The Genzer Residence is a two-story, two-bedroom home designed as a country retreat for a retired couple relocating to North Carolina from New York City. The 4,600 square foot house is located in a secluded woodland area southwest of Chapel Hill. Approximately half of the home’s space is devoted to conditioned living quarters. The remaining 2,300 square feet shelters an unheated garage and woodworking shop and a series of covered breezeways and verandas.

The home is notable for its contemporary detailing and free-flowing interior spaces. The residence is entered on its upper level from a south-facing courtyard and arcade which are framed by the home’s garage and bedroom wings. The home’s design takes good advantage of the site’s steeply sloping topography, permitting all primary living spaces on both floors to overlook a small clearing and owner-restored pond. Both the upper level living room and the guest bedroom below open onto broad, comfortably shaded verandas. The two floors are connected by a winding staircase which also serves as a photo gallery.

The homeowner, who is a skilled wood craftsman, served as general contractor for the project and fabricated much of the home’s casework and trim. His spouse, an avid gardener, developed the home’s landscaping, taking particular care to preserve as many existing trees as possible. The project is conventionally framed wood construction with bamboo flooring, bluestone paving, and radiant heating.