THE HERITAGE

Homes at The Heritage will fit the changing demographics at the lake

The Heritage What to expect from the new neighborhood STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTO BY JUSTIN CLAYTON

While actual home designs are still on the drawing board for Russell Lands’ new neighborhood at The Heritage, a well-developed concept for future floor plans and renderings is emerging, said Steve Arnberg, vicepresident of real estate sales for the Lake Martin developer.

“Over the years, we’ve seen a number of designers with very successful designs, from the use of the property in relation to the lake to views of the lake, and those things remain true, but driving the property type is a demographic shift that’s happening now,” Arnberg said. “More people are leaving urban environments and seeking traditionally second-home areas. We are so close to Birmingham, Montgomery and Auburn that more people are moving here on a

Wpermanent basis.” That shift to building permanent homes at Lake Martin, as opposed to vacation homes, creates architectural demands that differ from the secondhome floor plans seen in many lake home neighborhoods, like The Ridge and The Willows. “Closets and bedrooms in second homes tend to be smaller, but now that’s changing. Dining rooms are changing. It calls for us to do something fresh and new,” he said. “We’re pretty excited about it. We have a designer we are working with to help us come up with new concepts on how the homes look.” Typography also plays an important role in the concept, Arnberg said, as contrary to the steeply sloping shore-

lines of many areas around the lake, the Wicker Point property where The Heritage will be located is relatively flat. The area could better accommodate one-story living or one story with a walkout basement.

A similar design concept was introduced on the lake’s east shoreline in 2018 when Alabama Power collaborated with Nequette Architecture and Design on the Kennebec preservation community. That concept included a cabin community with lake access and a strong connection to the natural, flatter landscape. At the time, architect Louis Nequette described the homes as having lower roof lines in a style that borrowed vernacular length from midcentury modern and Frank Lloyd Wright models.

The scenario offers easier access to the lake for older retired residents who would like to remain in their lake homes through advancing age.

“For the changing demographics, that’s a big deal. It means being able to walk out to the pier without a lot of steps in between. That’s a feature of The Heritage that you don’t see at The Ridge,” Arnberg explained.

Making the most of the changing lake lifestyles requires thinking beyond what Russell Lands is famous for – beautiful craftsman and farmhouse styles with rustic exteriors and heavy timbers, he noted.

“But it still needs to fit at the lake,” he added. “We will need to embrace a wide variety of designs. We do have more people who want to do things a little more modern, but still fit the environment at the lake.”

Embracing new designs on The Heritage property opens the lake to a major upgrade in overall design criteria.

“It’s fun talking about different designs. People are loving the idea of doing something new and different,” Arnberg said. “It allows people to have more rooms that face the water instead of just key rooms with views. Sometimes, rooms get left out on the hillside design.”

The Heritage lot sizes are expected to average 160 feet instead of an average of 140 feet. That size will allow more privacy between the lots as well as wider designs for homes.

“We’re looking at a minimum of 2,500 square feet as a good starting point. We’re more concerned about houses that look like they fit on the land. We’re making the lots a little wider, so the houses are not so close to each other.”

The more open land and design criteria for the lot size means designers and architects will have a clean slate to work with as they create the next generation of homes on Lake Martin, Arnberg said.

The company will release the first phase of lots this summer and at that time will roll out a visual concept that includes a fresh and exciting overall design criteria that accommodates one-level living but remains true to the environmental and architectural personality of Lake Martin.