Architects: Matt Fajkus Architecture
Project: Home Office Addition / Creekbluff Studio
Project Manager: David Birt
Design Team: Matt Fajkus, AIA; David Birt
General Contractor: A.R. Lucas Construction Company
Location: Austin, Texas, United States
Year: 2017
Photographs: Charles Davis Smith
Despite mathematical logic, sometimes 1 + 1 = 3. The home office addition not only complements the existing house and balances the dynamic West Austin lot, but also provides a newly framed portal to the creek and its rich landscape beyond.
As a flexible space for both working and entertaining, the addition is fit for three to five employees while accommodating gatherings and parties. The solid front facade is clad with wood and stucco, minimal and subtle yet tailored to the privacy needs of the clients who work in the financial sector. By offsetting the wood panel portion of the front wall, the office opens facing the street through side windows that are hidden from the street view.
A glass entry connects the new to the existing, offering a clear view of and direct access to the unique natural beauty of the site. Unlike its solid front, the back side of the home office opens up to the outdoors with large windows, floor to ceiling glass sliding doors and a patio tucked between tree canopies overlooking the creek. Wood ceilings extend out, further strengthening the indoor and outdoor connection. In addition to the two individual office spaces, an operable wall divides the main space when needed. The roof line of the new addition has been kept true to the existing house’s midcentury modern tradition, yet with a new twist.
