Wittehaus is an architectural design firm specializing in contemporary, energy-efficient luxury homes. Founded in 2017 by Toby Witte, the company is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wittehaus offers a range of services, including design, consultation, and construction support, tailored to prospective homeowners. In 2024, Wittehaus was featured on Forbesâ list of America's Top 200 Residential Architects.
The firm was founded in 2017 by Toby Witte.
Prior to WittehausâÂÂs founding, Dwell magazine noted that WitteâÂÂs work âÂÂgently asserts its own presence in the city.â His Schoenberg Residence was later featured by The New York Times and Charlotte Magazine. In 2018, The Charlotte Observer described Witte's work as a âÂÂlabor of passion.âÂÂ
In 2021, Build Magazine recognized Wittehaus as the "most innovative design firm in North Carolina." In 2023, Toby Witte published Supersizing Bliss: How We Have Betrayed Our Homes and the Happiness We Seek, a book exploring the history and design philosophy behind single-family homes in the United States. Kirkus Reviews praised the book, highlighting WitteâÂÂs âÂÂvivid proseâ and describing it as âÂÂan absorbing brief for great architecture as a human necessity.âÂÂ
Also in 2023, the American Institute of Architects included WittehausâÂÂs Gillingham Strauss Residence and Pavilion in a tour of modern homes. Following the completion of the Gerendák lake home that same year, The Wall Street Journal commended the firm's approach, describing it as âÂÂEuropean-style modernism, with an emphasis on sustainability.â The Journal showcased the Gerendák home as an example of near net-zero energy efficiency, âÂÂproducing almost as much energy as it uses during the year.âÂÂ
Principal architect Toby Witte was recognized by Marquis Who's Who in 2023 for his "dedication to the field of architecture" and his contributions to âÂÂcustom, modern, and energy-efficient homes in North and South Carolina.â In 2024, Architectural Digest described WittehausâÂÂs design philosophy as âÂÂfashioning homes that both reflect the client and interact beautifully with their natural environment,â adding that Wittehaus âÂÂdesigns homes for happiness.âÂÂ
In 2025, Forbes featured Wittehaus in its list of America's Top 200 Residential Architects, writing the firm's work is "rigorous and principled - architecture with a capital âÂÂAâÂÂ."
In an interview with Toby Witte in 2025 Architecture Lab described the work of Wittehaus as "marked by spatial clarity, material honesty, and environmental intelligence, emphasizing the transformative potential of carefully considered domestic architecture."
The 2025 architectural book Inspired Modern Living, described Witthaus's work as creating "deeply personal buildings that not only are exquisite structures and inspiring contemporary spaces, but that also offer a unique sense of home."
The firm has won regional, national, and international awards, including an Honorable Mention in Architecture / Residential Architecture by Architecture Masterprize in 2023, Winner of the World Design Awards 2023 by The Architecture Community, and Gold Winner of the 2023 APR Global Future Design Awards.
Wittehaus was recognized with an Honorable Mention in Architectural Design / Residential by BLT Built Design Awards in Luzern, Switzerland alongside Zaha Hadid Architects and Kengo Kuma and Associates.
NC Modernist Homes rewarded Wittehaus with a Matsumoto Prize in 2018.