Via Media Residence

ByMyProperty Life

When the eventual owners first visited the existing Alan Taniguchi house in Austin’s Westlake Hills, they knew right away this was the home they wanted to live in. Sited high in the hills, the original house was designed with balcony/deck access in every single room, opening up to the nature and tranquility just minutes away from downtown Austin. The 90’s home, however, desperately needed an update as well as an addition to accommodate their needs. The remodel and addition by Matt Fajkus Architecture respects the strong qualities of the existing structure and site, while enhancing it and supplementing it with additional development. The renovation portion includes a complete update of interior and exterior finishes to achieve a fresh aesthetic with clean lines. Wood and stone accents compliment the freshly-painted white stucco from the outside, while the interior finishes are kept simple to accentuate the sweeping views of the rolling hills. The design reworks the kitchen area for an articulated yet open kitchen/dining experience, and features flush panel walnut cabinets, white Silestone countertops waterfall edge island, and sleek Wolf appliances. As a film producer/editor from Los Angeles, the husband needed a workspace that could be separated from the domestic life. A freestanding structure was added which acts as both a studio and a pool house. The new live/work space defines the southern edge of the pool with adjacent hot tub and BBQ area, squaring up the courtyard which was also re-designed to suit the family’s lifestyle and act as the unifying element between the buildings. The additional structure is strategically positioned to frame views to the pool, the hills, and the cactus-filled slope in the back. A wood-clad accent wall extends from the wood deck, further emphasizing the indoor-outdoor connection, with a sequence of covered patios connecting the addition to the main house. The intention is to be as much a platform to experience the surrounding landscape as it is a container to enable the flow of daily work and live functions.

Via Media Residence by Matt Fajkus Architecture | Photo by Leonid Furmansky
Via Media Residence by Matt Fajkus Architecture | Photo by Leonid Furmansky
Via Media Residence by Matt Fajkus Architecture | Photo by Leonid Furmansky

See more on Dwell.com: Via Media Residence by Matt Fajkus Architecture – West Lake Hills, Texas

Homes near West Lake Hills, Texas

  • Elsewhere Cabin Retreat
  • Garner Pool & Casita
  • Lake Austin Cabin

Similar Posts

  • Old Loft in Oslo from the 20’s Turned into Beautiful Modern Apartments

    Adaptive reuse of structures often gives birth to some of the most impressive apartments and homes across the globe. The unique and light-filled Vidars Gate revamped by R21 Arkitekter in Oslo is a set of two apartments that sit inside a larger loft that was originally built in the 1920’s. The original loft was opened […]

    You’re reading Old Loft in Oslo from the 20’s Turned into Beautiful Modern Apartments, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

  • Olympia Prairie Home

    The designer’s task was to build a modern, budget-minded home that was livable and respected its rural environment. The Yelm residence is a contemporary take on a country home: using a combination of simple, cost-effective methods to create a warm, comfortable space through clean lines and precise design. A minimal exterior material palette of wood and stucco siding with metal panel accents helps to highlight the beauty of the 10 acres of land on which the house rests. Concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls frame the entry and a flat roof plane hovers overhead to ground the project into the prairie style landscape. The home reflects the clients’ informal lifestyle and relationship to the environment. He is a graphic designer who works from home; her hobbies include sewing, craft projects, and gardening.
    The home is 2,200 square feet and L-shaped in plan, which allows for the master suite and office to be separated from the guest rooms, craft room and garage. Centrally placed are the open plan living room, kitchen, and dining room. These rooms create a core space with expansive glass walls that connect the owners visually and physically to the landscape. Private views of foothills and tree-covered wetlands are offered through the transparent core, along with sightings of deer and elk near the back patio. Designed with radiant floor heating, heat-recovery technology, and natural ventilation, the simplicity of the floor plan’s organization creates an intimate and warm interior environment. A concrete masonry fireplace paired with the copper-toned, stained birch ceiling also adds material warmth. Circulation through the space is enlivened by built-in storage benches, acting as visual breaks and adding pops of color. Efficient planning and the repetition of elements throughout the house helped to keep costs down, resulting in an economically priced, modern home that compliments its natural environment.

  • Small Modern Industrial Apartment Captivates with Remarkable Textural Contrast

    Forgotten industrial buildings built in the last century, old warehouses that have not been in use for a while now and dilapidated structures needing an urgent intervention have been some of the reasons for the resurgence of modern industrial style. In an attempt to provide efficient, cost-effective and suitable housing, architects have transformed many industrial […]

    You’re reading Small Modern Industrial Apartment Captivates with Remarkable Textural Contrast, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.