Doug Hildinger’s Midway Hollow Contemporary Spec Home is Both a Departure And an Arrival
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The black standing seam metal roof goes all the way down the left side of the house, appearing as if it were inserted into the brick.
Architect Doug Hildinger is always up to something interesting. His most recent project in Midway Hollow is quite a departure from what we have seen there. That’s because you generally don’t find architect-designed spec homes here. Builders generally use a capable draftsman but don’t often turn to an actual architect. This new contemporary home offers the best of both worlds because Hildinger recently started a new company, Format Design and Construction. He is both the architect and the builder.
“My goal is to design homes I want to live in,” Hildinger said. When I bought this lot three years ago, Midway Hollow was just in the transition phase. I had been designing schools and was itching to jump back into homes.”
Why Architect-Designed Homes Are Different
An architect-designed home is evident from the moment you enter because everything looks different from the expected template of most new builds. There is a cleverness to the layout and details you may not notice, but you do know something is different, which draws people in and makes them never want to leave.
“I’m really satisfied with the entry sequence,” Hildinger said. “I like different ceiling heights, and I don’t like to see the entire home at one glance from the entry. As you turn the corner in this house, it opens up, and you get the full view. It’s a sequence to a reveal. I always want to present some surprises. For instance, the half bath is under the stairway to the left. It’s in an unexpected location. The fireplace is the house’s focal point, and I did not want it against a wall. It’s’ out in the middle, and the stairway wraps around the fireplace, so the fireplace looks freestanding.”
Many buyers moving to Midway Hollow have children, so Hildinger designed this 4,263-square-foot home with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a spectacular powder bath.
“I always go crazy on the half-bath,” Hildinger said. “I love putting in interesting design details and making it special.”
The first-floor public rooms are laid out in an “L” shape, with the kitchen as the anchor between the living and dining areas and wrapping an interior courtyard seen through floor-to-ceiling windows and doors. This was inspired by a design Hildinger used on a house in the Peninsula neighborhood.
“It works so much better than the typical stacked room design,” Hildinger said.
The upstairs living area is like a big den Hildinger shaped to wrap around the top of the fireplace.
“It’s really built for kids, with places for desks if they want to learn from home or loads of areas to add things like foosball tables,” Hildinger said.
“It’s a very different design,” Hildinger said. “I’ve been here when people are touring it, and they did not know who I was so that I could hear honest comments. It was great because everyone that has seen it loves it. It’s a family home, and I’m pleased that several people have said this is a house they can live in and has a warm, inviting interior.”
To have a peek, stop by the sip and see Friday and grab a cold glass of bubbly, or head to the open house this weekend.
Compass Realtor Christi Feustel has this architect-designed Midway Hollow contemporary at 3983 Rochelle Drive listed for $1.95 million.
- Prosecco Sip and See: Friday, July 29, from 2 to 4 p.m.
- Open House: Saturday, July 30, and Sunday, July 31, from 2 to 4 p.m.
