“Residential Honorable Mention
Presented to Alterstudio Architecture
Barranca Residence
Austin, Texas
Project Description
Relocating from Houston to Austin, the homeowner searched for a single-story modern home where she could entertain friends, family and most importantly, grandchildren. The existing home was originally built in the 1960′s and its living areas were dated in both form and finish with small divided rooms and passé accouterments. The designers worked together to transform the interior and exterior of the existing house into a modern retreat.
Upon entry through a fully glazed pivot door, one catches a glimpse through the Walnut clad room divider to the kitchen and garden beyond. Used as the central pivot point in the home, the divider and hidden storage allows for a more open kitchen without forfeiting necessary storage and maintaining segregation from entry.
At the center of the home, the series of tiny rooms is replaced by three generous rooms – kitchen, dining room and living room. A new, oversized galley kitchen incorporates the backside of the room-dividing cabinetry and expands into a breakfast nook with large windows to the backyard.
The living and dining rooms embrace views of the newly terraced and densely planted front yard, bringing the outdoors in and the indoors out to a new exterior dining space. The living room now contains an oversized picture window looking onto a new casual lounge area under a sculptural oak tree.
Mixing refined and rustic finishes, the designers removed the existing brick flooring, brick fireplace and painted wood paneling in favor of natural, modern materials in a clean, calm palette – limestone flooring, flat cut walnut room divider – with antiques, monochromatic hues and soft lighting throughout.
Creating a comfortable, modern home was the home-owner’s and designers’ main goal. Successful, the home-owner admits her grandchildren often cruise around the oversized room divider on their big wheels.”
Congratulations!