Photo Credit: Curb, Ghost Houses

Architecture Firm: Curb by Tricia Stuth and Ted Shelton

Location of homes: Knoxville, TN

Ten years ago, Tricia Stuth and Ted Shelton made a plan to resurrect two new homes and renovate another on land that used to belong to three other homes over 100 years ago. Because of the abandonment of this property, the name “Ghost Houses” surfaced. This was not an easy project for this team from Curb because of zoning issues, regulations, and historic preservation issues.

Photo Credit: Curb; Old Houses on property over 100 Years ago

As stated on Curb’s website from the architects:

“Building a new home, two units of affordable rental house, and an office/studio on either side of a historicaly designated house that carries with is the Secretary of Interior Standards for  Historic Preservation on an urban site encumbered by suburban zoning requirements is not supposed to be possible- and everyone with any authority over the process told us as much.”

It was obvious that this team needed to find a positive angle in order to get this project underway. What this project did have going for it was walkable and bike-able development patterns, compact land use, investment in a new part of the neighborhood, and renovating the existing house; and these allowed for the approval of the “Ghost Houses.” All three homes have some very innovative sustainable features like integrated natural cross ventilation, daylighting, and CMU walls.

Going “green” will benefit this community because it is becoming a walkable, urban neighborhood which allows for this neighborhood to thrive in a new way.

Photo Credit: Curb; Design of one of the Ghost Houses

Source: Inhabitat: Curb Resurrects Knoxville Ghost Houses as Elegant, Sustainable Homes

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