A Gem Among the Trees
High Efficiency, Hurricane Ready
A traditional waterfront house on Hilton Head Island raised above the floodplain designed to flow elegantly between the majestic live oaks without cutting any down.
Featured in The Wall Street Journal May, 2018
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Publications
The Wall Street Journal May 17, 2018Contractor
Cameron & Cameron BuildersLocation
Hilton Head Island, SCStyle
TransitionalPhotographer
Atlantic Archives
The Tree House
The Lowcountry is hot, humid, and prone to hurricanes, which requires special attention to the design and detailing of the building. The existing grade, at eight feet, is well below the required base flood elevation of fourteen feet.
Hurricane Ready
Best practices for building in a hurricane-prone, hot, humid climate have advanced over the past twenty years. The first requirement: keep the building from blowing away in a hurricane. The building is tied together from the roof rafters to the foundation with continuous “Go-bolts” and structural ties. The building is designed to withstand the wind shear associated with a 140 m.p.h wind. The windows and doors are impact-rated to protect from flying objects and all finishes are securely fastened to the structure.
Sustainably Engineered
The high-efficiency house was designed for our hot, humid climate. Polyurethane foam insulation was installed at the building envelope. This allowed the HVAC equipment and ducts to be in conditioned space. By eliminating penetrations between conditioned and unconditioned spaces, the design prohibits mold and mildew growth. The engineered high-efficiency HVAC system is easily accessed for maintenance.
From the client
“Frederick and Frederick did an outstanding job designing our home to take advantage of the lot with unique water views, while saving our huge oak trees. They listened and the design was creative and met our every need. Their construction management service, especially Tom, ensured the building process met the design details, giving us confidence while we were not present for extended times. They were quickly responsive to our every question and detail. We would highly recommend Frederick and Frederick for any high end project, especially one requiring creativity and total “beginning to end” services for the entire project. Thank you for a great job!”
