RIVERVIEW GARDENS IS A SERIES OF 3 IDENTICAL HOUSES LOCATED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, ONE BLOCK NORTH OF LAKE AUSTIN (NOW LADY BIRD LAKE). THE HOMES WERE INSPIRED BY HAMILTON POOL, A DEEP NATURAL ESCARPMENT WHICH FORMS A DRAMATIC WATERFALL NEAR AUSTIN. IN THE SPIRIT OF THAT WATERFALL, RAINWATER IS DIRECTED TO THE END OF EACH RIVERVIEW GARDEN HOUSE AND FALLS 3 STORIES IN A SHEET TO FORM A DRAMATIC WATERFALL, NOT UNLIKE THE RARIN SCREEN FOUND IN CLASSICAL CHINESE GARDENS. THE RAINWATER IS THEN COLLECTED IN AN 80’ LONG SHARED POND WHICH ON A BREEZY DAY PROVIDES SOME NATURAL COOLING TO THE HOUSES.

EACH UNIT CONTAINS 2000 SQUARE FEET OF CONDITIONED SPACE AND AN EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE. THE UNITS ARE RAISED OFF THE GROUND TO PROVIDE COVERED PARKING AND A RECREATION AREA BELOW WHILE CAPITALIZING ON VIEWS OF THE LAKE ABOVE THE TREE LINE.

EACH HOUSE’S PLAN IS STRETCHED ON AXIS TOWARD THE RIVER TO FRAME THE PRIMARY VIEW WHILE CREATING SEMI-PRIVATE YARDS BETWEEN THE HOUSES. SPATIAL ORGANIZATION IS DRIVEN BY THE VIEW OF THE LAKE. A SERIES OF GLASS AND VEGETATIVE SCREENS DIVIDE THE PRIMARY SPACES ON EACH FLOOR, EACH CREATING A FILTER BETWEEN THE PUBLIC SPACE FACING THE LAKE AND THE PRIVATE SPACE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. AS ONE MOVES FROM PUBLIC SPACE TO PRIVATE, THE VIEW OF THE LAKE IS GRADUALLY OBSTRUCTED, RETAINING THE PLANS ORGANIZATIONAL FOCUS WHILE ALLOWING INCREASING AMOUNTS OF PRIVACY.

THE HOUSES ARE MONOLITHIC ON THE EAST/WEST AXIS AND COMPLETELY OPEN WITH GLASS ON THE NORTH/SOUTH AXIS ALLOWING UNINTERRUPTED VIEWS TO THE LAKE. THE MINIMIZED FOOTPRINT ENSURES LARGE SHARED YARDS WITH DRAMATIC 40 TALL BRAZILLIAN HARDWOOD WALLS. A CACTUS WALL, LIKE PAINTER DIEGO RIVERA’S LEGENDARY MEXICO CITY STUDIO FENCE, WILL FRAME THE LOTS AT STREET LEVEL.

2005

2007