This is a new house designed for a speculative builder in a predominately single family residential neighborhood in Austin. The team designed an extroverted contemporary home that evokes neighborhood participation through massing, transparency, and materials.
The focal point of the front elevation is a large welcoming porch in front of a glassy foyer, and the materials palette is pulled directly from neighboring homes to create a direct dialogue with the neighborhood. The deep front porch includes an outdoor fireplace to encourage resident’s enjoyment of the yard and street in all seasons. With the neighboring homes in mind, this house is separated into distinct volumes to reduce the overall perceived size.
The home’s extroverted personality is reinforced with the continuity of interior to exterior spaces. The primary bedroom suite and public programs surround a pool courtyard, creating an entertaining space that extends through the transparent foyer to the front porch and yard. The limestone and terra cotta are installed throughout the courtyard, front porch and interior to reinforce the continuity of spaces, and skylights are placed to accentuate those warm materials. The split level interior and exterior spaces allow different sizes of gatherings to feel appropriate, from an intimate dinner party to a large party across the whole lot.