Christian Noble, Owner and Principal of Noble Johnson Architects, is the architect behind this light-filled Tennessee home, featured on Houzz TV, which the homeowners had dreamt of building for more than 40 years. In this Q&A, we hear from Christian about what influenced his career as an architect, current styles he’s seeing, and his favorite aspects of the Houzz TV project. 

What got you started in your career?
I always enjoyed creative, artistic activities growing up, so I saw architecture as a way to apply my creative side with something practical. After visiting a large firm while in architecture school, I was offered a summer internship and the rest is history.

What’s your favorite type of project? Why?
I’ve worked on so many different types of projects from kitchen renovations to custom homes to hotels and performing arts centers that I don’t have one favorite type of project. That’s what really interests me about architecture.  Every project is unique in some way. Also, I’m able to take experiences from detailing and designing large arts and hospitality buildings and apply them to people’s homes.

Where is the most unexpected place you’ve found inspiration?
I once designed doors that opened with a pulley by pivoting up instead of swinging out because I was inspired by the unique way that doors opened on a famous Italian sports car.

What trend are you most excited about right now?
I’m really excited about the trend toward blending the indoors with the outside. Smaller rooms are often able to feel much larger than they really are when you design with this functionality in mind, and can add some real cost efficiencies.

What are clients asking you for?
We have a huge number of clients asking us to design outdoor living spaces either as an addition to an existing home or as a part of larger projects. From outdoor cooking and dining areas to screened porches, people seem to really be looking for spaces to live outside of their homes during the spring, summer, and fall.

What’s your favorite building or space in the world?
It’s hard to choose, but I’d probably have to say Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright. It’s a building and home that wouldn’t make sense anywhere else in the world, but it fits so perfectly overtop the waterfall on which it sits.

What is one of your architectural tricks/secrets?
It’s not much of a secret because all architects should try to do this, but my hope is always to take what clients are asking for and use my past design experience to help them see things in a different light. There are always so many options when it comes to design, and clients often come in with preconceived notions about what they want. I feel clients really find value in our design services when we show them something they’ve not considered before.

What is your favorite element of the project featured on Houzz TV?
For this project, I really love the ability to open the entire living space, from the front porch, through the great room, to the rear screened porch and backyard, to create one large indoor/outdoor living and entertainment space. One of the homeowner’s most important requests was to have a space that could function for two people or up to 100 and I think this space really allows for that.

When you’re not designing, where can you be found?
When I’m not at the office, I’m definitely spending time with my three children, trying to burn off some of their endless energy!