Mt. Bonnel House
A 1981 multilevel house was remodelled and a freestanding
art studio added for a young couple and their three dogs. Demolishing many
existing interior walls in the 2.700 square-foot house provided the opportunity
to create expansive, light-filled spaces. The new configuration opens the
kitchen to the dining room and living room. Large openings of new aluminium
windows offer balanced light and views.
With a limited budget, strategic gestures were made that
update and simplify both the house’s function and appearance. Horizontal
galvanized corrugated metal siding modernized the exterior skin. The shape,
proportion and scale of new door and window openings transform the building’s
face.
All interior materials: floors, ceilings and walls were
replaced. The inexpensive and materially interesting rolling frosted
plexi-glass doors efficiently partition rooms and provide flexibility. When
open, the large-scale doors occupy minimal floor space while connecting and
enlarging adjoining spaces. Playful openings between rooms add curiousity.
The house sits on a sloping site in a northwest neighbourhood
of Austin. By creating two level exterior areas adjacent to and on grade with
the house, the architect extended living space outdoors. The art studio is
positioned to further divide the upper terrace into two outdoor rooms. Broad
concrete steps connect upper and lower terraces and provide generous seating
for entertaining.
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