Sotinsky and Fuentevilla liked the location too, but immediately saw that the lot was going to send them to the computer for careful planning and design. “The lot held challenges, so site planning keyed the success of the home,” Fuentevilla says. These challenges began with extreme setbacks—unusually detailed permits were required by the city, which was probably why the lot had never been developed before.

“We wanted to keep the existing structure and mold it into the new residence built to the north,” Fuentevilla says. “Both were seamlessly connected to form a new home. Because of the difficult and tight lot, we wanted to seize the design opportunity from the curb all the way to the existing alley.”

The major element of the site’s irregularity is the bulging radius of the neighbor’s wall into the center of the McCafferty rear lot on the east side of the home. But FORS turned this into an advantage, wrapping along black concrete fire feature around the wall and making the area the courtyard focal point.

“I asked for a private central courtyard with a floating glass wall, so that the courtyard would seem as if it were inside the house and vice versa,” McCafferty says. The result is an urban home that isn’t closed off from its environment but welcomes the outdoors as part of the living area. Polished black concrete floors run inside to out, and a 35-foot wall of glass retracts to create the large indoor/outdoor space. Inside, the main living area is a simple rectangle with understated walnut cabinetry.

In building the home, McCafferty was pleased to find proximity to the university, where he is a teacher, benefactor and student. A native of Brookfield, Ohio—a steel-industry and farming town—he worked himself through engineering and medical school. He is also a clinical assistant professor at the U of A Department of Ophthalmology where he funds 11 annual John Tipton Scholarships. He’s also been involved in building and renovating houses for six years.

On the domestic front, McCafferty is a part-time stay-at-home dad of three children, so he wanted his home to be close to future schools and other activities as well as be adaptable to the needs of a 21st-century family.

“Taking care of the children is a priority for me—not to mention very hard work,” says McCafferty, who has help in this regard from personal
assistant, Claire Shanton.