This Modern Home in an Idyllic Setting Is Defined by Three Bold Chimneys

Wander the rolling countryside outside Charlottesville, Virginia, and you might stumble upon an unusual sight: three stark white chimneys rising from a hillside. They belong to a striking home appropriately named Three Chimney House, designed by San Francisco–based architecture firm T.W. Ryan for a young family of four. The structure is equal parts contemporary and traditional, with a distinctive silhouette of rectilinear walls, rooflines, and chimneys built from the typical materials of Colonial-style architecture, such as stone, brick, copper, and wood.

“From the very first conversations, we were all determined to use tradition as a guide for invention. This meant that discussions ranged from Mies van der Rohe’s pioneering Brick Country House to Thomas Jefferson’s equally radical Academical Village design for the University of Virginia,” says the project’s architect, Thomas Ryan. “This cross-exchange was invigorating for us all and led to a house that is of its time while still being rooted in its place.”

As for the home’s defining chimneys, they were specifically drawn from Stratford Hall, a National Historic Landmark near Alexandria, Virginia, where the clients grew up. “It is one of the first examples of uniquely American architecture in the Colonial era, built in 1730, with a pair of great chimneys defining the image of the house,” says Ryan. Take a tour of the remarkable property below.