When a slope becomes an asset: Kebony dresses an exceptional modern house in Brookhaven

Designed for a couple and their teenage daughter, the Honabach house harnesses Brookhaven's sloping topography as a true generator of form. Award-winning architect Philip Babb's design articulates contemporary volumes, spatial sequences conceived for intimacy, and panoramic views, while the Kebony Clear wood cladding enhances the landscape integration and material coherence of the whole.

Designed for a young couple, their teenage daughter, and their two golden retrievers, the Honabach house is located on a quiet residential street in Brookhaven, Georgia. It was the only private residence to receive an Honor Award at the 2025 AIA Georgia Design Awards.

Situated on a plot of approximately 5.000 m², which slopes gently from the street down to a small stream, the property benefits from remarkable vegetation. The mature deciduous trees that cover the entire rear half of the site form a dense and valuable wooded area, providing an exceptional natural setting for the project.

The clients wanted a four-bedroom house with an open-plan kitchen, dining room, and living room adjacent to large outdoor entertaining areas. They also requested ample storage space and that the more technical areas be located on the lower level.

The upstairs bedrooms are arranged in two parallel forms perpendicular to the street: the guest room and a home office are positioned on the street side. Conversely, the master bedroom is located on the opposite side and away from their daughter's room, offering privacy and an unobstructed view of the woods. The space between the two parallel forms thus becomes a "transparent" entryway, allowing views through the house to the wooded area beyond.

From the upper-level entrance, an open staircase leads to a large, terrace-level entertainment area, where continuous floor-to-ceiling windows overlook a private courtyard and swimming pool. Elsewhere, along the west side of the courtyard, a spacious, sheltered living and dining area provides a covered outdoor entertaining space. Furthermore, Kebony Clear decking has been used extensively, appearing on all upper levels, exterior horizontal surfaces including the entrance steps and terraces, and the balconies outside the four bedrooms.

For the Babb architectural firm: "At the Honabach home, Kebony's natural aesthetics, exceptional weather resistance, and ease of maintenance made it the ideal choice as the exterior cladding material for the house."

Kebony is the only modified wood siding in the United States that complies with the International Building Code and International Residential Code.