THE HOME, WHICH WAS A NEW BUILD IN WEST LAKE Hills, came with a set of intriguing challenges, none of which daunted Kim. The site was unique with a steep topography and a well-established covering of mature live oak trees around and between the build site and the street.
“There was an existing house that was torn down, which established a build site clear of trees, but it wasn’t capturing the potential of the site, so we slid the house along where the old house was but stepped it back a little bit to create a more dramatic sense of arrival at the front, and the coverage between the house and the street offers privacy and a feeling of being in the woods while inside the house,” explained Kim.
The long, linear and cantilevered house sits along the shelf of the hillside, bringing in the surrounding vegetation, and sets up picturesque views inside and out. However, the slope wasn’t Kim’s greatest challenge. Unlike most residential projects, which are initiated and planned with the homeowner, the client for this home was, in this case, the builder, Jon Luce Builder, who was also responsible for the interior design.
According to Kim, it’s rare for a builder/developer to invest in a spec house with this level of uniqueness, but that’s what Jon Luce does — they build one house at a time that’s very site specific. It’s a piece of art. The goal was for everything to be exceptional yet look effortless. It truly is a custom house in every sense of the word, including the approach and execution. The only thing that was different is that they hadn’t met the owner yet. “It added another dimension to the process. We had to use our imagination to anticipate what someone who lived here might want,” said Kim. “I felt like we had a little more creative freedom because the builder as the client approached it with a very open mind.”
Kim, who started working at DC+A 15 years ago after graduating from UT Austin’s architectural program, describes her architectural style as minimalist. “I like a clean palate and a restrained use of materiality and colors, but I enjoy infusing projects with details that represent the uniqueness and personality of each individual client,” she shared.
Kim’s natural talent for minimalism shines through in this modern residence, which features only three very intentional material choices on the exterior, including stucco, earthy-colored stone and dark (black matte) metal with a flat seam that blends in with the trees and recedes into the shadows, not to mention floor-to-ceiling glass, which is a big component of the house and reflects the surrounding hillside, foliage and sky.
For Kim and her team, designing a layered form for thishouse was a bold move with the main e ntry at ground level, along with the kitchen, living room, dining room, primary upstairs, with a flex room, cabana, pool and bathroom on the lower level.
Where typically the pool is situated right outside of the main public areas, in this case because of the slope and shape of the lot, it was more synergistic with the environment to put the pool below the main level. In doing so, Kim created a visual marvel by floating the primary living spaces out over the pool.
It comes as no surprise that this residence was snatched up by very happy homeowners the minute it landed on the market.
DICK CLARK + ASSOCIATES
512-472-4980 | DCArch.com