You may have seen that the Portman House down on Sea Island just sold for $30M (setting a record). I first saw it when I worked Junior Staff back in college, and was mesmerized by the scale and the design. It is easily one of my favorite pieces of architecture in the United States.
The house is formally known as Entelechy II, but is better known to the architectural world simply as “Portman House”. It was designed in 1986 by legendary architect John Portman Jr. as a personal retreat.
John Portman (1924-2017) was an Walhalla, SC-born architect, developer, and visionary who reshaped the modern American skyline — and, in many ways, the way people experience architecture. He grew up and was educated in Atlanta – graduating from Georgia Tech. Best known for pioneering the soaring atrium hotel design, Portman blended art, structure, and human experience into a singular aesthetic that turned buildings into emotional spaces. His portfolio includes icons like the Peachtree Center, the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, and the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles — all hallmarks of his futuristic yet deeply human approach.
At roughly 12,500 square feet, with seven bedrooms and multiple baths scattered over several pavilions, the Portman House isn’t a house — it’s a statement. Complete with a guest cottage, it sits on 2.3 acres and overlooks the Atlantic, offering sweeping ocean views from nearly every vantage point.
Portman built this residence to test his own architectural theories: light, volume, geometry, and the merging of interior and exterior into a seamless whole. He called the project “Entelechy,” a philosophical nod toward “realized potential” — the idea that form and function could, and should, live harmoniously.
When Portman originally built Entelechy II, it stood out violently among Sea Island’s more traditional, Mediterranean–style homes. Many locals were less than thrilled — calling it a spaceship dropped in a sleepy coastal community.
But over time, the house grew roots as much as the vines growing up its façade. Jasmine and coastal foliage softened its edges. The neighborhood — and those who appreciate design — slowly came to realize the audacity and beauty of what Portman had created: not a trend, but a work of conviction and philosophy.
Now, with a recent sale reportedly setting a record home price in Georgia, the house stands as proof that bold design still has value — and admirers (like me).
Here is a peek (all from the Sotheby’s listing):
I’m just offended that someone from Walhalla went to Georgia Tech instead of Clemson for architecture school.