Hines Ward's Dream House

A landmark residence

When Hines Ward — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, Super Bowl XL MVP, and longtime Atlanta resident — set out to build the home he had been imagining for years, the team behind the project brought us in to shape the exterior. The residence drew enough attention that HGTV chose it for an episode of Million Dollar Rooms.

What we did

We applied a hand-troweled exterior stucco system, color-integrated to the architect's specification, with custom moulding profiles around the windows and entries. Every detail — band lines, archways, column shafts — was finished on site rather than pre-cast, which is what gives the facade the depth and slight irregularity that reads as craft up close.

Materials & approach

• Hard-coat stucco on lath, with a synthetic finish coat
• Custom-built crown moulding and column trim, formed in place
• Color development on a sample wall before full execution

Why it lasted

The system breathes. Moisture that finds its way behind the finish has a path back out, which is the difference between a facade that ages well and one that needs major repair every decade. Eleven years on, the work still reads as it did at handoff.