Rio Vista Residence
A 2,160 square foot single-family residence located on a cliff overlooking the Trinity River and downtown Dallas. The site is situated on a cul-de-sac and has panoramic views to the north. The existing topography forms a natural clearing for the building in the center of the site with native trees to the south, east, and west.
The residence is composed of three rectilinear masses varying in size and tone; each clad in a distinct corrugated metal siding with a subtle change of finish.The massing of the building stretches the entire width of the site, limiting any views of the skyline beyond. Once inside, the building reveals itself as a series of light-filled spaces with panoramic views of the city. The three rectilinear masses are seen again as interior volumes designed with varying ceiling heights or materials to distinguish entry foyer, living rooms, and outdoor patio spaces. Simple and sculptural, the overall form nestles within the landscape as a composition of solids and voids.
Charlotte and Donald Test Pavilion
The Charlotte and Donald Test Pavilion is a 3,700 square foot multi-function space located at “A Tasteful Place” in the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Society Park in Dallas, Texas. The facility overlooks a 3.5 acre garden filled with fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers. A demonstration kitchen in the pavilion serves as a site for cooking classes, demonstrations, educational programs and special events for adults and children.
The Test Pavilion is composed of a simple limestone box inserted into a glass enclosure. A faceted wood ceiling extends diagonally outward from the top of the stone box to the exterior soffit. Low iron glazing allows natural light from the north to animate the space and provide clear views of the gardens. All of the stone cladding and exterior wood soffit are locally sourced and fabricated
Digital Library : The O’Donnell Institute
The Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History (O’Donnell Institute) Digital Library is a 2,000 square foot space located within the existing Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) in Dallas, Texas. The project is the result of an historic partnership for both the Museum and The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD); the first collaboration between a public university and a public museum linking the largest public art museum in North Texas with the University of Texas System.
The O’Donnell Institute Digital Library is conceived as a geometrically rigorous space with an illuminated, central cube formed by a reflective ceiling to create the illusion of an expansive space. The idea is to create an alert and energetic space by using simple geometric forms supported by light and reflection. Tailored detailing with an emphasis on craftsmanship is intended to respect the museum environment by providing a refined space for learning and interacting with fellow colleagues. The materials palette is deliberately narrow and monochromatic in order to create a neutral environment for looking at art.
Casa Linder : A single-family residence
Casa Linder is a 3,700 square foot single-family residence located in a well-established, but transitional East Dallas neighborhood. Informed by the owner’s fondness for reclaimed materials, and inspired by the historic architecture of the Texas Blackland Prairie homestead vernacular, Casa Linder embraces the architectural heritage of the earliest Dallas settlers by blending the simple forms and materials of the original prairie dwellings with contemporary planning and crisp detailing.
The roof and exterior walls are clad in recycled, corrugated steel panels intended to patina to a rusty, weathered finish. At each of the south and north elevations, the walls are clad in reclaimed snow fencing planks. A gabion wall provides privacy to the pool area and gives texture to the composition of the front elevation. The interior finishes are modest, consistent, and neutral throughout.
Eggersmann : The Dallas Showroom
This project is a 4,000 square foot showroom for the German kitchen manufacturer, Eggersmann. Located in the Dallas Design District, the showroom occupies an open warehouse space with high ceilings and exposed structure. The design focuses on keeping the main showroom open and flexible, while locating all of the offices, storage, restrooms and concealed HVAC systems in an adjacent, secondary area. The idea is to allow the Eggersmann product lines in the showroom space to be prominent and on display.
A design module based on the bar joist structural layout provides a sense of order and geometry to the showroom space. Lighting, electrical devices, HVAC devices, and door openings are all located in relation to the design module. A skylight and large window add natural light and views to an adjacent courtyard.
The space is minimal and unadorned.
Envelope : A multi-family residential project
Envelope takes its name from the tightly restricted building envelope generated by the local zoning laws. The form of the building represents the maximum buildable volume (length x width x height + balcony) and stands as a physical manifestation of local zoning regulations.
The plan of the building divides the buildable space into three equal units. Each unit is further divided into a sequence of openings and planes organized by a rigorous geometric ordering system based on the panel width of the exterior standing seam metal cladding. The materials and construction type allow the building to express itself honestly while requiring minimal long-term maintenance.
Elements : A multi-family residential project
Given a prominent corner lot in the tightly restricted Oak Lawn neighborhood, the design of these townhomes required meticulous detailing to reach a solution that was both original and appropriate for the site. The plan and form of the building is derived from individual interconnecting elements, each of which are expressed clearly on the exterior and interior. The Primary Living Element is expressed as a weighted mass using split-faced masonry with punched openings. Subtle changes in texture and tone further articulate the composition of the masonry façade and add definition to each individual unit. The Secondary Living Element is considered as a lightweight metal element floating beside the masonry mass. This element unites the composition horizontally and provides a cantilevered component protecting the driveway entrance. The Vertical Circulation Element features a hot-rolled steel “origami” staircase using standard 3’ x 8’ sheets folded into a precise kit-of-parts. This element serves each level and provides a continuous stairway system from top to bottom.
Oak Court :
Restoration of an iconic residence by Edward Durell Stone
Designed in 1958 by Edward Durell Stone, Oak Court represented a significant residential achievement in the architect’s worldwide body of work. Stone’s original design alludes to the climate similarities between Dallas and his concurrently designed U.S. Embassy in New Delhi – which both feature courtyards and integrated water features. This restoration project required an approach that balanced these aspects:
Respecting a rigorous nine-foot grid throughout the home and its surrounds.
Rectifying numerous insensitive modifications to the home over the years. The iconic dining room was fully restored to its original state of importance, and the courtyards were artfully integrated with living spaces.
Renovating the home for modern living through respectful modifications that remained faithful to the original design intent.
Cube House : A single-family residence
The design for this 2,156 square foot residence located in Dallas, Texas is intended to be a simple, compact, energy efficient, maintenance free and sustainable home for speculative purposes.
In the design, two distinct “cube” forms are inter-connected. Each cube element is scaled and rotated with respect to the applied zoning parameters, building code requirements, and topographic conditions. Each cube is designed and constructed using a 4’ building module thus allowing for maximum materials efficiency and minimum waste.
The unique site characteristics and zoning restrictions required the building to have two, off-street parking spaces at level one, leaving the main living areas at level two and three. A central stairway connects each level and provides organization to the open plan. Special features include geo-thermal HVAC system and a green roof.
MOCKINGBIRD residence : A single-family residence
MOCKINGBIRD residence is designed using an innovative building envelope system commonly found in climate-controlled warehouse construction. The residence is clad in an ultra energy-efficient metal insulated panel system that combines maximum protection from extreme temperatures with minimum long-term maintenance.
Designed for a young family in the stone import and fabrication business, the residence is a 4,410 square foot home located on Mockingbird Lane. The scale of the building is in context with the neighboring residences and is designed to minimize its impact on the site. The main building is a simple rectilinear shape, designed in plan using five equal squares. Adjacent to the main building is an entry vestibule clad entirely in onyx slab. Completing the composition is a polished black stone wall which provides privacy and security from the busy street. Tailored details, such as quirk mitered corners, subtly refer to the ancient craft of the owner’s livelihood.
Open House : A single family residence
The idea of Open House is to create a 3,700 square foot compound of buildings with barrier-free access to all areas, but without harming the natural topography of the site. The buildings form an arc at level grade. Two main buildings separate the public areas from the private areas. A third building defines the garage and a fourth serves as an entry vestibule. The composition and massing of these buildings forms a private enclave intended to allow the public spaces an opportunity to fully open onto the sculpted site. Each space within the buildings further manipulates volume and scale by alternating between a sense of compression and a sense of openness.
Sunrise House : A single-family residence
Located in an area of Dallas known for its spectacular topography, Sunrise House is a 2,652 square foot residence situated on the only flat portion of a continuously sloping site. The 20’ x 60’ main building is nestled towards an existing grove of trees to the west, providing shade from the late afternoon sun. To the east, living spaces have an unlimited view of every sunrise, a specific request of the owner.
The sloping site topography allows entry into the residence from a bridge to a cantilevered vestibule hovering over a pool of water. A stair tower connects the entry with vertical circulation. Cabinetry defines spaces rather than traditional framed walls.
Construction of the Sunrise House is simple, cost effective, energy efficient, sustainable, and maintenance free. The main building is clad in weathered steel and the stair tower is finished with ¾” cement plaster at the exterior and interior.
Larchmont : A single-family residence
This 3,900 square foot residence is located in a well established, traditional neighborhood in University Park, Texas. Larchmont House responds to this context by blending conventional house forms and materials with crisp detailing and simple massing. An outdoor courtyard and trellis is created to the east in order to allow dappled morning light into the main living areas. The entry tower welcomes guests and provides privacy to the side courtyard. Windows at the front elevation allow north light to filter through a grove of trees and into the living spaces without compromising privacy.
Larchmont House is organized using a simple 4 foot building module with iterations expanding to 12’, 36’ and 72’. The plan is comprised of two 36’ x 36’ squares forming a 1:2 rectangle. The plan geometries are reiterated in elevation/section and are the basis of deriving the “iconic” house massing. Dimensional control of material selections and detailing add a sense of craft to the simple composition of elements.
Collage : A live/work space
Collage:20th Century Classics is a 5,400 square foot live/work space located in an existing single-story warehouse building. In order to create some separation between work and living spaces, a portion the roof was removed to create a private interior courtyard. The front portion of the facility houses a furniture showroom and the back portion of the building houses a residence. The interior courtyard allows natural light into both the showroom and the residence without compromising privacy.
At the front entry of the building a large steel ramp leads into the showroom to allow for deliveries and accommodates the ADA requirements for ramped access to the public furniture showroom. This arrangement also provides a secured parking space required by the zoning.
House on the Park : A single-family residence
This 5,000 square foot house overlooks a park in Dallas, Texas. The construction is a unique single-wythe, load-bearing, insulated masonry unit capable of R-41 performance. The design utilizes this new construction technology together with a geothermal HVAC system, bio-based foam insulation, and 1” insulated glass units to achieve an ultra high-performing, energy efficient, maintenance-free structure.
The building form is, in part, derived as a response to the zoning requirements intended to force the building mass to the front yard and minimize the side yard. Instead, House on the Park pursues a more linear layout which allows more area for side courtyards, thus providing more separation from neighboring buildings. This linear orientation aligns the building on a north/south axis and directs the focus of the house towards the park across the street.
1111 Lagoon : A warehouse renovation space
Located in a Dallas warehouse district, the 1111 Lagoon project is a 4,000 square foot office renovation project. The two-story masonry building formerly housed a concrete contracting company, but was an ideal size and location for a well-established interior design firm. The existing building was completely gutted and re-configured to accommodate offices, conferencing, food preparation, restrooms, and storage. Several window and door openings were created to allow natural light into the building and to access an outdoor garden area. New electrical HVAC, and plumbing systems complete the transformation from a raw warehouse to a crisp and clean office space.
Lookout
Lookout is designed as an elevated platform facing due west towards the setting sun. The sculptural observation deck is located on a ranch outside Dallas and is part of a complex of structures intended to engage the landscape without causing harm to the environment. Lookout hovers above the grassland prairie giving panoramic views of the ranch with an emphasis on sunset to the west.
Fabricated off site as a kit-of-parts, Lookout was then assembled in the field in a single day. The galvanized steel structure is detailed with simple connections using turnbuckles which allows it be adjusted during assembly.