Construction Progress - 11th Street

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

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

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

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...

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.