Beverly Skyline Residence

TOO OFTEN BUILDINGS ARE TREATED AND DESIGNED AS DISPOSABLE GOODS, NOT BUILT TO LAST AND ONLY USED FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME AFTERWHICH THEY ARE TORN DOWN AND REPLACED. IN THIS PROJECT OUR CONCEPT REVOLVED AROUND THE NOTIONS OF RECYCING A BUILDING, REUSING NATURAL AND MANMADE RESOURCES AND RECLAIMING THE ANCIENT IDEAL THAT BUILDINGS CAN AND SHOULD BE SACRED PLACES, ESPECIALLY THE HOME.

THE PROJECT BEGAN AS A MODEST REMODEL, BUT TURNED INTO A FULL MASTERPLANNING FOR THE SITE; INCLUDING COMPLETE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR RECYCLE, AN ADDITION TO AN EXISTING 1970S HOME, AS WELL AS RE-ORGANIZATION OF THE GARDEN. AS THE ORIGINAL HOUSE WAS POORLY SITED, A LARGE MOTIVATION OF THE DESIGN WAS TO RECONNECT THE HOUSE WITH ITS SITE BY UTILIZING THE STEEP TOPOGRAPHY TO CAPTURE THE EXPANSIVE VIEWS.

ONE GOAL WAS TO INTEGRATE THE ARCHITECTURE WITH THE NATIVE GARDEN AND CREEK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PROPERTY. TO FULLY ENJOY THE RECLAIMED VIEWS, THE HOUSE IS WRAPPED BY EXTERIOR DECKS WITH GLASS RAILINGS. THE INSPIRATION IS KIYOMIZU TEMPLE IN KYOTO, JAPAN, (FOUNDED 7TH CENTURY A.D.) WHICH SITS ABOVE THE LANDSCAPE AND PROVIDES PANORAMIC VIEWS OF THE CITY.

THE PROPERTY OWNER IS AN ATTORNEY BY PROFESSION BUT ENJOYED BEING INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF THE DESIGN, EVEN PHYSICALLY BUILDING AND LANDSCAPING MUCH OF THE GROUNDS; THE PROJECT WAS TRULY A LABOR OF LOVE.

IN THE SPIRIT OF RECLAIMING VALUE, RECYCLED MATERIALS ARE EMPLOYED AT EVERY POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY. THE FRONT FACADE OF THE HOUSE IS COMPRISED OF RECYCLED GLASS BLOCKS, WHICH WERE PROVIDED BY THE OWNER AS A CONDITION OF THE COMMISSION. THE ORIGINALLY MONOLITHIC NATURE OF THE HOUSE IS FURTHER DEMATERIALIZED THROUGH THE USE OF SLATS INSTALLED AS RAIN SCREENS. THIS WALL ASSEMBLY SEEMS TO DISSOLVE THE FACADE OF THE HOUSE, PARTICULARLY AT CORNER CONDITIONS.

THE PROJECT ALSO MAKES EXTENSIVE USE OF HARVESTED RAINWATER STORED IN POOLS AND RESERVOIRS TO RE-CONNECT THE HOUSE WITH ITS SITE. THE WATER SYSTEM LENDS A SENSE OF DRAMA TO THE INTERVENTION. A SERIES OF CASCADING PONDS SERVE AS PART OF THE RAIN WATER COLLECTION SYSTEM ON THE UTILITARIAN LEVEL. ON THE AESTHETIC LEVEL IT PROVIDES A PEACEFUL TRANSITION BETWEEN THE LANDSCAPE AND THE ARCHITECTURE. THE PONDS ARE MADE WITH SALVAGED STEEL SHEETS AND POURED IN PLACE CONCRETE.

ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS ARE TREATED AS INSTALLATION ART WORK AND SCULPTURES IN THIS PROJECT. FOR INSTANCE THE FRONT DOOR IS A COPPER BOX TAKING ON CHARACTERISTIC OF THE DONALD JUDD SCULPTURES. GUTTER DRAINS ARE MADE WITH CLEAR PLEXIGLASS TUBE SO THE DOWNWARD JOURNEY OF WATER IS APPRECIATED AND THE RAINWATER RE-HARVESTING PROCESS IS BETTER UNDERSTOOD, THE SIMPLE MOVEMENT OF WATER BECOMES AN ANIMATING AGENT FOR THE ARCHITECTURE AND THE LANDSCAPE.

THE SELECTION OF PLANTS IN THE GARDEN ARE PRIMARILY PLANTS NATIVE TO THE CENTRAL TEXAS REGION. THIS MINIMIZES THE USAGE OF WATER, AND FOLLOWS PRINCIPLES OF XERISCAPING. THE GARDEN IS PLANNED AROUND EXISTING MATURE TREES AND SHRUBS WITH VARIOUS GROUND COVERS AND PERENNIALS. THE INTENTION WAS TO PRESERVE THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SITE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND RETAIN THE ESSENCE OF A LANDSCAPE NATIVE TO THE EDWARDS PLATEAU IN THE HILL COUNTRY.