Credits
From Charles Melanson
This circa 1950’s modern home in the South Austin neighborhood of Bouldin Creek had been gutted down to the framing and was in need of a full interior and exterior renovation. The homeowner wanted to add both bedroom and bathroom space on the second floor with a full reconfiguration and remodel of the first floor to accommodate contemporary kitchen and living areas along with a creative studio space to work in. A backyard guesthouse that could be used for occasional guests while still allowing privacy for the main house was also needed
Preserving the overall scale and sensibility of the original roughly 1500 sf house was a primary consideration, the addition needed to be discreet as to not overwhelm and disrupt the art deco lines and character of the original house. In the main house the first floor was reoriented to allow for more natural light and backyard views from the living and kitchen spaces. The second floor primary area was reconsidered with a small scale bath addition that retained privacy while allowing for a new roof top sitting area at the top of the stair.
The back house was situated relative to the main house to both create a yard with the existing house and protect the oak trees at the back of the lot. The guesthouse was organized as two separate volumes connected by a covered deck outdoor area all under one roof. A contemporary version of the southern dogtrot, with living/kitchen areas in one volume and sleeping/private areas in the other. A large operable wood screen can be closed for privacy or open to connect the yard through to the tree garden at the rear of the lot.