A contemporary holiday home discreetly nestled into a rocky hillside on the island of Tinos, Unblocked House blends travertine volumes with masonry screens, natural materials, and local craftsmanship to create a calm, grounded retreat that opens to sweeping views of the Aegean Sea.
Credits:
Architects: Studio Kontodimas
Lead architect: Alexis Kontodimas
Location: Tinos Island, Cyclades
Year: 2023
Area: 2,690-square-foot
Photography: Yiorgos Kordakis
Photo: Autograph Collection It’s not often a hotel affords you the opportunity to sleep in history….
Taking advantage of its unique site in Austin’s eclectic Travis Heights neighborhood on the southern shores of Lady Bird Lake, the Edgecliff Residence is a play on contrasts: light and shadow, open and closed, organic and orthogonal. Designed for a couple of empty-nesters on a modest budget, the home’s contemporary aesthetic is balanced by the desire to respect the scale of the existing neighborhood. From the street, the Edgecliff Residence is characterized by a rainscreen made of galvanized electrical conduit—an inventive, low-cost solution that provides shade and privacy while filtering and diffusing sunlight. Throughout the day, the volume enclosed by the screen is alternately camouflaged and highlighted as the reflective metal responds to changes in the sun and sky. In contrast, the rear of the house opens up to the natural landscape and views of downtown Austin via large windows and cantilevered terraces. Below, the terrain falls away steeply to a public hike-and-bike trail before meeting the lake. The trapezoidal floor plan responds directly to the constraints of the long, narrow site—one side parallels the street while the other runs adjacent to the site’s natural contours. The lower level contains an open-air carport, foyer, and two guest rooms; the terrain on the uphill side is retained by a low wall made of weathering steel. The main level houses the kitchen, dining, and living spaces. The open floor plan highlights the dichotomy between the two halves of the site: ribbon windows screen the view of the street opposite picture windows that frame the treetops and lake. The upper level includes the master suite as well as a private study and media room. Doors from the master bath and study open onto another outdoor terrace that offers sweeping views of downtown Austin.
The monolithic Casa Sierra Fría by industrial designer Hector Esrawe conceals a verdant interior with an imposing brick front.
The idea with decorating the powder room is most often influenced by the limited amount of space on offer. Since we tend to generally prefer neutral colors in small spaces, most homeowners feel that a similar approach works best in the modest powder room as well. Yet, more often than not, the opposite seems to […]
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Unable to expand due to local planning restrictions, a couple ask Shands Studio to make their Fairfax residence feel sunny and streamlined.
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