yinjispace

ARCHITECTURE
Alterstudio Architecture
INTERIOR
Alterstudio Architecture
LANDSCAPE
Hocker
PHOTOGRAPHY
Casey Dunn
EDITOR
Gina
Collection

Amidst the rolling hills and sprawling live oaks that define the desirable residential neighborhoods of West Austin, the few remaining unbuilt properties inevitably pose a collection of impediments to typical suburban development—a condition that describes the situation of the Westview Residence.

Occupying the last remaining lot on a cul-de-sac lined with 6,000-square-foot, traditional 2-story homes, the property descends abruptly from its narrow position on the street, bisected by a wet-weather creek that meanders through a dense group of protected trees. In preserving the ‘wildness’ of the landscape, these obstacles also formed the basis for the home’s design.

The home is defined by a pinwheeling collection of grounded, masonry volumes on either side of the modest ravine. These forms house the primary building programs and are bridged by a great room that spans the occasional waterway.

Carefully positioned to take maximum advantage of the nuances of their particular circumstances, the ensemble also defines a natural enclave entirely removed from the neighbors looming on all sides, and a vista that suggests a larger extent to this isolation. Rooms find themselves in the position of being in-between, guiding the inhabitant from the outside community to the inside enclave, and back out to the adjacent surrounding territories.

ceilings and floors and anchored by massive masonry volumes of rough-textured brick, originally manufactured for historic restoration. Alternately shielding the precinct of the home from the gaze from, and view of, the neighboring properties, these masonry surfaces add texture, light and shadow over the course of the day. Meticulously considered and detailed throughout, the home presents a carefully primed canvas for the play of nature, light and circumstance to take center stage.

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