Balcones House is Like a Glass Pavilion Rising from a Solid Concrete Base

Balcones House is Like a Glass Pavilion Rising from a Solid Concrete Base

Project: Balcones House
Architects: Mell Lawrence Architects
Location: Austin, Texas, United States
Photography: Leonid Furmansky

Balcones House appears as a wide-brimmed glass pavilion rising from a solid concrete base. It’s lantern-like public face is complimented by the solid form of the guest house, a separate structure that sits with it’s back turned to the street.

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The interior spaces at the ground floor of the main house expand horizontally to the west, opening up to the exterior through gracious sliding glass doors. They are organized around a central wood volume that houses the servant spaces, and are contained by thick board-formed concrete walls that add shadows, complimentary texture, and regulate the internal temperatures.

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Upstairs, spaces are also organized to emphasize horizontality. However, the full floor to ceiling glass characterizes the permitter and these rooms are more like a perch than a cave due to their constant connection to the tree canopy and sky, and their airy and bright atmosphere.

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