Brick Brings London to Life in Town at Trilith
Located on 234 acres across from Trilith Studios movie production center south of Atlanta, Town at Trilith is a new urbanist community for storytellers and creatives, offering walkable living, a social atmosphere, and plenty of green space. Each neighborhood within the community delivers a distinctive look emulating some of the world’s most beloved places and styles, from French and British Urbanism to American Modernism.
In Triangle Park, Designer Lew Oliver, Principal of Lew Oliver, Inc. and Town Planner of Town at Trilith, paid homage to Trilith Studios’ London headquarters by designing the exterior of the homes in the vernacular of an English factory town. Brick is ubiquitous with Southern homes, but in the case of Triangle Park, Oliver wanted to leverage the material’s versatility to achieve his vision, turning to Red River Brick to create colors reflecting those of industrial-era London.
“When we went around to look for brick to use in the region, we couldn’t find anything we liked,” Oliver says. “We wanted smooth, straightforward bricks that were clean cut and had interesting colors. Red River Brick has been a great partner to work with to accomplish this goal.”
To answer Oliver’s design challenge, Red River Brick created a new collection featuring Downing Street (a near-black), Chelsea Garden (a vibrant red) and Hyde Park (red-brown), each offering a vibe of 18th and 19th century London and named for their inspiration. Though black brick is virtually unheard of in the Atlanta area, “these bricks became a hit here,” Oliver says. “They give us a historic look, but with a clean, creative edge. They make a statement.”
Oliver drew from the work of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Charles Voysey, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose designs were turn of the century yet on the cusp of the modern movement. “We used the works of these great architects as the foundation and gave them a modern facelift, fusing them with Mid-Century Modern influences,” the designer says. “The interiors are very modern; the exteriors are mod/classic.”
The exterior architecture carries over to the townhomes, offering the slightly repetitive take of an English factory town, and the town center, which will have an industrial-looking feel with quirky bars and restaurants mixed in.
“The market is so hungry for something that’s distinctive and community oriented,” says Oliver, noting that the homes in Trilith are being scooped up at premiums higher than other nearby communities.
Sociable Living
Half of the Trilith’s acreage is set aside for woodland and civic space in perpetuity. In keeping with the development team’s vision, every other street is part of a green street system of bike and pedestrian paths. The architecturally distinctive houses were designed with urbanism and social emphasis in mind, featuring loggias and balconies and windows facing open areas and green streets. The use of brick, which boasts a 100-plus-year life span and resilience to stand up to the harshest conditions, supports the commitment to sustainability so integral to Trilith.
When completed, Trilith will include nearly 700 single-family houses and townhomes along with 700 stacked flats. Anchoring the mixed-use town center is a state-of-the-art wellness center, movie theater, retail, restaurants, and hotels.