Island living inspires the creation of a full-time residence.
The old cliché, "If Mohammed won't come to the mountain, then bring the mountain to Mohammed," must have been coined for a San Antonio, TX, couple who would stop at nothing to recreate the island living they love for their home in central Texas. They enjoyed the indoor-outdoor lifestyle that island resorts are designed to foster, and they wanted something similar to live in all year-round.
After searching for an architect in San Antonio, the firm of Dick Clark Architecture, Austin, TX, presented itself one night at dinner.
"While dining at a restaurant this couple decided they wanted a home that looked like the space they were in," says Patrick Ousey, designer/project architect for Dick Clark Architecture. "The manager told them that we had done the space, so they gave us a call thinking they could get a recommendation of a firm doing similar work in San Antonio. But we convinced them that for us traveling 90 miles for a job in San Antonio was not unusual, so why not meet? Personalities clicked and the job was ours."
To give their clients the island resort home they desired, the architects designed a U-shaped house around a pool court that is an extension of the living area. Large windows and glass doors create a visual and actual bridge between the interior and exterior. For privacy, the plan is angled on the lot to focus the house on the pool and sandstone terrace. A creek bed behind the property precludes the possibility of a house being built there.
Furthermore, two 10- to 12-foot high wing walls extend out from the house on either side of the pool. These walls obstruct neighboring views, anchor the house to the landscape and enhance the feeling of a singular indoor-outdoor living space. The walls are constructed of stucco over framing and are painted deep purple to enliven the entertainment value of the terrace. Window-like openings allow breezes from the creek bed to pass through the walls. The wall to the left of the dining pavilion has a waterfall that makes the outdoor dining space seem more like a room, and the water cools the approaching breeze.
From the front of the house, the terrace is completely hidden for the sake of privacy, as well as added impact once guests step in the door. A quiet stone drive leads to a small entry court and front door, which is tucked away. The colors here are a medley of greens that connect the house to the shrubbery and oak trees of the landscape. A barrel-vaulted roof made of metal spans the center portion of the house.
"Metal roofs have been used historically in this region of Texas for more than 100 years," says Ousey. "They are usually seen on ranch-type buildings rather than high-end housing. But we chose to use a metal roof here because it acts as a lightweight shell on top of the house instead of something too heavy."
This roof is expressed inside, where the ceiling above the living areas is 22 feet high. Two bedrooms and a studio on the second floor also are under this roof. The other rooms of the house -- the dining pavilion, master suite and garage -- are on either side of the vaulted ceiling and have flat roofs. Viewed as one entity, the volumes of space with flat roofs are like bookends to the curved piece.
Island Living
Once inside, the visual impression is of one large living space that incorporates the living room, billiard room, kitchen and terrace. For comfortable family living and for ease of entertaining, Ousey's clients wanted these rooms open to one another, yet defined as unique rooms. The billiard room, for example, is set one-foot higher than the rest of the house in order to provide an unobstructed view over the living room and out to the pool.
The living room is visually bisected by a bridge that accesses the children's bedrooms on the second level. The bridge, which is open to the first floor, divides the more public side of the living room adjacent to the kitchen from the more private side, which is next to the fireplace.
The idea for the fireplace was borrowed from the restaurant that initiated the design of the house.
"It's a gas flame fireplace that does not burn any logs," explains Ousey. "The gas filters up through gravel and then ignites above the sand surface. It looks like the flames are dancing on the sand. There's a lot of movement, but the flames don't soar up the way they do in a wood burning fireplace."
The back of the fireplace is glass enclosed to provide a view of the flames from outside.
The kitchen, which opens to the terrace and the dining room, is designed for cooking mixed with entertaining. A large island, made of poured-in-place concrete stained black, provides space for working, eating and conversing with a prep sink, cooktop and bar-like serving end. The standard cabinets are made special with paint and galvanized sheet metal inserts. These metal inserts reappear on the face of the dishwasher and the refrigerator to create a cohesive environment.
The formal dining room is actually housed in a pavilion set off to the side of the kitchen. According to Ousey, his clients wanted a formal dining space, but did not want an unused room that they would pass by everyday. Thus, a pavilion removed from the public spaces was created.
The pavilion features large custom corner window units and three horizontal bands of glass set in purple framing. The 13-foot pop-up ceiling hovers over the dining table, while the chairs are situated under the 10-foot high ceilings to either side. A custom designed halogen light fixture mimics the barrel-vaulted roof.
Flooring on the first floor is a combination of black slate in the entry and living area, and stained black concrete in the kitchen, billiard room, master suite and dining pavilion. The lighting here transforms the house from day to night. During the day, the house is mostly lit by natural light. At night, interior spot lights keep the focus on the terrace where stronger lighting is allowed to filter inside and create a cozy atmosphere.
The second floor was built as an auxiliary space to the majority of the house. According to Ousey, his clients wanted the house to work well for them once their two teenage children leave home. Thus, there is no grand stairway in the entry, but rather a hidden stair is accessed through the living area and billiard room. This staircase leads to the bridge that overlooks the first floor. There also is a spiral staircase going up to the exercise room and sunbathing terrace from the master dressing area.
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