Tim Woods is an Emeritus Professor of Architecture with the Savannah College of Art and Design, with a focus on design studios, design theory and culture, as well as sustainability. Prior to joining the faculty at SCAD, Tim taught at the University of North Carolina, the University of South Florida and the University of Louisiana. The CEO of LOCI DESIGN, Tim continues to design and build structures that inspire the eye and challenge the mind. Tim and his wife, Beth, have an appreciation for industrial design, art installation and fine art; their home on East 54th Street showcases their refined aesthetic and speaks to their commitment to sustainability. 

The couple has called Savannah home for over 30 years. 

“We appreciate the historic, significant, beautiful, friendly, peri-urban area; it is great for a family and convenient to work and cultural events,” smiled Tim. 

When residents pass their home on East 54th Street, they can’t help but notice that the design is truly unique. Tim designed this home, juxtaposing some of his favorite aesthetics to create a dwelling that is truly stunning. 

“It is a sustainable, modern design based on creating a dwelling place that is responsive to nature for both environmental efficiency and beauty,” he began. 

Throughout the space, essential elements of modern living are designed utilizing the Greek Proportioning Systems of beauty, while integrating the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi. Greek Proportioning is a ratio and proportioning design measurement; the Greeks believed that design is the living embodiment of philosophical ideals and spiritual aspirations. The symmetry of Greek Proportioning is rooted in the Golden Ratio: 1.618, also known as phi. This ratio is found throughout nature- from seashells and flowers to human limbs; it is found in over 95% of every natural thing in the world. This divine symmetry creates a feeling of peace and balance throughout the home, while wabi-sabi, the transient acceptance of that which is imperfect, adds a turn of a smile. 

“The Greek Proportioning System is a way of engaging with that which is eternal; wabi-sabi is a way to engage with that which is present... The design of our home is an exploration between the Ideal and the Real- finding beauty in that which was, as well as that which is. Living amongst these systems of beauty helps us to challenge ourselves to consider what is real and what is imagined; as artists, living among this design confronts us, daily,” said Tim. 

The building has a modern, open floor plan and 42-foot glass wall to our garden, as well as an indoor pool. This works to demonstrate the reflexive relationship between nature, light, and space.

What makes this house a home are the numerous elements Tim and Beth have curated and collected. 

“Everything in our home is found or gifted from our world travels; everything that surrounds us holds meaning and memory,” Tim explained. 

When asked what advice he would share to others when considering design elements, Tim laughed, saying, “As Rudyard Kipling said, ‘Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees, So when your work is finished, you can wash your hands and pray For the Glory of the Garden that it may not pass away!’ Engaging with the real world, and with God, in our own space, is a gift.”