The Wall Street Journal: Fisher ARCHitecture Riverfront Homes

The Rush of Riverfront Living

Some homeowners are building luxury homes on riverbanks to maximize the meandering views and cooling breezes. But living on the banks can cost a mint.

 

 

It’s only fitting that a modern home on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, the Steel City, would feature a metal facade mottled with rust.

 

Blending into the industrial environment was the goal, says Cyd Stackhouse, who with her husband, Bob Bergren, built a 3,300-square-foot riverfront home with walls of windows and sweeping views of the water and bridges.

 

Despite the location in the Morningside neighborhood, visitors have to squint to spot the home from the main road. “We wanted something you barely see,” says Ms. Stackhouse, 55, a schoolteacher. She and Dr. Bergren, a 57-year-old physician, completed the home in 2017 but declined to share construction costs. Their architect, Eric Fisher, said a comparable home would cost about $900,000 to build.

 

The Pittsburgh home of Cyd Stackhouse and Bob Bergren on the Allegheny River. the home’s garage, pictured, has windows to keep from blocking views of the river. photo: Erin Kelly for the Wall Street Journal

The Pittsburgh home of Cyd Stackhouse and Bob Bergren on the Allegheny River. The home’s garage, pictured, has windows to keep from blocking views of the river. Photo: Erin Kelly for The Wall Street Journal

 

Waterfront living isn’t just about the ocean. Homeowners are also building luxury properties along riverbanks, where they can also enjoy sweeping views and cooling breezes. Owning a riverfront homes involves special considerations. There are privacy concerns with homes built on busy rivers with recreational boaters as well as commercial traffic. Flooding and erosion may also be a risk. But homeowners say the connection with nature makes the effort worth it. “The view is the single best thing,” says Michael Frederick, a Beaufort, S.C., architect. “Everybody loves to look up or down.”

 

Jim and Claudia Getchell worked with Mr. Frederick to position their Hilton Head Island, S.C., home around centuries-old live oaks with views of Broad Creek, a body of water bisecting the island. They can see the water “from basically every room,” Mr. Getchell says. The couple—he’s a retired food executive and she’s a retired nurse—spent $2.5 million to build their home, Mr. Getchell, 74, adds.

 

To prevent flooding, Mr. Frederick built the structure 20-feet above the creek. The Getchells are only 5 miles inland from the Atlantic coast—with plenty of dolphin, sea otter and manatee sightings. A long porch runs the length of the 4,000-square-foot home and allows the couple to maximize indoor/outdoor living. “You don’t want to ruin [the view] with a house that doesn’t pay attention,” he says. To catch river breezes, Mr. Frederick created openings on both sides of home.

 

A living area inside the Pittsburgh home of Cyd Stackhouse and Bob Bergren.

A living area inside the Pittsburgh home of Cyd Stackhouse and Bob Bergren.

A living area inside the Pittsburgh home of Cyd Stackhouse and Bob Bergren. Photo: Erin Kelly for The Wall Street Journal

 

The Pittsburgh home of Cyd Stackhouse and Bob Bergren on the Allegheny River.

The Pittsburgh home of Cyd Stackhouse and Bob Bergren on the Allegheny River.

The Pittsburgh home of Cyd Stackhouse and Bob Bergren on the Allegheny River. Photo: Erin Kelly for The Wall Street Journal

 

In terms of real estate, waterfront homes tend to be a solid investment. The properties withstand market fluctuations better than neighboring homes away from the water, says Skylar Olsen, senior economist at Zillow who has researched the market for waterfront homes across the U.S. in 2014. “The quality of the access to the water comes with an additional premium,” she says.

 

Second-home buyers with properties along the meandering rivers of the Texas Hill Country are willing to pay as much as 50% more for water frontage, says agent Mary Ann Rhodes of Phyllis Browning Co. in New Braunfels, Texas. Even waterfront properties in flood-prone areas are in demand. “It’s a lifestyle that people really desire,” says Ms. Rhodes who has worked in the area for more than two decades.

 

 

The living area of Dr. Kuno’s Easton, Md., home, which was renovated to take advantage of water views.

The living area of Dr. Kuno’s Easton, Md., home, which was renovated to take advantage of water views.

The living area of Dr. Kuno’s Easton, Md., home, which was renovated to take advantage of water views. Photo: Will Figg for The Wall Street Journal

 

Architect Jim Rill, pictured, renovated Dr. Kuno’s home and added a conservatory space in 2017.

Architect Jim Rill, pictured, renovated Dr. Kuno’s home and added a conservatory space in 2017.

Architect Jim Rill, pictured, renovated Dr. Kuno’s home and added a conservatory space in 2017. Photo: Will Figg for The Wall Street Journal

 

Even in colder climes, riverfront living is in demand. Sachiko Kuno said she spent $3 million modernizing the vacation home she purchased in 2013 for about $1 million overlooking Peachblossom Creek in Easton, Md. “It was kind of older and traditional, but there were beautiful views of the river even from the kitchen,” says Dr. Kuno, 62, a biotech entrepreneur. In the winter months, she wanted exposed views without being bothered by inclement weather.

 

To modernize Dr. Kuno’s home, architect Jim Rill created an in-between conservatory room with glass windows to enjoy the views even during the colder months. Creating an exterior wall without window frames and sliding doors enhances a connection with the outdoors. A smaller wood-burning stove creates warm temperature without blocking the view. Patio-style wooden floors give it an outdoor feel. Completed in 2016, “it’s an informal space where you almost feel it’s fun to be barefoot,” he says.

 

In Wolftown, Va., Burton and Yardly Gray built a 5,400-square-foot second home on 275 acres overlooking the Rapidan River. The modern ranch-style home with a concrete and cedar facade cost under $3 million and allows the couple’s three children to fly-fish or observe roaming animals from the backyard.

 

“We wanted to build an ambitious, modern house out in the countryside,” says Mr. Gray, 47, a private investor. Their primary residence is in Washington, D.C., about a 90-minute drive away.

 

 

Jim and Claudia Getchell completed their Hilton Head Island home in 2016.

Jim and Claudia Getchell completed their Hilton Head Island home in 2016.

Jim and Claudia Getchell completed their Hilton Head Island home in 2016. Photo: Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn for The Wall Street Journal

 

The Grays’ architect, Jim Burton, says he wanted the couple’s weekend home to follow the same line as the river. He designed a narrow rectangular structure with double-height windows. The focus was on “creating a horizontal panoramic experience with mountains beyond,” he says. Outside, a rectangular outdoor water feature mimics the design. The architect used radiant heating under the concrete floors to warm the home even when windows are open in cooler weather. Wood paneling provides “warmth to balance the palette,” he adds.

 

Mr. Fisher, the architect, says he has noticed renewed interest in city riverfront living from clients who previously purchased homes farther away from waterways that were once polluted with industrial waste.

 

For the Allegheny River home in Pittsburgh, Mr. Fisher flipped the sloped tri-level home so bedrooms with partial river views are downstairs and common areas are above. “When you come in, there’s 10-foot-deck, like a big platter, serving you the view,” he says. There’s also a practical perk of building a home in the natural surroundings, says Ms. Stackhouse: “We have a cool place to hang out on the river—without mowing the lawn.”

 

 

The couple’s home overlooks Broad Creek.

The couple’s home overlooks Broad Creek.

The couple’s home overlooks Broad Creek. Photo: Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn for The Wall Street Journal

 

Write to Alina Dizik at alina.dizik@wsj.com

Appeared in the May 18, 2018, print edition as ‘Rollin,’ Rollin’ On the River.’

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