Project Statement

Set on a steeply sloped lot in a golf course community in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Srygley Residence was completed in 2022. Nestled into the edge of the forest, the house is organized in two roughly equal bars, one a garage for a car collection, a pool house, and office, the other for the house itself.

Glass garage doors put the vintage cars on display along a generous entry plaza that leads equally to the front door and to the pool terrace behind the house. The exteriors of the house and garage are joined by a common roof and a shared material palette of local, second-growth cypress, alternately charred and sealed clear when inset and protected from the weather. A custom blackened steel screen and planter separate the two sides and provide a degree of privacy for the pool from the driveway.

A generous entry porch leads to the front door, with expansive eastern views across the forested hills. Once inside, the extensive use of local woods continues with rift-cut white oak floors, cabinets, and ceilings. The entry sets up a view across a generous open living space to the pool terrace and forested hillside beyond. Other than the entry itself, the east side features a deep set porch to control the morning side, while the west side is protected by rising terrain and dense vegetation. A roof monitor opens to the north above the main living area near the entry to bring in consistent, soft northern light.

The design of the interiors features rich textures of stone and colors that complement the natural setting, particularly the bright green of the front door, painted to match Ozark Bois d’arc “horse apples,” a distinctive native fruit produced by trees on site. Local limestone wraps the fireplace near the entry that separates the living area from the main bedroom. All three bedrooms are set on the east side to enjoy the distant view and the soft morning light as the sun rises.

The pool terrace unites the two volumes of the house, nestled into the hillside with the forest nearby. A simple concrete retaining wall and apron frame the pool. A dedicated pool house caps the south end of the garage with its own deep-set porch. Above the pool house is a studio that can alternately serve as a game room, home office, or guest bedroom. The highest point in the house, this studio is wrapped in windows and offers distant views of the surrounding landscape.

Set with the prevailing topography, the house projects slightly from the hillside, maximizing views to the east while creating a protected, private space for the pool to the west. The clients wanted a house that flows easily and ways to entertain regularly. With both the family living and dining area and the pool house opening onto the terrace, a range of events can be held while ensuring privacy.