See the hillside retreat of one Birmingham architect

Before breaking ground on any project, Birmingham architect Jeffrey Dungan always makes sure to consult one key informant: the land. Bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and all the aesthetics, Dungan says, should always be influenced by the land they’re on. Once topography is taken into account, then work can begin.

That same thinking resonated deeply when the time came for the revered architect to build his current Birmingham home. After years of designing well-informed spaces throughout the South—as well as a handful of other projects in other states and abroad—Dungan decided it was time to build an abode in Birmingham that would accommodate both his vision and his family, which includes three daughters. The result of Dungan’s dream is a home that blends classic, clean architecture with a modern approach.

Building on History

Built along the slopes of Birmingham’s Red Mountain, Dungan’s hillside home is nestled within the Abbey Road community—a neighborhood in Birmingham’s Southside that takes architectural cues from the historic soil it resides on. Dungan and a former business partner purchased the land several years ago. After developing and selling several lots on the land, one remained empty. That lot ended up capturing Dungan’s interest some years later when he was considering where to build a home of his own. “Instead of selling it [to someone else], I just sold it to myself,” he says.

After surveying the property, which is on a steep hillside, Dungan decided to build something that would leave a small footprint on the land. Clean, crisp lines paired with modern touches are just some of the characteristics that ended up shaping the home. “I just needed a place that would be comfortable and be a little bit of a respite from the rest of the world—a retreat,” Dungan says. “I wanted a place that felt very relaxing, and sort of pure and quiet.”

To achieve those goals, Dungan collaborated with local interior designers Betsy Brown, Grant Trick, and Michelle Cone. Together, the foursome designed a space that was both moody and cozy, bright and simple.

The home’s simplicity can be found in its colors, which are a serene blend of blues, whites, and hardwood browns that provide just the right amount of warmth. Light spills from almost every corner of the home, as large windows allow sunshine to enter from sun up to sun down.

Designing the home with natural light in mind, Dungan says, was paramount. “The older I get, the more attracted to having natural light I become,” he says. “When I open the doors and invite all that light and sound into the living space, it’s really ethereal.”

With a total of four stories, including the basement, the home mimics an upscale treehouse. The structure’s vertical shape called for a simple floorplan that afforded no wasted space. From the home’s entryway, visitors can see directly into the kitchen, living, and dining areas. “I wanted to make it as simple as I possibly could,” Dungan says.

Outside the house, white-washed brick and a sloped roof lend a cottage quality to the home. When deciding what special features to include in the home’s design, Dungan took a specific request from his daughters, who suggested an outdoor pool would be the perfect addition. It ended up being one of Dungan’s favorite features, too.

“I love the life-giving force of the water, and the sound of it, and the reflections, and the movement,” Dungan says of the pool, which lends the perfect splash of serenity. “I felt like that was really important to have.”

The water fits perfectly with the home’s overall aesthetic. Plenty of plants and details that harken to the outdoors—like sloped archways and vaulted ceilings that look more like curved branches than stiff lines—keep the home in theme with Dungan’s signature style. The bedrooms welcome in light, as well as unmatched views of the city below, allowing Dungan and his daughters to soak in some of the best Magic City scenery.

“One other small part of the home that I really enjoy is a little courtyard out in the front,” Dungan adds. “It’s a tiny area, but it’s amazing how much you can grow out there. I can be out there and almost forget there’s anything else in the world except that little patch of land.”

In a sense, tending to the land, and the structures it supports, sums up Dungan’s vision for his Birmingham home—and other projects he works on here and abroad. Finding peace first in nature, then in design, is a skill Dungan has mastered with elegance.

“Views and vistas and sunlight—and finding big ways to bring light inside a building—is fascinating to me,” Dungan says. “I get a lot of inspiration from nature. I find it to be very powerful. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that.”

Details

See more of Dungan’s work at jeffreydungan.com.

This story appears in Birmingham magazine’s June 2019 issue. Subscribe today!

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