Houzz Tour: Visit a Forward Thinking Family Complex
Four planned structures on a double lot smartly make room for the whole family or future renters
When two parents with nine kids needed a home base in Austin, Texas, they decided to create their own. They scooped up a double lot in up-and-coming East Austin and hired architect and builder Finn Sigurdsson, an Icelandic transplant and owner of the design-build firm ísARK Studio. Working together, Sigurdsson and the clients created a master plan complete with different units that the children could potentially rent from them as their lifestyles changed and their families grew. The plans also look to the future, keeping appeal for nonfamily renters and future resale in mind.
The master plan is for a small development that will include two duplexes, a single-family home and a small cottage. "With the population of Austin expanding, it makes sense to create more dense housing," says project manager Taryn Hall. "Though the family tends toward more traditional style, we designed a style we like to call urban ranch. We believe it fits in with the eclectic and edgy neighborhood, and focused on a design for the units that could be easily rented and/or sold in the future."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: One of the grown sons, his wife and four children rent one duplex; one of the daughters, a nursing school student, and some of her friends rent the other.
Location: Central East Austin, Texas
Size: Unit A: 1,875 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms; unit B: 1,650 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms; about 1,050 square feet of built outdoor spaces. Other units are still in the planning stages.
The master plan is for a small development that will include two duplexes, a single-family home and a small cottage. "With the population of Austin expanding, it makes sense to create more dense housing," says project manager Taryn Hall. "Though the family tends toward more traditional style, we designed a style we like to call urban ranch. We believe it fits in with the eclectic and edgy neighborhood, and focused on a design for the units that could be easily rented and/or sold in the future."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: One of the grown sons, his wife and four children rent one duplex; one of the daughters, a nursing school student, and some of her friends rent the other.
Location: Central East Austin, Texas
Size: Unit A: 1,875 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms; unit B: 1,650 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms; about 1,050 square feet of built outdoor spaces. Other units are still in the planning stages.
Saving existing trees on the lot was a priority. "We built the units on piers instead of a poured slab, out of sensitivity toward the environment," project manager Hall says. The units embrace the trees as part of the design, which gives them a tree house feel.
Sigurdsson's Icelandic upbringing influenced his approach to the design. "Trees are very scarce in Iceland, so wood is something that is often used sparingly," he says.
Slats of natural cedar around a patio and cedar overhangs provide much-needed shade from the hot Texas sun. "I pushed for a modern element with the raw stucco but used the cedar to stitch together the modern elements with the more traditional Craftsman features," he says. "I really like the warmth it brings to the duplex against the cool stucco."
Slats of natural cedar around a patio and cedar overhangs provide much-needed shade from the hot Texas sun. "I pushed for a modern element with the raw stucco but used the cedar to stitch together the modern elements with the more traditional Craftsman features," he says. "I really like the warmth it brings to the duplex against the cool stucco."
Sigurdsson prioritized sustainable elements. Saving the trees left a natural canopy that shades the house. All of the windows are designed to let in the optimum amount of natural light without letting the sun overheat the rooms. The windows have double panes and are filled with argon gas, which helps keep the indoors cool. The siding is high-performance insulated stucco. The insulation is spray-foam Icynene that also helps keep in the cool air.
A system that includes rain chains and French drains captures the water, which is then distributed underground to the trees and designated garden areas. "We xeriscaped as much as possible, then directed the water we could gather to designated spots," Hall says.
For example, this concrete planter receives runoff water through the underground system.
Balconies and decks provide private outdoor spaces.
Siding: smooth Hardie board and batten in Boothbay Blue and Smooth Hardie board lap siding in Heathered Moss
Siding: smooth Hardie board and batten in Boothbay Blue and Smooth Hardie board lap siding in Heathered Moss
On the patio, the cedar slats let in the breeze and some sunlight while providing privacy from the shared outdoor spaces.
The residents share a central lawn planted with zoysia grass. "This grass can tolerate wide variations in temperature, sunlight and moisture," Hall says.
We'll take a peek inside unit A, where the family of six lives. An open plan makes the living spaces feel larger. "We tried to design a space that was as flexible as possible, so that it would appeal to a wide range of people in the future for renting or resale," Hall says.
"On the interior I did away with ornamentation and tried to keep it streamlined," Sigurdsson says. "Craftsman homes traditionally have lots of trim; we opted to do away with the trim, but the wood benches, shelves and Shaker-style cabinets help make the home an accessible and flexible palette for the future."
Paint: Repose Gray, Sherwin-Williams
"On the interior I did away with ornamentation and tried to keep it streamlined," Sigurdsson says. "Craftsman homes traditionally have lots of trim; we opted to do away with the trim, but the wood benches, shelves and Shaker-style cabinets help make the home an accessible and flexible palette for the future."
Paint: Repose Gray, Sherwin-Williams
"We had a lot of voices throwing out ideas, which was interesting and challenging," Hall says. For instance, the family of six wanted an eat-in kitchen where they could gather for meals, so Sigurdsson created this high-top table/kitchen island. "This is a huge family center point which truly serves as the heart of the home," he says.
A clever alder footrest detail on the island provides extra storage space in the column and a favorite napping spot for the cat.
Chandelier, pendants, Alexandra brushed nickel, Thomas Lighting
A clever alder footrest detail on the island provides extra storage space in the column and a favorite napping spot for the cat.
Chandelier, pendants, Alexandra brushed nickel, Thomas Lighting
Everything in the kitchen was customized to meet the family's needs while keeping future renters and owners in mind. "The adult son lived in Japan while serving the military for several years, and had a lot of china he'd brought back and wanted to display, so we incorporated glass cabinet doors," Hall says.
They also took the cabinets up to the 10-foot-high ceilings for maximum storage.
Cabinets: custom designed by ísARK Studio, built by Dovetail Woodworking
They also took the cabinets up to the 10-foot-high ceilings for maximum storage.
Cabinets: custom designed by ísARK Studio, built by Dovetail Woodworking
Windows looking out into the tree canopy give the home a tree house feel.
Tile: Anatolia glass tile, Bliss Linear Mosaic 5/8 inch, Iceland AC35-016
Tile: Anatolia glass tile, Bliss Linear Mosaic 5/8 inch, Iceland AC35-016
The owner also has a ranch in Bellville, Texas. When some trees there had to come down, Sigurdsson reclaimed the wood for shelves in both the Austin units. He cut, planed and installed the pieces on custom brackets. This is one of the many advantages of hiring an architect who is also a builder and skilled carpenter.
In the living area, Sigurdsson mounted a long live-edge media shelf.
"We kept the bathrooms small in order to maximize the living spaces and bedrooms," Hall says. Sigurdsson designed this custom sink unit to make the most of the small space and add architectural interest. It has a waterfall faucet.
Faucet: Pfister Kenzo
Faucet: Pfister Kenzo
The team chose a waterfall faucet for the master bathroom as well. The countertops and sink are travertine.
The clients scored the tile, countertop and sink at auction, which cut some costs. The custom vanity is alder wood with a dark walnut stain, and the door to the bathroom is a barn door.
The clients scored the tile, countertop and sink at auction, which cut some costs. The custom vanity is alder wood with a dark walnut stain, and the door to the bathroom is a barn door.
The master bath incorporates everything the couple wanted, including a soaking tub. A high, wide window lets in the natural light.
Here is the first-floor plan for this unit.
And here is the second-floor plan.
Whether family members occupy the units, rent them out or wind up selling them off in the years to come, they are adding smart housing options and fostering a sense of community in East Austin.
Whether family members occupy the units, rent them out or wind up selling them off in the years to come, they are adding smart housing options and fostering a sense of community in East Austin.