Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Contemporary Design in Historic Belmont neighborhood


Anyone who has spent time in Belmont knows that it is a neighborhood that is on the move. Over the last decade it has seen the growth of some amazing restaurants in its central core and even had the area dubbed “Downtown Belmont.” The largest named neighborhood in the City limits, Belmont (or Belmont-Carlton, as it is often called) it has seen some dramatic changes in its housing and overall appeal.


Easily seen in the neighborhood is the prevalence of urban infill projects – taking those lots that are empty, underdeveloped or just in need of rehabilitation and using them for housing that is affordable and efficient. Residential housing in the Belmont neighborhood has a wide range of pricing – from as low as $150,000 for a single family home to as high as $500,000.

One such builder is architect Jared Metzger, managing partner of Metzger Design; a full service firm that provides the complete A to Z of development, architectural design, construction, project management and graphic design. A graduate of UVA, Jared has been a licensed Class A contractor for over eight years and a practicing architect for over 12 years. After spending some time with firms in Washington, D.C. and Charlottesville, he struck out on his own to establish Metzger Design.

“I always have enjoyed building things and actually got my undergraduate degree in fine arts, specializing in wood and metal sculpting,” Jared says, “ I wanted to find a practical application to sculpture and found architecture to be a great profession. In fact, I think architecture pushes my imagination even further, because its not only about form, but ultimately about function.”

Metzger design has done residential projects in the Belmont Neighborhood, with the second now offered for sale on Midland Street. “Belmont is in a great location; convenient to the downtown mall. The cultural and restaurant scene continues to expand with many of Charlottesville’s newest gathering spots in Belmont and continuing to expand eastward.” The Midland Street Homes offer 1470 finished square feet of living space containing three bedrooms, two and half baths. Metzger’s favorite part of the Midland Street homes,? It’s the eye-catching living area on the first floor that flows seamlessly from the kitchen. The high placed windows allow for natural light while preserving privacy and, in combination with the vaulted ceiling leading up the stairs to the second floor, give an incredible sense of space.

“As an architect, I was interested in getting into home construction to show homebuyers smart and efficient design was not out of reach. Such a huge percentage of homes built in today’s market are homogeneous and lack an identity; they do not relate to their environment or the uniqueness of the place they are built,” Jared points out.  Unlike other neighborhoods in Charlottesville, Belmont’s residents seem to be appreciative of the uniqueness of the homes there. In a fifteen-minute walk, one can see everything from historic architecture to contemporary home designs that capitalize on the views of Carter’s Mountain and the Rivanna River running adjacent to the neighborhood.

“Charlottesville has become a wonderful place to experiment with home design,” says Metzger, “buyers have become much more sophisticated and have learned to expect more. I think a lot of that is because of the variety of design firms that are active in the market. Metzger Design is committed to offering contemporary homes that are affordable to the average family.” With an asking price of $229,900, the Midland Street properties are a testament to that truth – the average mortgage on new homes in Charlottesville (the amount financed after any down payment) in 2012 was $247,537 according to Housing Intelligence. 

To see the latest Metzger Properties for sale, click the links below

Fo more information on Metzger Design go to: 

Click here for all homes for sale in Belmont.

Quinton Beckham
Keller Williams Realty

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