Jordache Avery lives in a modern house he designed. The Atlanta architect also has three modern homes in the Atlanta area on the upcoming MA! (Modern Atlanta) Architectural Tour.
Architect & background: A Florida native, Avery grew up in Jacksonsville, where his father was a senior planner for the city. As a child, Avery loved to look over the architectural drawings his father brought home. Avery graduated from Florida A & M University in 2004 with an architecture degree. When he moved to Atlanta, he worked for Corcoran-Ota Group in Atlanta before starting his own firm.
The company: Atlanta-based XMETRICAL, LLC started in 2009.
As seen in — or on: Atlanta magazine (March 2016), "A look inside 3 modern homes in Atlanta." And on the Atlanta modern home/architectural tours in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. This year, Avery has three homes on the upcoming tour in Atlanta: Spring Valley, Hardendorf and Overbrook.
Design pet peeves: Traditional homes with modern lipstick. You can't just change the finishes, flatten the roof and call it modern. It should be designed as such.
Current design obsession: Using ceilings to better define space and draw attention to specific areas and features, such as floating a ceiling over the kitchen island or changing the materials and texture of the ceiling in a dining room.
New (or re-emerging) looks I like: Adding warm and rustic materials to the design, such as re-claimed wood veneer to contrast with the clean and sharp modern lines.
… and looks I am glad to see go. A horizontal brick tile (running bond pattern) installed vertically. Personally, it just feels wrong and arbitrary when the tile is obviously designed to be installed in a different direction.
Biggest design mistake I've made: In designing my first modern home (my personal residence in Atlanta), I eliminated the parapet wall from the design to create a small attic that would accommodate HVAC equipment. Unfortunately, the design failed to include an overhang — and included a white stucco exterior wall finish. After several dry weeks and a lot of pollen, one rainy day turned parts of the white stucco brown. Fortunately, we we're able to clean the stucco and retrofit the design with sharp box gutters, which no one knew weren't originally considered.
… and biggest mistake homeowner's make: Wanting a design quickly. You should want your architect to invest more time and thought into your project. Rushing the process often comes at the expense of the design.
Favorites
Blogs/websites: ArchDaily; Atlanta Construction Thread; Curbed Atlanta; and Dwell.
Instagram: Design Milk; Design is Human (Atlanta Design site); Richard Meier; and ADAC (Atlanta Decorative Arts Center).
Atlanta-area home/design stores: Design Within Reach and Room & Board.
Latest project(s): Ashley Point. Three modern homes under construction on a triangular-shaped lot across the street from Old Fourth Ward Park.
Up next/what's new: Six modern townhomes in Ormewood Park near Ormewood Square and another five modern units in Poncey-Highland, footsteps from Ponce City Market.
Find Jordache Avery & XMETRICAL, LLC at:
- Instagram:@xmetrical
- Twitter: @xmetrical
- Website: www.xmetrical.com
EVENT PREVIEW
The MA! Architectural Tour, part of the 2017 Atlanta Design Festival
10 a.m.-4 p.m., June 10-11. $27-$40. AtlantaDesignFestival.net
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