8 Essential Elements of Kennebec Design
- 1 to 1 1/2 story masses that hug the landscape
- Collection of building masses connected to great courtyards and outdoor spaces
- Lower pitched roofs that reinforce horizontality
- Outdoor living spaces that seamlessly connect to indoor rooms
- Native materials with a neutral color palette
- Large expanses of glass at prominent spaces of the home
- Lakeside porches and balconies to great views
- Exposed structural details on interior and exterior (brackets, beams, etc.)
Architectural Inspiration
The research of styles along Alabama, and other predominately Southern, lakes offered wonderful sources of inspiration – most notably houses variously categorized as Adirondack, Shingle, Cottage, Craftsman and Folk or Farmhouse. Together, these more traditional and recognized styles combine to create what we are calling Rustic Luxe, unique to the vision for Kennebec. No one specific style should be used and a creative interpretation and incorporation of all the styles by a design professional is important in the design of homes at Kennebec.
As a buyer at Kennebec, we want to help you design and build your dream lake house. Below are some architects we know can help you develop your own Kennebec home.
Should you need help through the design process, please contact us.
Thank you to all the architectural firms above that, through their work, have helped form and shape the Kennebec style.
Builders
When it comes down to execution, it’s the builder’s responsibility to ensure what’s shown on paper comes to life.
For this reason, the Kennebec development team lists some of the region’s best builders here to help you select the best one for you. All on our list have built homes on Lake Martin, been building for decades, and have crafted some of the most remarkable homes on the lake and beyond.
Chad Stearns Builder, LLC
Eclectic, AL
Francis Bryant Construction
Birmingham, AL
Hufham Farris Construction
Montgomery, AL;
Birmingham, AL; Leesburg, GA
Legacy New Homes
Montgomery, AL
Philip Woods Home Builder
Birmingham, AL
Southern Traditions Construction
Pike Road, AL
TCC General Contractors
Alexander City, AL
Realizing the Kennebec Vision
Our development team spent a great deal of time researching what was already built not just at Lake Martin, but also other places around the country. Our research led us to places that are generational family destinations – meaning that generations of families visit these places year after year, forever. Some examples are Highlands or Cashiers, NC; Nantucket, MA; the Adirondacks in upstate New York; Easton, MD; Mackinaw Island, MI; Monteagle, TN, etc. What we determined is that these places not only have a lifestyle, they each have their own architectural vibe. The homes and the landscape become as much a part of the story of place as the people who live there.
It’s not a big suburban-like intown home that makes them tick, but rather a home specific to that place whether it be lakeside, ocean side, in the village or on the side of a mountain. You often see homes that could have evolved over time as the owner’s needs changed and family grew. You see homes that are a part of their landscape. A home that responds to the family’s, the owner’s, and the visitor’s needs. Essentially, a home that becomes the backdrop for the memories made and times the family spends there. That’s what we are trying to achieve at Kennebec. That’s the Kennebec style.
It’s not one style, but rather a collection of details, materials and elements that come together to create what your family needs. There’s more detail in the design section that better outline Kennebec style in greater detail, but most deal are really concepts you would expect to find in lake house architecture. For example – porches, decks and patios are required, natural materials and colors are specified, rooms with lots of windows and glass to bring in the views.
What is a little different here is that we would like to see the Kennebec homes a little lower slung and spread out over the lot and developed as possibly a series of structures to keep the massing down. We don’t want these homes to tower over the lake, but rather have them hidden in the trees when viewed from the water – much like some of the early cabins on Lake Martin that are still cherished by families today. They become a part of their site and provide easy access to the water. This is perhaps a little different than what you might find at some other recent lake developments where a more suburban city-style home with big lawns has been transplanted to the lake.
If you want to see the quality of what Kennebec is all about, you should go see our dock on Lot 9. It is a true reflection of the quality and character desired in the homes at Kennebec.
Yes. We thought about the shared spaces and overall development plan a little differently than other projects you might find on Lake Martin.
- Our roads follow old foot paths or logging roads to the lake and are designed to be narrow without formal curbing. The intent is to make them feel more like old “lake” roads leading down to the houses on the water rather than a traditional sub-division.
- We’ve specified no traditional post mounted street lights and have called for low voltage LED lighting to be placed in trees and around the property in such a way as to create a more natural moonlight-like glow.
- While gated for privacy and security, the entrance is intentionally understated, but still special, so visitors have a sense of arrival and your investment is protected when you are not there.
- But, perhaps the most interesting and dynamic part of the entire land plan is how the cul-de-sacs at the end of each “finger” of land become community gathering spots. One may have a fire pit, another a small orchard and the third a play area. The idea is that while the lots at Kennebec are large and private, we still want to encourage and cultivate a sense of community among the residents.
We are protecting you and your investment by picking a group of architects we know can execute what is planned for Kennebec. Each of them has been fully informed of our vision and why we wanted them on the preferred design team. We are trying to create something that doesn’t currently exist on the lake. Any one of them can design an exceptional plan for you and your family.
No. It doesn’t, but the development team wants to ensure what is ultimately built on each lot is of a quality and style we all desire. For that reason, we have an architectural review committee, which will review plans you might have or want to submit and determine the best course of action. That may be an iterative process, but in many cases our ARC will provide direction and feedback to help you and your architect amend your plan to fit within Kennebec guidelines. Or if you have an architect you’d like to discuss with us, please let’s talk about them. There are plenty of great architects out there who can execute a home in Kennebec. Our overarching concern is that the vision stays true throughout the project because that’s what creates tremendous value for you and the lake region.
Yes. But, like an architect, there is a review, evaluation and approval process. We are not trying to keep people out, but it is important to the success of Kennebec that what is designed and approved is actually built and built well. As a result, we have picked some builders we know can execute and have built on the lake before. We have also been careful to select them from different markets – Birmingham, Montgomery and then at the lake in Eclectic and Alexander City. The goal is not to limit you, but rather help you find the right fit and make sure your build at Kennebec goes as smoothly as possible.
Schedule a tour of our large wooded lakefront homesites.
For more information, contact Miller Dark, the exclusive agent for Kennebec.
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