Project: Jessie Street Residence
Architects: Derrington Building Studio
Location: Austin, Texas
Area: 2,500 sf
Photography: Leonid Furmansky Photography
Home is where the health is… The Jessie Street Residence was designed for a family struggling with the adverse health effects of an old home with limited natural light and mold issues due to poor site drainage. As a result, the our mission was to design a sensible, economic home with the simple goal of providing a healthy interior environment. This project became a study in healthy design, budget restraint, and pragmatic beauty.
From the outside in, each material and construction technique were vetted and combined to minimize mold, mildew, and other respiratory contaminates. The design team chose Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) as the exterior wall system and embraced what it had to offer for this house. Apart from its quick assembly time and durability, this material has a 4-hour fire rating, is moisture resistant, soundproof, mold resistant, impact resistant, termite proof, and vermin proof.
Other factors, such as utilizing products with no or low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), advanced air-conditioning and dehumidification, and ample natural daylighting were prioritized as necessities for this home’s interior environment.
From the aesthetic standpoint, the ICF’s modular limitations led the us to capitalize on volumetric simplicity. The resultant simple and monolithic shell encouraged a fresh take on the structural system. Exposed steel beams confidently support the entire second floor and simultaneously provide a light and buoyant spatial experience. This approach allowed for pronounced sectionality and formed a strong connection between both stories.
