Architect Arielle Schechter and Her Clients Introduce Modern, Minimal, Sustainable Design to Lake Orange Community.

Press Release: June 14, 2021 (Chapel Hill, NC) — Across the east fork of the Eno River in Orange County, six miles north of downtown Hillsborough, Lake Orange has attracted well-heeled homeowners to its shores for years, many of whom have built their very large, very traditional dream homes there. Many hardwoods and evergreen trees have disappeared in their wake.

Now another new home has appeared along the lake’s shore, nestled among the lofty trees, that is the antithesis of those houses. Designed by Chapel Hill architect Arielle Condoret Schechter, AIA, the Wolf-Huang house (above) has introduced modern, sensibly sized, and environmentally sustainable living to the Lake Orange neighborhood. Inside (below), it is the essence of minimal, reductive design — simple and serene.

Most of Schechter’s residential clients value light, livability, energy conservation, and spaces tailor-made for their lifestyles over ostentation and grandiose square footage. These homeowners are no different. In fact, the lake itself was fundamental to the conception of the 2677-square-foot Wolf-Huang house — views of the lake and sunsets over the lake, as well as the breezes that glide across the water.

To that end, she oriented the house on the site to face the lake and used large sliding-glass doors and windows to provide views and welcome the breezes in spring and fall. Windows on the street-facing elevation along with the house’s slim footprint facilitate cross ventilation. Clerestories in a roof segment above the main roofline — where a solar array is located — contribute more natural light to the crisp, all-white interior. Deep roof overhangs shade glass doors and windows from the high summer sun.

For the Wolf-Huang’s exterior, Schechter says she was Inspired by her love of Amsterdam’s colorful houseboats moored along canal banks — simultaneously luxurious and cozy. She’s made several architectural trips to Amsterdam to visit them. As a result:

“I think the Wolf-Huang Lake House feels as if it could be launched right into the Lake to float along the banks,” she says, smiling. “We hope our clients feel as if they’re on vacation all the time, except without crowded flights and long lines!”

BuildSense custom home builders in Durham served as general contractor for this project.

PHOTOS BY TZU CHEN

AMAZING ARCHITECTURE.com: “Baboolal Residence in Chapel Hill, United States, designed by Arielle Condoret Schechter, Architect, PLLC, AIA”

by Naser Nader Ibrahim

The Baboolal residence is a net zero house is for a multicultural family of four. The husband is Indian originally from South Africa and the wife is American. They are both in high stress professions: he is a pediatric anesthesiologist and she is a pediatric nurse. They have two small children and pets.

The impetus for building this house was their previous frustration with living in a cookie cutter developer house with a lot of wasted space and illogical planning.

They decided to build a custom house that would give them openness for family time, while also creating privacy and quiet areas for the parents to rest between shifts and for the kids to have their own spaces. Also, an immediate connection between indoor and outdoor space was part of the brief. READ MORE…

INHABITAT: “No waste, no carbon, no wonder this net-zero home breaks the mold”

PHOTOS BY TZU CHEN

By K.C. Morgan

When the Baboolals looked around their North Carolina community, they saw what many people see in their local areas: cookie-cutter houses that consume excess energy. A desire to break free from this mold is how their journey to create a net-zero house began. Working with architect Arielle Condoret Schechter, the Baboolals outlined a few essentials for the home...READ MORE

RESIDENTIAL DESIGN: “Design Lab – Baboolal Residence”

Front elevation. (Photos © Tzu Chen)

Rear elevation: “At the Baboolal House by Arielle Condoret Schechter, family hangouts on the deck overlooking the neighbor’s meadow are what restore the spirit.” ~ RD

By Claire Conroy, editor

Yes, there are custom residential projects where money truly is no object, but those are the exceptions to the rule. Unless your clients are bitcoin billionaires, there’s a limit to how much they can or will spend on their house.

Architect Arielle Condoret Schechter, AIA, understands this acutely. Her clients in North Carolina’s Research Triangle are ordinary people tired of their ordinary houses, and they trust her to keep their best interests at heart. That drives her to seek out value at every turn on her projects, trying to hit that perfect balance of budget, sustainability, livability, and delight. ..READ MORE

HOME BUILDER DIGEST: “The Best Residential Architects in [the Triangle]”

Arielle Condoret Schechter, Architect

440 Bayberry Dr., Chapel Hill, NC 27517

Arielle Schechter, a registered architect recognized by the A.I.A., has made a name for herself in the Triangle area for her nationally recognized custom houses, Micropolis micro-houses, and mid century renovations. She is currently based in Chapel Hill. For over 26 years, she has specialized in warm, energy-efficient, and modernist residential architecture, including cutting-edge Net-Zero design and passive house construction… READ MORE 

THE AWARD-WINNING, NET ZERO HAW RIVER HOUSE AT DUSK. Photo by Tzu Chen

e-ARCHITECT: “Baboolal Residence, Chapel Hill, NC”

(Photos by Tzu Chen)

e-Architect is published in Glasgow, Scotland

The Baboolal Residence is a net zero house for a multicultural family of four. The husband is Indian originally from South Africa and the wife is American. They are both in high stress professions: he is a pediatric anesthesiologist and she is a pediatric nurse. They have two small children and pets. READ MORE

CONTEMPORIST: “A Roof Covered In Solar Panels Allowed This Home To Be A Net-Zero Energy House”

From the editors: Architect Arielle Schechter has shared her latest project with us, the ‘Baboolal Residence’, which is surrounded by forest and a grassy meadow, and is located near the town of Chapel Hill in North Carolina.

(Photos by Tzu Chen)

Designed as a net-zero house for a family of four, the home features a unique roof shape that allows for the inclusion of solar panels. READ MORE

GREEN BUILDING & DESIGN: “Architect to Watch — Arielle Schechter on How Japan Inspires Her Design Philosophy”

This architect builds for the North Carolina climate and for clients who crave sustainability.

By Jessica Mordaco

Light is the most important factor in architect Arielle Schechter’s design philosophy. Much of her design inspiration comes from Japanese architects who use screens and overhangs to block the sun while creating a seamless translucence from outdoors to indoors—that, and modernist design that connects inside spaces to nature. Schechter became interested in her craft at a young age, growing up with a famous mid-century architect as a father. “I always thought I’d work for him but, when he died, I had a lot of things I wanted to say in architecture,” she says. “I totally believe there’s no point in designing anything, much less a green building unless you’re going to make it wonderful for the people who live in it, too.”  READ MORE