Hugging  the hillside, this retirement home in Butler, TN is an assemblage of tin-roofed houses sited to  follow the contours of the land.  They gather  around a protected courtyard nestled  between the house and  wooded mountain slope to the north.

The south side opens up to  distant views with generously glazed walls and a large porch projecting out into the trees.

and multiple openings to the outside, it has the feeling of a treehouse, with views that animate the interior  spaces  and  change dramatically with the seasons.

To maintain an easy flow  from inside to outside and from one space to another,  all is on one level for most of the house, and partial walls and built-ins  are used to separate spaces, rather than solid walls.

Only the  guest wing and den step up the hillside, still open to the main space, but partially screened by a stairwell wall of display shelves.     

By maintaining a narrow house depth we minimize the front-to-back grade change. This also allows  light to stream from one exterior wall to the other  and cool mountain breezes  easily to pass through. 

Sunlight enlivens the space, producing complex shadows and reflections as it  hits  the exposed roof structure of the porch.

 to a hidden courtyard garden and patio, enclosed by the mountain on one side  and what feels like a grouping of individual houses on the other.

This kitchen window has a view of the soft northern light as it passes through the trellis above and washes the wall and planter  along the  entry walk.