Characterized as Quiet Elegance, the Chateau is a concrete, three-story, 7,345-sq.-ft. luxury residence located on 4.9 acres in the Hills of Rosemont
Characterized as Quiet Elegance, the Chateau is a concrete, three-story, 7,345-sq.-ft. luxury residence located on 4.9 acres in the Hills of Rosemont subdivision of Durham, N.C. The French-country-style home, designed by Davenport Architecture + Design, Inc. and built by developer Jon Rufty, combines high style with sufficient resilience to withstand even the most severe elements.
For Rufty, a 17-year veteran in residential construction, building a concrete estate home priced just above $2.25 million without a buyer in line is not unusual. He explains, The reason we continue to build spec concrete homes is we truly believe that cast-in-place, using removable forms, creates homes of superior quality.
The builder’s vision is evident as Chateau visitors cross the four-car, concrete cobblestone motor court before entering the doorway to encounter 24-in.-square limestone floors. In the game room, acid-etched concrete floors contribute to a festive atmosphere. Cast-in-place enhances design and provides structural integrity throughout five suite-like bedrooms, five full bathrooms and three half bathrooms, plus a recreation room, an exercise room, a media room, and a four-car garage. In many places, concrete walls are thickened to make the already solid walls wider, emphasizing the Chateau’s solid composition. Completing the house’s array of amenities are a large, rectangular-shaped pool, complete with hot tub, waterfall, tanning shelf and two fountains. The Chateau’s backyard is framed by a man-made pond with a large fountain in its center.
Because of the monolithic pouring of the walls and ceilings, the home is essentially a sleek reinforced concrete cube, Rufty says. Concrete homes make it so that you can’t hear footsteps on the floor above you and china in the dining room doesn’t rattle when you walk by.
A virtually soundproof environment is one of the various benefits of concrete construction that Rufty aims to communicate to the public. Fire resistance, reduced energy consumption, healthier environment, increased durability and lower maintenance are additional features that he considers natural selling points for his concrete homes.
The Chateau Û Rufty’s fifth concrete residence to date Û was recently announced the winner of the 2005 Parade of Homes Best of the Best award. The honor was conferred after teams of builders, new home professionals, and realtors from North Carolina toured 89 homes throughout Durham and Orange Counties.
Rufty’s first ventures in cast-in-place construction using removable forms were townhouses in Raleigh and Topsail Island and a 10,000-sq.-ft. custom residence in Birklands serving as a model home for the developer for the past three years. He attributes much of his success to working with an experienced concrete contractor, Curt Fields and the team at Tri-City Contractors.
Throughout his building career, Rufty has been recognized for versatility of design and superior craftsmanship as well as environmentally friendly and safe homes. He was North Carolina’s first Energy Star builder and pioneered the American Lung Association Healthy House in the early 1990s. Garnering multiple building, business and community awards, Rufty is also a long-standing member and past president of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County and a member of the Durham, Orange and Chatham County HBA.