Honorable Mention: A Modern Home

A Modern Home
Austin, TX

Client
In response to the pandemic, the client has decided to permanently transfer their software company to a completely remote status. In light of this transition, the client needs a space in their new home that is dedicated to work, and provides adequate privacy and sound isolation. In this workspace, the client wants a space that has the ability to seal itself off from the rest of the home, providing privacy, and sanitation in the event of visitors. The client has a spouse and two children, and would like a home where the ritual of sanitation is integrated into the everyday flow.

The Home
The home is programmatically divided into four bars; sleeping, entertainment, sanitation, and utility. The entertainment bar is expressed through a tectonic roof plane in contrast to the mass-like construction of the sleeping and sanitation bars. These bars are further separated by transitional circulation spaces, creating layers of isolation as well as sanitation. The primary entrance for the homeowner is located through the sanitation bar on the public circulation axis. This entry to the home offers the first layer of sanitation; on the left there is a wet room, and to the right is the progression of food sanitation. The entertainment bar houses the kitchen, dining, and living areas. It is then extended out into an exterior entertainment room that is open to the views of the greenbelt. A circulation bar provides a physical and sound barrier between the rest of the home and the sleeping bar. The sleeping bar is an area of rest and self-care, housing the bedrooms and fitness area.

The Site
The site is located in the suburb of West Oak Hill in Austin, Texas. The site is located on a corner lot, allowing for the home to respond to the prevailing winds throughout the seasons. To the north of the site, a greenbelt stretches across the neighborhood, providing the home with peaceful northern views. Austin is in a humid sub-tropical climate. The home utilizes local materials such as limestone and cedar for construction, capitalizing on mass construction for passive cooling.