Rogers House

This modest house is located in the downtown residential neighborhood of a small town in north Mississippi. In using simple forms that recall the local vernacular, maximum interior space is created efficiently without sacrificing volumetric interest. The plan is based on those of side entry houses in Charleston, South Carolina; here the screened entry porch faces onto a courtyard that is hidden from the street by a small garage. Locally grown cypress is used on exterior and interior walls, and a traditional tin roof reflects the hot sun and deflects the intense rains. The extra large window gives tension to the otherwise simple front facade and makes the scale of the house deceptive; other large windows face the courtyard and the back while small windows placed high on the wall march down the west side close by the neighbors. The large living room and kitchen open onto the porch; the master suite is sequestered in the back. The second level comprises a guest loft and the client’s specific request: a card table alcove overlooking the living room.