T H E    S T E I N    R E S I D E N C E                        

Situated on the west bluff of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, this mountain home is rich with outdoor places. 

A range of covered porches, open wood decks, and stone terraces offer a variety of places for outdoor living and breathtaking views of the valley below.

The building is cut into the mountainside,

with a sunken stone patio and steps carved into the ground.

It is only after descending the stone steps, 

passing under the second floor wing above,

and out to the bluffside terrace,

that the panoramic view opens up before you.

It is built  as a stone outcropping, similar to the bluff on which it sits, supporting a wooden framework above.

The dining room opens onto a trellised terrace on the south side, 

with outdoor fireplace for indoor/outdoor eating.

Many of the stones throughout the house were salvaged from local road curbs and garden walls, some of which were originally cut by the owner's great grandfather Stein (stone), a stonecutter.

In winter, the stone columns, wall, and floor slab provide thermal mass, absorbing solar radiation passing through this high wall of south-facing glass. In summer, winds from the valley naturally cool and ventilate the space, passing through low windows on the north wall and out through high ones on the south wall.

Stone columns march from outside to inside to support the roof beams of the main living space.

It is a house truly of its place, with all interior trim and flooring cut from heartpine timbers recycled from a Chattanooga warehouse, and stones salvaged from downtown Chattanooga streets.

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