Great Compositions: The L-Shaped House Plan

Big Style for Small Bedrooms

Ideas for a Cozy Library Space

A husband from Maylasia who likes modern architecture, a wife from Nebraska who likes traditional classic wood homes, and an old house in need of extensive renovations inspired this major renovation and addition project.

Our approach was to simplify the existing front structure and design the addition to be a contrasting (yet compatible) reflection of the clients aesthetic and culture. The color white was used to unify the new and the old, as was the attention to proportion and minimal crisp detailing.

This house was selected for the 2010 Austin AIA Homes Tour, and was given 5 stars, the highest award for energy efficiency from the City of Austin’s Green Building Program.

This house was a result of long design process that began as a house for myself and my family and then evolved with the sale of the lot to a developer. Like all of the speculative work that we have done, this house was designed as if it was for a real client, rather than taking a “middle of the road” approach.

The long rectangular corner lot was inspiration for the homes basic geometry. The site’s slope and alley gave inspiration to the location of the half-basement garage and multi-level organization. The desire to open up to a large Oak tree and view on the west side gave rise to the large overhang the windows. This home is a 5 Star Austin Energy rated house.

A series of 4 condominiums at the edge of an established older Austin neighborhood, this design was inspired by an adjacent 1939 Art Moderne house. The scope of our involvement extended from land use consultation, architectural design, as well as landscape design.