Nick Mehl Architecture: Modern, Green Architecture from Austin, TX.

Crestview Residence

2011-12-01T16:07:00.022-06:00

3-story 2,200 sf, single family home with two separate carports.

Wanguhu Residence Featured in Houzz Article

2011-11-03T09:06:00.002-05:00

Architect's Toolbox: Rotated Squares and Diagonals in Design

Houzz- Kitchen Remodel, Bathroom Remodel and More»

Browse Accessories And Decor on Houzz- For Example:

Artwork · Books · Candles And Candle Holders · Clocks · Magazine Racks · Pillows · Plants · Rugs ·

Hologram Technology in Architecture

2011-10-21T10:07:00.005-05:00

Nick Mehl Architecture is exploring new ways to present designs to our client. We've recently created a hologram for one of our projects and it will be on display at the Ask an Architect event this Saturday, Oct. 22 at BoConcept downtown. We worked with Zebra Imaging who creates a three dimensional print onto a special kind of plastic sheet and with the use of a certain light source the hologram acheives it's 3D projection. The image shown he is just one of the many angles Zebra Imaging looks at when producing the hologram.

Ask an Architect

2011-10-11T14:44:00.003-05:00

Nick Mehl Architecture will be one of 11 architects participating in the Ask an Architect event at BoConcept downtown, Oct. 22. Thinking of hiring an architect but have questions? Want to meet several architects at once? Hey, at least it's free coffee and discounted breakfast tacos!

The Move is Complete

2011-10-07T11:11:00.002-05:00

Our office has moved to share an office space with five other architects in a centrally located 1950's retail space (see image). We're very excited to be working in a collaborative environment and this will offer new opportunities for accepting bigger projects.

Traditional Architecture

2011-09-07T10:54:00.007-05:00

Some folks have asked to see examples of more traditional-style architecture by our office so here are some images of recent work in that genre.

Crestview House

2011-04-27T09:16:00.006-05:00

This is our latest design to become a real building. Alex Pettit of Spring Builders is the general contractor. The design is very strictly traditional with extensive research into early 20th century architecture serving as the basis for the overall design and details. I should also admit that the owners have played a big part in actively selecting the interior finishes and I will post updates of the interior to show how nice it's looking.

If you'd like to see other residential architecture in Austin that we've done, please visit our website at www.nickmehl.com.

Building Types

2011-03-18T16:34:00.002-05:00

Just returned from a few days vacation and the pause from work gave me a chance to reflect on business (I know I shouldn't be doing that). My specialty seems to be residential green design but do you ever wonder what commissions I would like to take other than single family homes - which I love to do, by the way? Here's a brief list:

1. Mixed-use neighborhood design. Not many people know, but urban neighborhood design was my concentration in grad school. Yes, architects design whole neighborhoods too, sometimes.
2. Mid-rise condominium project on the Texas Gulf Coast. My insurance company might not be too fond of this idea.
3. Catholic or Episcopal Church.
4. Small boutique hotel or inn.

I'll give a 5% discount onany projects like these that come in the door! (Just kidding)

Current Work

2011-02-17T10:55:00.003-06:00

Here's a little sampling of work in progress in the office. The project featured is a 3000sf house on Lake LBJ about 50 miles from Austin. The house will feature a 14'-16' tall window wall of glass and steel facing the lake, radiant heated floors and a four car garage for the owner's vintage car collection.

Construction Financing Option

2011-01-25T09:12:00.004-06:00

HUD offers a construction financing option that one of my clients is using. It's called a HUD 203(k) loan and it works really well with inner city single-family rehabilitation projects. That's not to say that the house must be renovated, in fact the house can be raised as long as part of one exterior wall and foundation is preserved. I have found that many of my clients could use this kind of loan.

Please go to this link to see the details of the loan. The loan distinquishes itself from conventional construction loans in that it requires just 3% down (most construction loans require 20% down), it's a single-closing, and I beleive there's a minimum 1-year commitment to occupy the property.

Please view Nick Mehl Architecture for designs in the austin area.

Pre-Fab Designs

2010-10-28T15:13:00.003-05:00

I've been working on a thought for some time now and I would welcome any comments on the appeal of it. Is there some value in offering for sale a pre-packaged design for a house - designed by an architect - so that one can avoid the need to hire an architect and work through months of design, choosing finishes and fixtures, answering questions and having meetings? Similar to how one purchases a commodity such as a car or a phone, perhaps I could apply all that I know about green building and design to work out a compact, well thought-out, energy efficient home that has a few options but would be otherwise be a completely designed house, ready for construction. I think the first house would fit on a very tight footprint, be mostly vertical and have the latest technological home advancements. My inspiration comes from the Mini Cooper or iPhone, well-crafted machines (with some flaws) that are not cheap but are sexy and attractive and clearly superior in design to what has preceded them.

Please continue visiting my website over the next couple of months to see how this thought about pre-fab homes developes.

NMA's first Kennel project!

2010-10-14T15:10:00.003-05:00

I may be a little biased but this is the nicest kennel for dogs and cats (and people) I have ever seen. Really, the owner wanted the kennel to be similar to a house as she plans on spending a good deal of time in the kennel helping her rescued pets get used to a peaceful domestic life. More images to come...

Please visit my website for more residential modern architecture.

Thoughts from Custom Residenctial Architects Convention

2010-10-05T13:59:00.002-05:00

Just returned from a weekend at the national CRAN (Custom Residential Architects Network) convention. I was a little disappointed in the amount of attention that was placed on architects who do ultra-expensive luxury residences. Both the early presenters and trade reps focused on +$300/sf residential design. Granted, that's where the money used to be but I felt like the new economy is here and perhaps more focus should be placed on the kind of humble work me and my peers are doing.

Part of the convention featured the AIA Homes Tour which didn't help improve my perception as every home we saw on the tour featured homes in that exact construction cost.

It wasn't until the speakers from more economically depressed regions of the country started talking about the practical concerns of running an architectural office that the convention turned relevant. In particular, speakers from SALA Architects in Minneapolis and Tekton Architecture in San Francisco brought the focus back to reality and made the weekend worthwhile.

By the way, my website has been recently updated so please check out the new residential architect projects that are featured in the portfolio pages.

Latest House Completed

2010-05-12T13:25:00.005-05:00

I just wanted to share with all the Wanguhu Residence. Currently a regional shelter magazine is looking at publishing it but it's not definite yet. The house turned out fantastic - 2400sf, steeply sloping lot, energy efficient, tight budget, inventive detailing. I'll put the house on my website more officially in the next couple of months. If you want to see more from a residential modern architect please visit my website.

5 Ways to Save on Building Costs

2010-04-15T08:40:00.005-05:00

Biggest Impact in Up-Front Construction Cost (for average size house):

1. Keep Design Simple. Exterior walls should be set to 2' modules, roofs should be single-pitch and have very little variation. Laying out the house on a strong East-West axis will save energy. Think rectangular box for least expensive design. (savings up to $20,000)

2. Use Builder-Grade Windows in Standard Sizes. Aluminum is the absolute cheapest and for some purposes it works perfectly fine. Vinyl windows are more energy efficient but large windows tend to warp so keep to small sizes. I prefer using commercial grade aluminum windows when the budget allows but the cost can be prohibitive (savings up to $10,000)

3. Be Budget Conscious with Interior Finishes. Control yourself and don't splurge. Finishes can generally be high-quality without busting the budget because they are a relative small item in the overall building process. However, there are a lot of temptations out there to splurge. A solid surface countertop like Silestone in a base color can cost as little as $39/sf and that's a reasonable amount to spend for what you get. But upgrade to unusual colors or opt for soapstone or honed granite and you're suddenly you're up to $85/sf. That can easily add $5000 to a project right there. For countertops plastic laminate is the cheapest at $7/sf and can work perfectly well in certain designs.(savings up to $10,000)

4. Use Siding for Exterior Surfaces in lieu of Masonry or Stucco. Cementitious siding products (like Hardie siding) are durable, energy efficient and cost 40-60% less than most alternatives. FSC certified wood siding is also an affordable alternative but there's more maintenance involved in the long term. There's more design options for siding than just a traditional aesthetic. (savings up to $8,000)

5. When using Hardwood Flooring, go for Pre-finished Hardwoods ($6/sf installed). Having to finish the hardwoods on site doubles the cost but it looks better. However, if on a tight budget do you really need site-finished hardwoods? Pre-finished engineered hardwood floors are even cheaper but not by much. If you have a slab foundation then stained or simply sealed concrete floors are the cheapest option at $2-3/sf. (savings up to $6,000)

I post construction costs for every project on my portfolio page. If you want to see some affordable modern house designs, please visit my website.

Coming next: Biggest Savings in Long Term Building Operational Cost.

Latest Work - March 2010

2010-03-09T15:19:00.006-06:00

Here are the latest images for the Clarkesville Residence (top two images) that is under construction andthe Wanguhu Residence (bottom image) that is finishing up.

If you would like to see more of our work please view the portfolio of my Austin residential architect firm.

Construction Progress - 11th Street

2010-02-16T09:19:00.004-06:00

You've asked for it, so here it is. The lot is 33'wide x 100'deep yet the house feels quite comfortably sized. The house is 3bd/2.5ba and is 1,760sf. There's just enough room for a small yard or garden in the front and a garden courtyard in the rear. The real amenity is the neighborhood. Within four blocks there's 4 restaurants, a cleaners, a pharmacy, a coffee bar and a tv repair shop (every neighborhood needs one).

Finishing Touches: Wanguhu Residence

2010-01-06T08:31:00.003-06:00

Kamau and Njambi Wanguhu are originally from Kenya, have two wonderful children and have been anxiously waiting for their house to be complete, which should be soon. The house was quite a challenge to design and build since it straddles a steep hill (more like a cliff), had tight budgetary constraints and bordered a flood plain. To compound matters, when breaking ground we discovered that the site had been an illegal dumping ground that made the soil highly unstable.

Now, it appears the obstacles have been surpassed and there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Plus, as an added bonus, the house is looking very good. Unfortunately the images that are shown were taken in poor light on a cold winter day but they still show the nice siding and stucco techniques that were achieved. Hopefully I'll have some professional images taken that show the interior which is quite dynamic. Stay tuned...

Terrace Duplex Wins Design Award

2009-12-04T15:36:00.002-06:00

The duplex Nick Mehl Architecture designed at 310 Terrace Drive won an interior design award! Chelsea+Remy Design did the interior design and won First Place in the Sustainable Residential Category in the Rising Stars category. Here's an image of her work on the kitchen. Chelsea was fun to work with and I would recommend her for any residential design work that involves modern, environmental design.

Jewel Box Architecture

2009-11-19T11:11:00.003-06:00

Since the economy took a plunge, I have come across more and more articles about downsizing the average American home. Prominent home builders and even market-savvy architects are starting to offer smaller homes - even "micro" homes - as part of their inventory. The term Jewel Box Architect is being thrown around for such homes that are less than 2000sf with compact footprints and a high degree of craft inside. What a revelation! Those homes have been our bread and butter for years. The house on Crooked Lane perhaps best exemplifies that architectural concept. It was built in 2006 and the owners have really personalized it.

One of my personal favorite houses we have completed recently, the Clarkesville Cottage, exhibits a jewel box quality although to me it seems rather roomy at 1915sf. I wish I had some interior photos of it to show how cozy it is. Maybe that will be part of my next entry...

About Style...

2009-11-02T09:00:00.004-06:00

Most of my published work has thus far been categorized in a modern architectural style. I still think the modern style offers more flexibility to design with the environment in mind but occasionally context dictates style. That is the case with a current project I have in the Clarkesville neighborhood of Austin. The neighborhood is very rich in 1920's bungalow and gingerbread style houses. It's difficult to justify a divergence from the context. I mean, it can be done but is it worth the ire of the neighborhood not to mention the disruption of urban fabric?

So, the above images represent two designs for a site in Clarkeville. One design is more iconic, with three very traditional gables facing the street and the other closely resembles what the owner would most likely prefer: a Charleston style side-courtyard house.

The intention is to research historical details for the exterior of the house while featuring green building techniques. The inside will be a mix of modern conveniences in a traditional layout.