Take a look at Theory Homes’ latest architectural marvel: Old Ivy Road 

A little over a year ago, we spoke with Peter MacMaster, Owner and President of Theory Homes, one of the fastest growing high-end residential homebuilders in Atlanta, Georgia. As of 2025, the company continues to redefine the landscape of luxury living in the Atlanta area, setting new standards of architectural prowess and personalized design. We catch up with Peter, who reveals what has been Theory Homes’ top priority for the past 12 months. 

“Much of our energy and focus have been channeled into completing our grand masterpiece, the Old Ivy Road project, which happens to be my personal residence. As a residential homebuilder, our priority is to build homes for our clients first, which has led to a delay in the construction of my own house. Thankfully, over the last two years, we were finally able to dedicate the necessary time to finalize the Old Ivy Road project. Beyond serving as my main residence, this house was built to serve as a testament to our expertise when it comes to architecture, construction methods, premium materials, finishes, and integrating smart technologies into custom homes for the residents of the Atlanta area. The journey from start to finish of Old Ivy Road spanned nearly four and a half years. We acquired the land in June 2020 and dedicated a year to planning, architecture, and design. Construction commenced in around 2022 and after wrapping up other ongoing projects, we were finally able to complete it in 2024. While we were building Old Ivy Road, we also concluded the construction of approximately five multimillion-dollar luxury homes in the last two years,” he begins. 

Design flair 

Built with the intent to showcase Theory Homes’ unparalleled capabilities, Old Ivy Road boasts some exceptional features that truly make it stand out from other properties in the Atlanta area. “Jordan Williams, a skilled architect from Plexus R + D, an Atlanta-based architecture firm, played a vital role in bringing this incredible project to life. I first met Jordan seven years ago at an event called the Modern Home Tour, which selects and showcases five-to-six modern, high-end, and distinctive homes every year. In 2021, I had the privilege of hiring him to work together on the architectural design of Old Ivy Road. Naturally, he was given a roadmap of our vision, but we encouraged him to infuse it with his creativity, resulting in the creation of a masterpiece. There are a few fun architectural features that stand out to me. Drawing inspiration from a hotel my wife and I visited during our trip to Cabo, with rectangular, boxy aprons in its architecture, Jordan incorporated similar flair into the front of Old Ivy Road. Around 70 percent of the house’s walls are made of glass, presenting a structural challenge for the engineers tasked with ensuring its stability against the wind. Additionally, the property has a steel skeleton that is typical of this architectural style as it provides essential structural support.  

“To accommodate my passion for working on cars, we included a spacious garage and workshop in the basement. One of Jordan’s signature touches involves incorporating unconventional angles. In the case of Old Ivy Road, he opened up the L shape of the house by five degrees to facilitate easier access to the basement garage from the right-hand side. This adjustment resulted in hallways that gradually taper from wide to narrow, with intriguing angles throughout the house. Consequently, navigating through the house can sometimes feel disorienting to visitors. Likewise, the fireplace appears to be twisted as the ceilings and walls are angled. I find this design approach fun, although it was a total nightmare to build for my framers due to the complex angles involved,” Peter recounts. 

Smart home expertise 

Theory Homes’ highly tailored and innovative approach to homebuilding also encompasses the installation of smart home features, which are in high demand. “Given that we work with clients with different budgets and priorities, the extent of smart home integration we offer varies greatly. Nowadays, there is a widespread desire for smart homes equipped with advanced cameras and doorbells, among other features. Companies have created excellent products that make smart home integrations easy to do-it-yourself (DIY), allowing individuals who do not see significant value in full integration to opt for a DIY approach using products like Lutron Caseta switches, Google doorbells, or camera systems. Meanwhile, others may gravitate towards a middle ground, preferring home audio with integrated speakers while still utilizing DIY lighting switches and systems.  

“At the higher end of the pricing spectrum, there are clients who seek full integration, which represents a significant investment. For example, the Lutron lighting system is installed in a completely different way than traditional lighting systems. Unlike conventional setups where flipping a switch turns on multiple lights simultaneously, the Lutron system is more flexible and allows granular control down to one individual light. This level of customization enables users to create custom scenes to suit different times of the day and moods. Although this level of customization is in high demand, it is a luxury offering that comes at a premium price, with projects involving Lutron installations starting at $50,000 to over $80,000. However, in regions like Atlanta where homes range in price from $3 million to more than $5 million, these expenses are often just a part of the overall home building budget,” Peter ends. 

By seamlessly blending architectural innovation, smart home technology, and attention to detail, Theory Homes is raising the bar for luxury homebuilding in Atlanta.   

www.theoryhomes.com