Motivated to build a forever home for her young and growing family, our client challenged the design team to create a cozy, family-oriented sanctuary on an otherwise busy thoroughfare. Early design explorations were focused on useable landscaped yards and outdoor living areas, resulting in an exterior form that is differential to the site and surrounding environment.

This home’s carefully composed facade provides sanctuary from the busy street and serves as a quiet, durable backdrop to the verdant shade trees and lush front lawn. Inside this austere envelope, a series of thoughtfully interconnected spaces are appointed in a palette of warm, natural materials. A thin floating wood ceiling defines the kitchen space where high clerestory windows invite views of the heritage tree’s canopy and the constant passing of clouds. A translucent glass wall separates the kitchen from a centrally located home office that allows constant connection to the family throughout the workday. The living room is anchored by the Roman brick fireplace and bronze channel glass panels which open to reveal the hidden entertainment cabinet. Wall-to-wall sliding glass doors open to the backyard sanctuary which is defined by an outdoor fireplace, rain garden, and outdoor living pavilion that extends over the rolling lawn and converts to a fully screened porch when needed. The master bedroom overlooks this oasis while the bath enjoys views of a private garden. A floating stair ascends to a glassy family room that overlooks the passing pedestrians on the neighborhood street. A chalkboard-clad, sliding wall allows the playroom to be separated from the bedroom hallway which terminates at the guest suite with a private terrace that looks onto the heritage pecan tree that defines the rear court.

Central to the design process, the architects sought to create a sustainable and resilient local environment that was integrated with the surrounding natural ecosystems. A thorough site analysis was carried out to understand its topography, geology, hydrology, climate, and biodiversity. The result was a siting strategy that embraced the existing tree coverage, buttressed against the heavily trafficked street, and carefully mitigated stormwater to ease drainage burdens on neighboring homes.

Careful planning was done to protect and retain as many of the heritage oaks and pecan trees on site, using them to our advantage to provide shade and privacy to this site's new inhabitants. The house is attuned to the prevailing weather patterns, the site’s prescribed solar orientation, and the existing protected vegetation on site. A series of functional outdoor spaces are located to provide solar control for the predetermined north-south solar orientation of the building while creating moments for comfortable outdoor living in the often-overbearing Texas sun. In addition, the design team elected to capture all rainwater on-site through a series of private gardens, rainwater harvesting systems, and detention basins. The landscape design helps reduce stormwater runoff, mitigate the urban heat island effect, and provide habitat for local wildlife.