At a first glance, this transparent and inviting residence envisioned by Cornerstone Architects in Austin, Texas, seems literally out of place. A generous swimming pool with fountains, spectacular views from its many terraces and an overall impressive level of transparency are just some of the highlights displayed by the Spanish Oaks Residence. As the name of the project suggests, the architects aimed at developing a home with a powerful coastal design and feeling.
A few original elements stand out: “The light exterior stucco paired with geometric forms and contemporary details such as galvanized brackets, frameless glass and linear railings achieves the precise coastal contemporary look the clients desired. The open floor plan visually connects multiple rooms to each other, creating a seamless flow from the formal living, kitchen and family rooms and ties the upper floor to the lower“. Paintings and other artistic works animate the spaces, adding a touch of elegance and personality.
House of artist Laurie Frick was recently completed by a firm in Austin, Texas, USA, entitled KRDB, and occupies a living area of 1600 square feet. The one-bedroom, two-bathroom house with an office and a 700 square-feet studio sits in an infill lot in Barton Heights and features intriguing design details. Here is more from the architects: “Based on programmatic adjacencies the design is comprised of a series of 16’ structural steel bays wrapped with a metal-clad SIP cowl. Within the cowl, the home is programmatically volumized with tiger-wood and glazing while the studio is defined by integral color stucco. The main entry is activated with a subtle push into a generous hallway that doubles as gallery for the client’s art collection. Ambient light in the studio and living room is provided by a series of large north facing monitors while the more private master suite is volumized in maple mill-work“. There are plenty of photos below to look through and get plenty of ideas. Enjoy!
A house originally built in 1940′s, in a historical neighbourhood in Austin, Texas, was renovated by Miró Rivera Architects to meet the current expectations of the owners. During the 1980′s, the venue did suffer some less inspired transformations, which were not reflecting exactly the true nature of it. What the clients wanted was to “get back to the 40s”. “MRA’s goal was to restore the exterior of the house in this historic neighbourhood while transforming the interiors to bring in light and provide a better connection with the exterior. A simple material palette was used to maintain a balance between the traditional aspects of the original house and the modern updates required by this family of four.”
The contemporary renovation implied bringing a series of modern updates into the scene. A new swimming pool was built from scratch while the garage was reconstructed, transforming the second floor into a personal gym. The house itself became more open, luminous and uncluttered. Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors add a sense of transparency interconnecting the environments. Stainless steel is one of the main metal finish on the interior of the house: from stair handrails to appliances and shelves – it’s everywhere. Finally, the walls were painted in white to maintain a clean and balanced space (that doesn’t distract) for the owner’s art collection.
