South of Charleston you’ll find two coastal communities, Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island. These idyllic islands are best known for resort-style living with championship golf, gourmet and farm-to-table dining, and high-end shopping. One embraces the charmingly genteel when choosing to live on Kiawah or Seabrook. At Swallowtail we capture the essence of this lifestyle and create homes for our clients that are perfectly suited to this wonderful setting. We designs new homes and work in established neighborhoods to re-envision and re-design existing homes through whole house remodels. All the while ensuring that we meet the standards and requirements of the Architectural Review Board (ARB).
Place your dreams for a your home on Kiawah or Seabrook into the qualified hands of Swallowtail Architecture. We will work tirelessly to make sure the vision you have for your home and your life is achieved. We invite you to take a look at some of the resources we have created for our clients based on our many years of experience planning, designing, and building custom new homes on Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island. Seek the advice of a professional at the beginning of your project. Nothing can replace talking directly with an architect. Are you just getting started and need more information about finding, hiring, and working with an architect? Or are you ready to start? If so, contact Swallowtail Architecture about your project.
Free Resources from the Architect for Kiawah and Seabrook
5 Tips for Successful ARB Submittal on Kiawah Island
Kiawah has a prescribed and comprehensive design review process that starts before you even begin to design your home and ends with a final review post-construction that ensures that the built home fully complies with all of the approved design parameters. While the design guidelines are easy to read, many homeowners worry that finding the design solution that meets Kiawah’s goals to preserve as much of the natural beauty and conditions on the site means they will have to compromise on what they really want. Learn about what the Architectural Review Board on Kiawah Island is, what it does, and how to best prepare your submission to the board.
Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island Homes from Our Portfolio
Are you Ready to Start the Design of Your Dream Home on Sullivan’s Island? Schedule a free, 10 minute Q&A with Architect Rachel Burton.

From Rachel’s Desk
News and Information about Architecture on Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island
Swallowtail Named Best Architectural Firm in Charleston
Swallowtail Architecture beat out the competition and was voted best architectural firm in Charleston by the readers of The Post and Courier. The Charleston Choice [...]
Swallowtail Architecture Gains Approval on Kiawah Island Residence
Swallowtail Architects is pleased to announce preliminary design approval for a Rhett’s Bluff Residence new construction project on Kiawah Island. The final submittal process is the next step, with construction planned for November and an estimated completion date of late autumn 2018.
On the Boards: Conceptual Design for Building Around a Live Oak on Kiawah Island
Part 2 of Designing a Custom New Home on Kiawah Island. Understanding the design goals of our clients who wanted a home that supported their lifestyle and maximized the views of the marsh.
On The Boards: Site Considerations on Kiawah Island
Site Considerations for a new custom home on Kiawah Island required us to design around a beautiful 41'' diameter live oak tree. We detail the process of initiating the design in the post. Our clients intend to retire and live on Kiawah full time, so they want to make sure the design considers not just their current lifestyle but can continue to support them as they get older.
Read about all the topics in Rachel’s Desk.