West Lake Hills Residence by Specht Harpman

Architects: Specht Harpman
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Year: 2011
Area: 5,500 sqft / 511 sqm
Photo courtesy: Casey Dunn, Taggart Sorensen,  Meg Mulloy, Scott Specht
Description:

On a thickly tree-secured site in the Austin, Texas exurb of West Lake Hills, Specht Harpman was tasked with the remodel and extension of a humble 1970’s home.

A great part of the first interior structure was kept up, however the modifications tried to eradicate every single noticeable hint of the first house.

The essential objective of the new remodel and development was to safeguard the greater part of the site’s substantial contorting Live Oak trees while making another and open home that grasps the scene and weaves itself around the current trees.

The essential mass of the house was lifted off the ground plane by making a progression of brick work dividers that reach out over the site to shape inside and outside rooms that casing perspectives with the Live Oak trees past. The dividers characterize family spaces on the lower level, while supporting a “coasting box” of room and private spaces above.

Roofs of the current house were low. For the extension spaces, the roof plane was kept up, however the floor was brought down to take after the site’s shapes, making a terraced inside scene that offers tallness to rooms while keeping up an unassuming outside expression.