The McKinney-Strahan residence project was brought to us by two clients who decided to leave their well appointed suburban home in favor of living in the middle of Birmingham's downtown district.  The clients chose the site; a two story, 2800 square foot building based on its significant historical past and potential for high caliber urban living.  The building was originally built at the beginning of the twentieth century and is located on Birmingham's busiest downtown avenue, having a very public nature to the facade. 

The overarching goal of the building's renovation is to preserve the raw historic quality of the spaces while creating within them unique modern additions to enhance the comfort, integrity, and architectural reward.  These interior spaces are simple and accommodating, with its newly constructed pieces surprisingly streamlined so as to remain distinct from the historical nature of the existing structure.  Special care was taken to provide unique display space for individual art pieces which the client held dear.

The building's programming is treated as two boxes: a public space on the bottom with a private space above, and a common area on the roof.  The transition between these spaces is achieved with excellent wood craftsmanship in a unique semi-modern custom stair design which enhances the building's historical-renovation feel, instead of detracting from it.