Creek's site plan:
In this orientation, the Culp sits directly across from the building, creating a congruous juxtaposition of solid and modern edges in opposing angles on varying scales tucked in a traditional-style campus. The building has a unique suspension over the creek as intended, and there is a minimal invasion of the base site's elevation and vegetation. As a result of the preserved landscaping, the three large trees currently inhabiting the area will continue to grow and offer a natural buffer of privacy between J. L. Seehorn Drive and the guest houses.
With the site plan in mind, the exterior materials were the next hurdle in connecting components. Fortunately, the aesthetic was becoming more evident, and this inspiration image was the final jumping-off point the homes needed. The essential materials were dark details (soffits, columns, doors), sharp and strong lines, warm wood cladding, and stone veneer accents.
Above: Inspiration Image - Credit to Google Images
At this point in the design process, the footprint of the building was concretely decided; however, the building's vertical structure and general shape were unsatisfying. In hindsight, it is clear that the inspiration images use patterns of contrasting forms in the roof shape; this was precisely the missing piece. That very realization was my next and most significant breakthrough.
I distinctly remember the day I asked my professor for his advice. He incited a pivotal moment in my design with a few marker strokes on the dry-erase board and a reference to form theory.
Professor helped me visualize my building as an additive transformation of form or three basic rectangles in a stacked position. Gestalt Theory explains that the human brain will attempt to compartmentalize and simplify complex experiences by arranging smaller parts to form an organized whole form.
Before this conversation, the stories of my building broke a visual pattern that would create more harmony and balance. I struggled to see the third and second floors as separate forms and unnecessarily forced them to rotate as a pair, breaking the expected system of 90-degree pivots at level increments on all three floors.
This brief conversation with my professor reinspired me to play with the elementary forms of my building and scrap any interior progress to reassess the overall shape. I contorted the three floors in numerous attempts but happily settled on the beautiful, repeated structure pictured above. The second-floor cantilever covers an additional first-floor porch, the third-floor provides shelter over both porches on the second floor, and the shed roof contrasts the cantilever.
After the final form transpired, I finalized the exterior look with the following materials choices displayed on this physical board.
The selected materials made it much easier to visualize and render the exterior of the building. After the shell came the floor plan and furniture design; I struggled to place each zone of the houses for a few days.
The first floor resembles a shipping container or 'shotgun' style.
The second allows for more vertical variety with a lofted bedroom, including an elevated sleeping quarter at the house's highest point.
The bottom floor, 1br/1bath 400sqft:
Recessed into the grade on top of a 10" concrete slab foundation
Private porch access on either side of the house
self-contained, simple, and minimal
Featuring an abbreviated kitchen with a minifridge, electric stovetop & sink
kitchen is open and easily viewable without seating options to encourage temporary use of the space.
The bathroom is centered squarely on function and is neatly tucked into the adjacent wall of the bedroom door.
Space is well-spent and efficiently used.
Lower Story Floor Plan from Construction Documents Drawn by A. Battle
Each floor plan element is an isolated section by function and boundaries, like countertops, bookshelves, and walls. The aspects of the floorplans do not overlap but harmoniously coexist to discourage distraction and overstimulation.
Second Story Interior Renders Produced by A. Battle
The second home is multistory and more complex in layout. Primarily, the kitchen, dining, and living areas share one central space, while the office and bed are elevated to the third floor. The loft is bright with windows from three directions and a static & functional area: the built-in desk.
Above: Second Story Floor Plan from Construction Documents Drawn by A. Battle
Below: Built In Desk/Vanity Construction Documents Drawn by A. Battle
The built-in desk/vanity combination was one of the highlights of the process; drafting lots of possibilities was so enjoyable. After I drew multiple variations, I created the custom component in Revit and started the documents.
The desk was my first custom piece and has the most intricate design, including separated task spaces, closet storage, drawers, cabinets, and a collapsible mirror. My favorite part of this piece is the home's frame and roof pitch customization. The desk is wholly built in, creates a solid mass from floor to ceiling, and follows the shed ceiling in its shell. The desk is one of the core elements displaying the themes of the Buccaneer Creek Experience.
Built In Desk Renders Produced by A. Battle
I originally designed the loft to open to a bed at a standard height from the floor parallel to the built-in desk system. My professor encouraged me to explore the "loft inside a loft" concept to maximize floor space which would require a more complex design but allow more spacial freedom and boundaries between functions.
(1) View from Lower Loft (2) View Inside Loft (3) View at Top of Ladder
Loft Section and Lofted Bed Documents Drawn by A. Battle
Once the initial learning struggles of Revit subsided, I created numerous built-ins across both houses:
Two-seat booth with a pull-out cushion to connect and create a solid bench, a fixed folding table, and bookshelves to frame the booth seats.
Desk with shelving layers
Elevated bar seating
Couch with bookshelf room divider
Lower Story Built in Booth and Desk Renders Produced by A. Battle
Construction Documents for Booth and Desk Built in are on Lower and Second Story Floor Plans earlier in this post. Explore all documents here.
Customizing each furniture component and fixing it permanently to a space in the house executes the essential themes in the Buccaneer Creek Guest House. Since the intended occupant is temporary and everchanging, the home must create a uniform and consistent experience for all guests across time.
The unification of furniture and building is an analogy for the natural forces man must learn to work with on its accord rather than forcing the surrounding environment to bend to his will. The spectacle of surrender and mutualistic relationships between nature and humanity is emphasized in the construction of static interiors.
There is no amount of force or personalization that will allow this home to serve any function outside of the prescribed purpose. The occupant should feel the house commands a specific role and doesn't allow for deviation from the intended design.
The house should not be the focus of the guest's visit to ETSU, therefore they should feel a superficial and temporary dynamic with the house while exploring the rest of what the campus has to offer. The guest house should provide everything necessary during the visitor's stay, but it should be a grounding, meditative, and calm atmosphere to harbor recluse.
Buccaneer Creek is designed to respect the world's natural order and the planet's uninterrupted function instead of forcibly changing the land to fit the design. Buccaneer Creek blends with its surroundings as they come and extends the principle to the guest inhabiting the homes; the foundation is set into the grade creating a substantial visual connection between nature and the home's structure. The house is intended to solidify ETSU's outdoorsy identity and make visitors feel comfortable, private, and safe while accentuating, without interrupting, the unique component of campus's landscape.
Thank you for reading, if you have inquiries or would like to discuss further, reach out!
Final acknowledgements:
A tremendous thank you to my professors, who enable and inspire me to explore, learn and design to the fullest extent.
My most humble gratitude belongs to my close friends, for their invaluable contributions, feedback, and irreplaceable companionship over the fall semester and journey through this process.
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