Austin, Texas

A friend of mine built a picnic table for my family several years ago. It was built from random 2x leftover lumber. The pieces were sized,cut and assembled and within a few hours the table was being used. That table is still in my backyard and has been a dining table, work surface, plant potting area, and even a play place for my son and the family dog.

The shape and form are easily recognizable and forever useful. The picnic table requires all the pieces involved to be located specifically in order to do multiple tasks. Framing lumber provides both structure, surface and space simultaneously. 

This small residential building located in Central East Austin is a tip of the hat to the refined design of the humble picnic table that can be found in yards all across the land. Architectural elements (walls,columns,roof,stairs) were pared down to the basics and thoughtfully considered, located and sized to provide structure, surface and space. The overall form and construction details reference the scale of the early to mid 20th century framed homes that are still sprinkled throughout the neighborhood.

 A home office/studio, breezeway/play zone/carport and under-stair storage are located on the first level, with a studio apartment,alley side balcony and storage on the second level. The color was chosen to match the trees in springtime and visually recess the building into the surrounding leafy neighborhood.

Structural Engineering - Craft Structural

Builder - Meeks Slack Construction

Photography - Andrea Calo

Austin, Texas

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.

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.

Structural Engineering - Fort Structures

Builder - Shiloh Travis

Photography - Andrea Calo

Austin, Texas

Located in the Mueller neighborhood in central Austin this restaurant is the flagship location for local Austin food truck favorites Veracruz All Natural. The architecture of the space is a reimagining of a Mexican fonda from the owners hometown. The space features a full service kitchen, bar and coffee service and uses custom made steel sliding doors to allow for an open dining patio to connect to Mueller park, while the plywood screens and bar ceiling keep the space light, laid back and all natural.

Interior Design -BRWN Collective

Muralist- Aurora Covarrubias

Structural Engineer - Fort Structures

Builder - Shiloh travis

Steel Fabrication - Nieri Design

Photographer - Andrea Calo

Austin, Texas

Located on a sloping oak tree-filled lot in the Travis Heights neighborhood, the owners were looking to remodel an attached aging carport and second floor deck with a new attached studio apartment with outdoor living space above.

The existing foundation for the carport consisted of a several foot thick concrete slab that was adjacent to two large oak trees. Reusing the existing foundation allowed the house to be located within the trees with minimal new disturbance. Building heights were carefully considered to avoid the existing tree branches, allow for access to the existing house, and provide a spacious living area for the new studio. 

The addition was considered as two systems: the enclosed space utilizes a gable form with dropped plate heights to accommodate the adjacent tree branches while the wood deck above uses steel beams to bridge over the enclosed volume. The framing of the deck was designed to allow for two outdoor living levels connected to the existing house while providing openings for the trees to push through. Wood from the original deck was salvaged and reused throughout the design to minimize waste.

Structural Engineering - Fort Structures

Builder - Shiloh Travis

Photography - Andrea Calo

Austin, Texas

Inspired by both the owner's collection of artwork and their own work and involvement in graphics and art.This addition/remodel project was considered as a three dimensional drawing. Carefully composed sources of natural light, walls that frame drawings and paintings work together to create spaces that provide a bright, colorful backdrop to the family's daily comings and goings.

Located in the Boggy Creek area of East Austin, the house was originally built as part of the Habitat for Humanity program in the early 2000’s as a single story, three bedroom, two bath residence. With a growing family the owners were looking to expand. Development constraints on the lot required minimal expansion of the footprint making the stair the organizational linchpin of the house. The stair volume acts as an programmatic swiss army knife, functioning as circulation, powder room, laundry and storage while allowing for natural light into the first floor. 

Second floor spaces include two new children's bedrooms and a shared bathroom with a new covered porch in the backyard.

Structural Engineering - Fidencio Gonzalez P.E.

Builder - Meeks Slack Construction

Photography - Andrea Calo

Austin, Texas

This back house in Bouldin Creek was carefully situated relative to the newly remodeled 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.

Structural Engineering - Fort Structures

Builder - Shiloh Travis

Photography - Andrea Calo

East Austin,Texas

Located on a steeply graded, densely vegetated, triangular shaped lot at the top of a hill in East Austin,the owners were looking to expand outdoor, entertaining areas, enlarge the existing bedroom and add a second, separate studio/creative space. An open,bright kitchen and entertaining area were key desires for the the owners, a local chef and entrepreneur couple. The existing narrow front porch of the house was enclosed to enlarge the kitchen and an outdoor front deck was extended out over the hill as a place for outdoor, dining and entertaining. Hip roofs with deep overhangs provide cover for an outdoor dining room on the deck that extends out into the trees.

The bedroom expansion and accompanying private outdoor deck area are screened for privacy and take their angled shape from the unique lot shape. The second floor studio space offers views of downtown and a separate space for creative pursuits.

Materially the house takes its cues from the surrounding East Austin neighborhood, douglas fir columns and exposed framing combine with metal mesh and board and batten to create a bare bones, raw feel.

Structural Engineering - Fort Structures

Builder - Shiloh Travis

Photography by Andrea Calo

Austin, Texas

Located in the Rosedale neighborhood, this accessory dwelling unit was designed and built for the clients mother, with aging in place being a primary consideration. The house uses traditional forms to create a contemporary space. Dormers were used to open up loft space, add light and still meet the development standards here in Austin, while the reading loft is suspended from the roof framing to allow for an more open floor plan. Trim/finish carpentry was all re-purposed/salvaged lumber from the existing 1940's era garage that was removed to make way for the new home. It was important that the house be a good neighbor to both the existing 1940’s fossilized limestone bungalow and the larger neighborhood, so compatible materials and forms were a critical consideration.

Structural Engineering - Fort Structures

Builder - Shiloh Travis

Photography - Andrea Calo

Austin, Texas

This small backyard house located in the Rosedale neighborhood was designed with two main purposes: flexibility for the occupant and compatibility with the existing 1940's house and surrounding neighborhood. By using a moveable wall partition and carefully planned layout, the single bedroom can be opened to become an open studio space or closed for privacy as needed. The space has a high open loft space that provides plenty of natural light for the space below. It was important to the owner that the house feel as if it “belonged” its new place. The house was located in the back corner which had been the location of the original 1940’s garage. The shape and form of the house was carefully considered to keep the scale appropriate to the main house and existing neighborhood.

Structural Engineering - Fort Structures

Builder - Shiloh Travis

Photography - Andrea Calo

South Austin, Texas

Preserving two beautiful pecan trees meant touching the ground as minimally as possible. Concrete piers were precisely located and minimized. Frame was constructed of steel to allow for “levitation” above the the protected trees critical root zones.

Structural Engineering- Craft Structural

Builder-East Austin Carpenters

Photography - Andrea Calo

Austin, Texas

This small East Austin Studio was designed for a local ceramicist, with the goal being a space that could be shared by several potters, have a covered outdoor area and be extremely budget friendly.

The single studio volume has ample north facing clerestory windows to maximize natural lighting above the porch roof line, and a simple gable and shed roof structure to allow for quick construction. Window sizes were determined by a local window manufacturers boneyard supply to keep costs down and construction was completed by the artist and his father.

Structural Engineering - Fort Structures

Photography - Andrea Calo

Austin, Texas

This  accessory dwelling unit was designed for a small family living in East Austin. The house takes its cues from the original modest, framed houses in the neighborhood. Simple roof lines create generous overhangs to provide welcome shade for outside family space.

The house was located on the site to leave as much room as possible for a backyard. The kitchen and living space flow easily into the one another and open to a high vaulted ceiling in the living area. Windows and full light doors were carefully located to maximize views through the house to the outside. The bright, naturally lit stairway leads up to two bedrooms, each with half vaulted ceilings.

Structural Engineering - Fort Structures

Builder - Shiloh Travis

Photography - Andrea Calo

San Marcos, Texas

Elgin, Texas

Located in the Historic Main Street area of Elgin, Texas this building was constructed in 1907 and saw previous lives as a tin and plumbing shop and a bar. New spaces include an Art gallery on the street side and a one bedroom apartment on the Alley side. Existing skylight was uncovered and restored to allow light deep into the apartment space.

Structural Engineering- Craft Structural

Photography - Andrea Calo

Elgin,Texas

In order to promote the development of main street cities across the state, The Texas Historical Commission works with local property owners to incentivize the rehabilitation of older buildings. Utilizing both the state and federal historic tax credit program the owners of the property were able to offset the cost of the extensive rehabilitation of the abandoned property.

The original building was built around 1900 in the town of Elgin and had several previous lives as a saloon, general store and nightclub. The building was transformed to contain both three apartments and a small office. One of the particular design challenges included allowing for natural light utilizing only existing window and door openings to comply with historical tax credit guidelines.

Photography by Andrea Calo

Bastrop, Texas


Landscape Architect - Meloncon Design Group

Structural Engineering - Fort Structures

Builder - American Constructors

Photography - Andrea Calo

Bastrop County, Texas

Austin, Texas

With Hatch + Ulland Owen Architects