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The One rises slightly above a grove of live oaks in Southern Shores.

Finding The One

A concrete and timber retreat that feels right at home in Southern Shores

STORY BY AMELIA BOLDAJI

World War II had just ended when Frank Stick – a celebrated artist, author, conservationist and developer – purchased about 2,800 acres of land slightly north of Kitty Hawk. It was a reported $30,000 investment of a lifetime (equaling approximately $430,000 today), but Stick had ambitious plans to create a tranquil ocean-to-sound community there – an area which he dubbed Southern Shores.

Seventy-fi ve years later, Southern Shores still owes a great deal of debt to its founding father in many ways, including his popularization of the town’s signature fl at top houses in the late 1940s – a design concept that remains deeply ingrained in local architecture, and continues to thrive in various forms to this day. The One in Southern Shores is a perfect example of that legacy.

Built by Raleigh-based architect Nathaniel Meiggs along with his wife, Sarah, The One is a four-bedroom home with a distinctive rectangular shape that blends well with its surrounding sea of ancient live oaks – a type of structural harmony with nature that would’ve made Stick proud.

“The Outer Banks is a very special place,” Nathaniel says. “We wanted to celebrate its architectural history and carry on that legacy of thoughtful design.”

The One’s fl at roof is an obvious nod to Stick, but other, less apparently inspired features include the house’s use of concrete and its spacious fl oor plan that highlights exposed juniper beams and cypress paneling. And the Meiggs

An abundance of windows, natural wood and concrete create a polished look in spaces that were meant for entertaining, such as the toplevel kitchen and the bottomlevel lounge area (opposite page). The One blends classic local architectural styles with a modern sensibility in the second-fl oor dining and living areas, as well as its tastefully decorated bedrooms (pictured here, top to bottom). Photos courtesy of Village Realty.

didn’t restrict themselves to drawing from fl at tops either – Nathaniel had long admired the old cedar-shake Nags Head cottages as well (the couple were even married in one in 2014), and that led them to embrace the warm glow of wood paneling and covered exterior spaces positioned to best take in the breeze off the Atlantic.

“We also borrowed the notion that materials left in their natural state can be allowed to age gracefully,” Nathaniel explains. “It looks great right now with its natural tans and beige tones, but eventually our cypress siding will patina into a soft grey – and letting materials be what they are is something I strive for.”

On a personal note, The One has also allowed the Meiggs to realize their life-long dream of having a home on the Outer Banks. Nathaniel grew up on a potato farm in Camden, North Carolina, and spent the tail end of every summer vacationing on the Outer Banks with his family (a tradition they still keep to this day). During his years at North Carolina State University (where he went on to earn a Master of Architecture degree), Nathaniel continued to divide his time between Raleigh and the Outer Banks – spending his summers living on the east side of Helga Street in Kill Devil Hills while making his spending money waiting tables at Kelly’s Restaurant, and, eventually, meeting his wife, Sarah.

“Having a home on the Outer Banks has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, but it’s hard to say that this was planned – [it was more that] we really fell in love with the lot and its magic,” Nathaniel says thoughtfully. “Before we started building, I spent a night out here to study how and where the sun came up, and what the wind was doing – we really wanted to take our time and make sure we built something that celebrated the site as much as anything.”

“We stumbled into the house’s name much as we stumbled onto the lot,” Sarah adds, while pointing out that house – rather fi ttingly – holds the fi rst address spot on their street. “A single visit was all it took for us to realize we’d found ‘the one.’” “It looks great right now with its natural tans and beige tones, but eventually our cypress siding will patina into a so grey – and letting materials be what they are is something I strive for.” -Nathaniel Meiggs, Architect