Capturing the View
The origin of this project was a bit unusual, but was a situation that sometimes occurs with architecture firms. This particular client had contracted with a different architect for the floor plan concept of the house, but when it came to designing the appearance of the house, i.e. the façade and sculptural massing of the house, the original architect was unable to produce a design that satisfied the client. As a result, the client turned to RDDA, giving the firm free rein to come up with some design concepts for the front elevation, exterior materials, and three dimensional forms of the house.
RDDA sketched six designs for the clients consideration.
Two of the sketches are shown here.
The first sketch proposed a flat roof.
The second sketch proposed a pitched roof.
This is the design the client ultimately chose. The asymetrical, single pitch roof line contrasts with the right angles of the facade composition of the house, lending a bit of whimsy and less formal feel to the design. The two covered porches carved out of the center mass create an interesting juxtaposition of solid and void with the flat roofed mass to the right.
The house is situated on a bluff overlooking White Rock Lake. Capturing the views of the lake from the front of the house was of utmost importance and became integral to the design of the front elevation.
In order to capitalize on the lake views, the outdoor living space, which typically resides at the rear of a house, was shifted to the front.
On the ground floor, an outdoor covered porch with a built-in fireplace extends from the glass wall of the living room out to the expansive lawn that leads down to the lake.
On the second floor a large recessed balcony offers views to the lake from the master bedroom.
On the third floor a roof deck is the perfect spot for entertaining and watching the sunset.
The glass railings on both the balcony and the roof deck create a nice contrast with the window and door glass, revealing both the transparent and reflective properties of the material.
RDDA’s design of the façade also included the careful selection of materials.
The rough texture of the cut limestone on the ground floor and chimney contrast in texture with the smooth stucco on the second story.
The standing seam metal canopies over the windows add a contrasting color and protect the glass and interiors from the strong sun coming from the west in the afternoon.
The Texas limestone, combined with the metal roof, provide a nod to Texas Regionalist design, while the interlaced materials lend a modern influence to the look and feel of the front elevation, providing an ideal blend of “town and country” for this urban lake house in the heart of Dallas.
The home’s interiors were designed by Robyn Menter Design Associates, Inc.
To see more images of projects designed by RDDA, please visit our website.
Regards,
Richard Drummond Davis Architects