Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: A tomboy raised in South Georgia, I have always appreciated the natural beauty of the unbuilt world. After receiving my undergraduate and master’s degrees from Georgia Tech, it is ironic that I chose architecture as a profession. My personal life and career landed me a job working for a commercial architecture firm in San Francisco. I made sunny Marin County my home, allowing me to offset the balance of fast-paced city work with weekends exploring the beauty of hiking trails, coastline and adjacent wine country. Feeling more like a visitor during the twenty-seven years of California residence, I always yearned for my return to the Southeast. Conservation and lowcountry lifestyle was beckoning me home.
Q: How did you hear about Brays?
A: After a long visit reconnecting with my family, I decided it was time to purchase a new home, so I posted up at a carriage house in Savannah for two weeks and set up appointments with some of the local developed communities I had discovered online through extensive searches. They all left me wanting. They had everything … shiny, new pristine developments with a utopian construct, but no integral human connection or purpose for integrating with the unbuilt. Thankfully, my financial advisor of Athens, Georgia, inquired, “Have you heard of Brays Island?” I had not, but he knew I loved nature, privacy, fly-fishing and shooting.
Q: Walk us through the process of visiting and ultimately choosing to live here.
A: Once I located the sales number for Brays, a huge southeastern storm hit the area, saturating the region for days. A friendly voice answered my call … . if I could wait a few days, Chad implored, he would welcome me for a comprehensive tour of the Island. I waited for the perfect day for an introduction to a conservation paradise, well hidden from the fast-paced life of South Carolina’s coastal working world. Chad was keen to fill me in over the phone on the history and details of Brays, assessing my fit into a unique community that would eventually welcome me into their fold. Inquiring as only a gentleman would, Chad made sure I had the best expectations of Brays and its residents and that we would get along harmoniously with one another. I appreciated this line of questions, as any future owner would want the same… . I suppose I passed the cursory review!
Brays encompasses all the features of the other relevant properties… shooting, fishing, hunting, equestrian, golf, a community garden, an inn, restaurants and more but actually represents a working model that has been successfully managed since the late -1980s. This stability was important to me as a buyer, especially in terms of the current high-priced real estate market. I wanted built-in equity, and while there are no assurances, the framework in place is time-tested. Additionally, the fact that nearly 5,200 acres of conservation was a commitment set in stone at Brays emerged as a unique feature in my search. It wouldn’t be developed, but instead would be maintained as a natural component of the community that would serve as its steward … a win-win for me and conservation.
Once I passed the heritage oak-lined drive to the real estate office, Chad greeted me with enthusiasm, as though his position was the best one could hold (and I have to agree). The physical beauty of Brays is hard to capture in descriptors. It truly warrants a personal visit. The vision was more than mapping a farm into a physical development. It prioritized the community first - 325 lucky residents sharing the same sporting lifestyle of an era gone by and preserving all that is good about the lowcountry and the rich habitat abounding within. Once our tour commenced and most of the outer shared spaces were covered, I inquired about the various architectural styles of homes. Chad indicated that Brays’ homes are intentionally held behind a green vegetal fence, preserving the natural character of lowcountry landscape, so it encouraged many styles. Noticing the predominantly traditional homes of the area, I wondered if there were any contemporary homes available or allowed through a design review process. Chad paused thoughtfully responding, there is one that just came to market… would you like to see it? I accepted his offer. After the Island tour was completed, we drove to the property.
Q: Tell us about your new home.
A: Not knowing what to expect from the lowcountry landscape and leaving a Mid-century modern California home, I was excited but not assured it would meet my modern design construct. I was quite surprised to find an architecturally modern vernacular peering through the trees. Though contemporary in design, the materials are indigenous and perfect; wood, glass, concrete and steel formulating a celebration of abstract but recognizable forms. Natural stained wood siding is present in surrounding forests; the reflection of glass speaks to the vitality of nearby moving water while mirroring the surrounding landscape; gray concrete foundations and armature appear abundantly in the Spanish moss and tree bark, with vertical steel columns marching along behind the glass panels like thin pines in a forest. Sited to take advantage of the water views to the rear, the adjoining properties remain unseen, as intended by the master plan of Brays. The house has a lowcountry presence with a modern context.
Q: What plans do you have for the home going forward to make it your own?
A: The only thing missing for me is a garage and a guest room for my college daughter!