Ode to a Southern Architect

In the recent issue of Garden & Gun magazine, there's a wonderful profile of Southern architect, Bobby McAlpine. I was taken with his approach and technique when it comes to designing a home. He's very true to his southern roots, yet doesn't adhere to the myth of the plantation homes of the old South. His designs have a earthiness about them, as if they're rooted to the land on which they are built.

The house he designed in the photo above may not remind one of a typical Southern dwelling, and perhaps that's what I like about it. It fits beautifully in its Alabama setting, yet reminds you of something you'd find in the Cotswolds of England.
Photo by Joe Pugliese, courtesy of Garden & Gun Magazine