The Peninsula Residence by Bercy Chen Studio
Bercy Chen Studio contributed their design skills for the remodel of a 1980’s waterfront house that looks over Lake Austin in Austin, Texas.
From the architects:
Through the use of glass, steel, detailing and lighting, the project saught to update the home’s interior while redefining it’s relationship with the lake beyond.
The exisiting house was a typical American wood stud framing building and it was not unusual for such a structure to be demolished to make way for a brand new structure. However after some consideration, the owner decided to keep the existing ‘bones’ of the house and completely re-organize the house. A glass solarium with the same roof angle is created, rotated 20 degrees in plan to follow the side property line, creating a new triangular pool and lap pool extending to the boathouse.
Visit the Bercy Chen Studio website – here.
More description from the architects:
The strategy for re-designing this residence was to use reflective surfaces such as acrylic panels and mirrors on walls and doors parallel to the lake, therefore picking up the subtle reflection of the light and water’s rippling motion on the walls as a subtle way to acknowledge the lake side location. The idea is to treat architectural elements as minimalist installation art to interact with nature.
Existing dormer window were extended vertically to create a large opening for natural light; this niche can also become a space for reading. Red acrylic panels are lit from behind and the effect is a red slit opening against the massaranduba bench which wraps around the angled wall.
All the pivoting doors are custom, powder coated, steel frame with white acrylic panel. Inside. there are two bedrooms for the children in the family. The girl’s room is elliptical shaped, inspired by Borromini, while the boy’s room has a climbing wall and a secret passage way leading to his bunker bed side wall.
The interior of the recreation room above the garage is lined with white acrylic panel. With the color kinetic lighting system behind, the room becomes a space of pure color in infinite combinations. There is also a vegetated roof that mitigates the water quality impact of the intervention, while serving as a test bed for residential green roofs in sub-tropical climates.
Visit the Bercy Chen Studio website – here.
Rosie on 12 Mar 2009 at 9:32 pm #
Wow… just wow. What an amazing house.
But what are the photos 10, 11 and 12 of? Is that an office? It’s a bit different to the rest of the house.
All up, amazing.
bigcat on 12 Mar 2009 at 11:10 pm #
cool~~~~~~~
Terry Glenn Phipps on 13 Mar 2009 at 3:33 am #
Having grown up in Marble Falls and spent my university days in Austin I guess I missed the moment when Zurich and Austin merged, because twenty years ago the chance of finding a house like this on Lake Austin would have been nil.
I guess that this kind of architecture says little for vernacular in the way that O’neil Ford did or Lake Flato do, but it sure is pretty.
Rudy on 13 Mar 2009 at 6:53 am #
The water features of the house work particular well. How the pool cuts into the house. The reflecting pool.
Jason on 13 Mar 2009 at 6:37 pm #
That is some serious construction $$$ spent.
diraekk on 14 Mar 2009 at 3:35 pm #
This is Great, it really is an ideal family home. I love how the pool is joined. five stars
kast on 16 Mar 2009 at 6:45 pm #
its beautiful .subtle
Graham on 19 Mar 2009 at 10:59 am #
I love the connection to the outdoors and the detailing. Looks like a very expensive project, but fun to dream about. Are there any pictures before it was remodeled?
David on 22 Mar 2009 at 7:35 am #
This is incredible! The way the pool bends round to the front of the house. I love that the pool does not reflect into the rooms but the water is still part of the structure.
Ben on 12 May 2009 at 9:32 am #
Actually the pool is at the back of the house and separates the solarium from the master bedroom. The reflecting pool running parallel the house feeds the swimming pool just at the corner of the master bedroom. Photos referred to as 10, 11 and 12 is the library on the second floor. That linear strip of red was intended as a book shelf, with bench below and day-bed skylight niche to lay back and read Bend Sinister.