Catalyst Architects, LLC

Due to the constraints of the small site, the architect for Magnolia was first challenged with fitting the programmatic requirements- living, dining, kitchen, 4 bedrooms, and outdoor living space- into a very small building envelope. Doing so required prioritizing where porches would go, allowing for rooms to ‘overlap’ in order to feel larger, and the creative use of what would otherwise be utility spaces.

The first example is the lower porch on the ocean side, which transitions onto a 144 sf sun deck, which is permitted to encroach beyond the OCRM setback. The overlap/ combination of these two spaces results in useful outdoor living area with wonderful ocean views and breezes.

This same concept was applied to the interior, where the living, dining and kitchen are essentially one space. The simple palette of white wood walls and dark stained floors which extends throughout the house, makes the rooms visually flow together, and has a vintage feel reminiscent of the older homes on Pawley’s. Because of the high base flood elevation, the ‘garage’ space under the house is exceptionally tall. An outdoor fireplace, which shares the chimney shaft for the interior fireplace above, creates a magnet for oyster roasts and gatherings in this space, which would otherwise be used for parking and storage.

Careful attention was paid to exterior detailing in order to offset the home’s boxy shape and ‘long legs’. The spaces between the brick piers are infilled with gapped boards which create a sense of enclosure, but also transparency. In addition, a subtle horizontal band (created by a change in wall framing thickness), and extra- large gutters, which were permitted to extend beyond the building setbacks, help to add visual interest and scale to the building. While it is clearly a new addition to the island, elements such as handmade brick, exposed rafter tails and island shutters, which are characteristic of Pawley's, help Magnolia House fit with the island's vernacular.