As a conceptual urban infill project, the Wexley is designed for a narrow lot in the center of a city block. The 26’x48’ floor plan is divided into thirds from front to back and from left to right. In plan, the left third is reserved for circulation spaces and is reflected in elevation by a monolithic block wall in three shades of gray. Punching through this block wall, in three distinct parts, are the main levels windows for the stair tower, bathroom, and patio. The right two-thirds of the main level are reserved for the living room, kitchen, and dining room. At 16’ long, front to back, these three rooms align perfectly with the three-part block wall façade. It’s this interplay between plan and elevation that creates cohesion between each façade, no matter where it’s viewed. Given that this project would have neighbors on either side, great care was taken in crafting desirable vistas for the living, dining, and master bedroom. Upstairs, with a view to the street, the master bedroom has a pair of closets and a skillfully planned bathroom complete with soaker tub and separate tiled shower. Main level cabinetry and built-ins serve as dividing elements between rooms and framing elements for views outside. Architect: Visbeen Architects Builder: J. Peterson Homes Photographer: Ashley Avila Photography

Stylish retirement living spaces

The design was perched on a steep embankment overlooking west to the Gold Coast Hinterland Range. Two rectilinear forms intersecting to create privacy from the entrance & private pool courtyard beyond. The entry sequence is skewed on an angle that slices into the two storey form to set up a view axis to the hinterland range. Natural material selections add a warmth & appropriate response to the Hinterland setting. Ground floor walls open out with large stacker doors blurring the enclosure & connecting the occupants with the natural bushland setting. Built by Makin Constructions. Photos: Andy MacPherson Studio

The front of the house features an open porch, a common feature in the neighborhood. Stairs leading up to it are tucked behind one of a pair of brick walls. The brick was installed with raked (recessed) horizontal joints which soften the overall scale of the walls. The clerestory windows topping the taller of the brick walls bring light into the foyer and a large closet without sacrificing privacy. The living room windows feature a slight tint which provides a greater sense of privacy during the day without having to draw the drapes. An overhang lined on its underside in stained cedar leads to the entry door which again is hidden by one of the brick walls.

Steve Tague

A radical remodel of a modest beach bungalow originally built in 1913 and relocated in 1920 to its current location, blocks from the ocean. The exterior of the Bay Street Residence remains true to form, preserving its inherent street presence. The interior has been fully renovated to create a streamline connection between each interior space and the rear yard. A 2-story rear addition provides a master suite and deck above while simultaneously creating a unique space below that serves as a terraced indoor dining and living area open to the outdoors. Photographer: Taiyo Watanabe

Roy Aguliar

Our Houston landscaping team was recently honored to collaborate with renowned architectural firm Murphy Mears. Murphy Mears builds superb custom homes throughout the country. A recent project for a Houston resident by the name of Borow involved a custom home that featured an efficient, elegant, and eclectic modern architectural design. Ms. Borow is very environmentally conscious and asked that we follow some very strict principles of conservation when developing her landscaping design plan. In many ways you could say this Houston landscaping project was green on both an aesthetic level and a functional level. We selected affordable ground cover that spread very quickly to provide a year round green color scheme that reflected much of the contemporary artwork within the interior of the home. Environmentally speaking, our project was also green in the sense that it focused on very primitive drought resistant plant species and tree preservation strategies. The resulting yard design ultimately functioned as an aesthetic mirror to the abstract forms that the owner prefers in wall art. One of the more notable things we did in this Houston landscaping project was to build the homeowner a gravel patio near the front entrance to the home. The homeowner specifically requested that we disconnect the irrigation system that we had installed in the yard because she wanted natural irrigation and drainage only. The gravel served this wish superbly. Being a natural drain in its own respect, it provided a permeable surface that allowed rainwater to soak through without collecting on the surface. More importantly, the gravel was the only material that could be laid down near the roots of the magnificent trees in Ms. Borow’s yard. Any type of stone, concrete, or brick that is used in more typical Houston landscaping plans would have been out of the question. A patio made from these materials would have either required cutting into tree roots, or it would have impeded their future growth. The specific species chosen for ground cover also bear noting. The two primary plants used were jasmine and iris. Monkey grass was also used to a small extent as a border around the edge of the house. Irises were planted in front of the house, and the jasmine was planted beneath the trees. Both are very fast growing, drought resistant species that require very little watering. However, they do require routine pruning, which Ms. Borow said she had no problem investing in. Such lawn alternatives are frequently used in Houston landscaping projects that for one reason or the other require something other than a standard planting of carpet grass. In this case, the motivation had nothing to do with finances, but rather a conscientious effort on Ms. Borow’s part to practice water conservation and tree preservation. Other hardscapes were then introduced into this green design to better support the home architecture. A stepping stone walkway was built using plain concrete pads that are very simple and modern in their aesthetic. These lead up to the front stair case with four inch steps that Murphy Mears designed for maximum ergonomics and comfort. There were a few softscape elements that we added to complete the Houston landscaping design. A planting of River Birch trees was introduced near the side of the home. River Birch trees are very attractive, light green trees that do not grow that tall. This eliminates any possible conflict between the tree roots and the home foundation. Murphy Mears also built a very elegant fence that transitioned the geometry of the house down to the city sidewalk. The fence sharply parallels the linear movement of the house. We introduced some climbing vines to help soften the fence and to harmonize its aesthetic with that of the trees, ground cover, and grass along the sidewalk.

This walkout brick bungalow was transformed into a contemporary home with a complete redesign of the front exterior and a second floor addition. Overlooking Kempenfelt Bay on Lake Simcoe, Barrie, Ontario, this redesigned home features an open concept second. Steel and glass railings and an open tread staircase allow for natural light to flow through this newly created space. The exterior has a hint of West Coast Modern/Contemporary finishes, with clear cedar accentuating the resized garage. James Hardie Panel and painted aluminum channel combined with black framed EVW Windows compliment this revitalized, modern exterior.

CASA JO La CASA JO se encuentra en la Urbanización Amberes, en Torrox (Málaga), en una parcela orientada a sur y ligeramente elevada, de manera que además de una buena orientación, disfruta de vistas al mar. Los propietarios compraron la parcela con la vivienda construida en los años 70 y tras vivir unos años en ella, decidieron hacer una reforma total y añadir una primera planta, ya que necesitaban más espacio. La edificación en forma de L, tenía un muro que limitaba la relación de la vivienda con el paisaje. La vivienda en su estado original era una vivienda cerrada en sí misma, dotada de huecos pequeños y rejas. de forma que la relación con el entorno no era lo que sus propietarios deseaban para su vivienda. Decidimos plantear la vivienda justo dentro del perímetro definido por la vivienda original, ya que estructuralmente estaba formada por muros de carga y con este planteamiento conseguimos reducir el coste de la reforma. Eliminamos todo lo que no fuese necesario a nivel estructural, reduciendo la longitud de los muros de carga todo lo posible obteniendo así el tamaño máximo de huecos. Proponemos una primera planta conteniendo los dormitorios, sobre el lado de la L que queda orientado a sur-este, donde tendremos las mejores vistas al mar y el sol de la mañana. El resultado es una vivienda abierta al paisaje, dotada de espacios de transición entre espacio interior y exterior. Conseguimos una vivienda permeable tanto espacialmente como visualmente, dotada de terrazas y porches que permiten disfrutar del espacio interior y exterior en todo el año. Como recursos para conseguir la permeabilidad, además de disponer los huecos evitando cualquier simetría, proponemos recorridos no lineales. Proponemos superficies homogéneas, de color blanco en las superficies verticales y de color gris claro en las horizontales, sin hacer ninguna diferencia entre interior y exterior. Planteamos una pared de vidrio corredera, que en lugar de cerrar, difumina el espacio. Otro elemento que potencia la permeabilidad espacial es la escalera de acceso a la primera planta, diseñada de una forma abierta.

spacecrafting

Nearing completion of the additional 1,000 sqft that we Studio MSL DESIGNED & BUILT for this family.

The cedar ceiling of the living rom extends outside, blurring the division of interior and exterior. The large glass panes reflect the forest beyond,

Wade Griffith