Over the course of several years, Artisan Builders acquired a former horse farm and nearby parcels in Great Falls, Va., to create a 30-acre development that puts the style of the houses built there in the hands of the buyers.
Great Falls, Va., development has 14 lots for ‘unique’ houses
Artisan Builders offers to turn a buyer’s wish list into a dream come true; total cost, land and building, estimated at $4.5 million to $7 million.
4 min
By Amy Worden
The way Artisan partner Stephen Yeonas sees it, people looking for new houses can buy into a development where “a production builder” offers houses with cookie-cutter layouts, or they can purchase a lot and deal with the myriad challenges of building a house themselves. Falls Farm has a different approach, Yeonas said.
“Many developments have production builders; we have design in house for a personalized home by an upscale architect,” said Yeonas, a third-generation Washington-area builder. “We take away all the risk associated with wells and septic, the environmental conditions. It’s calculated into the lot price.”
Yeonas said Falls Farm may appeal, for instance, to home buyers who wanted to live in McLean, a wealthy D.C. suburb, also in Fairfax County, but couldn’t find the right property. At the same time, he said, Falls Farm provides a sense of community. “They want a new community that’s not too far” from McLean, he said.
Lots at Falls Farm start at $1.2 million, with custom builds starting at $3 million. There are no size requirements, but Yeonas expects most houses to have 8,000 to 10,000 square feet.
In August, four lots had been sold, and the first move-in was expected in November. The model home, the Grange, was completed in June. It gives prospective buyers an idea of what’s possible, including versatile living spaces, a lavish primary suite bathroom, a sprawling rec room with a room-size golf simulator and a six-figure smart home system.
The house has a modern farmhouse style, and it blends traditional building materials — such as cedar siding and locally sourced fieldstone and slate — with a streamlined design. The twin gables provide a resemblance to a country house roofline, while banks of windows create a modern look.
The L-shaped floor plan takes advantage of natural light with a dominant southern exposure. The 14-foot ceilings, walls of windows and wide-plank white oak floors enhance the natural light.
“It brings the outside in,” Yeonas said.
Interior spaces are designed to encourage flexibility: living area, library, playroom or home office. A hidden door in a bookcase, a playful surprise, can connect the library to one of the flex rooms. An oversize closet can become an elevator.
“These are people’s dream homes, the places they hope to stay in for 20 years,” Yeonas said.
The Grange has five bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and three kitchens — a primary kitchen, an outdoor kitchen overlooking the pool, and a smaller, enclosed catering or spice kitchen, popular among homeowners of South Asian descent, Yeonas said.
Buyers can build houses smaller than the expected 8,000 to 10,000 square feet, but Yeonas said that because they are purchasing a two-acre lot, they will probably want to “utilize the land to its fullest potential.”
“All are unique,” he said. “That’s our brand.”
Schools: Colvin Run Elementary, Cooper Middle, Langley High
Nearby: Great Falls Village Centre is a four-minute drive and features a variety of boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops. The Village Centre also hosts a seasonal farmers market, concerts and holiday celebrations.
Parks and recreation: The National Park Service’s 800-acre Great Falls Park, along the Potomac River, is less than a mile away, with views of the falls from the overlooks. The park also has a visitors center, a picnic area and trails. Riverbend Park, about four miles from Falls Farm, has boating, trails, picnic sites and outdoor education programs.
- Address: 9305 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, Va. 22066
- Developer: Artisan Builders
- Type of house: Single-family
- Price: Lots start at $1.25 million, with custom builds starting at $3 million. Artisan Builders estimates total prices for house and land to be $4.5 million to $7 million
- Number of units: 14 (10 available)
- Square-footage: Varied
- Website: www.fallsfarmva.com
