Eva Street Residence by Chris Cobb : Office of Architecture
American architect Chris Cobb has designed the Eva Street Residence in Austin, Texas.
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Description from the architect:
Located on an urban infill lot in South Central Austin, the site’s biggest challenge was also one of its greatest’s assets, a gorgeous 150+ year old live oak that stood directly in the center of the build-able section of the property. The design arose from the need to build in relation to the tree and to investigate whether an urban home can achieve some of the spatial dynamics of the tree: sheltering the family without sealing them off from their surroundings. The solution was to create a taut multi-storied volume that features a dynamic interplay of different heights that engage and interact with the tree, tucking under and within the canopies that are defined by its outreaching branches. The house is clad in Brazilian Redwood siding and corrugated weathering steel, which adds scale, texture, and a melding of the house with its surrounding landscape while at the same time softening the sharp, crisp geometry of the structure. The wood cladding extends into the interior of the house, which is also defined by dark chocolate bamboo floors, crisp white walls, meticulous custom made cabinets, and clean detailing.
Visit the Chris Cobb : Office of Architecture website – here.
Photography by Casey Woods Maddeaux and Thomas McConnell
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mguddy on 04 Nov 2010 at 3:12 pm #
Love the floors throughout. Not crazy about the wood walls. What a beautiful tree out front!
marshen on 04 Nov 2010 at 4:14 pm #
Very nice design. All the different textures work well together and the woodsy feeling of this house is very inviting. The varying ceiling heights add a sense of space and volume to a rather modest house.
Hoechstetter Interiors on 04 Nov 2010 at 11:59 pm #
Beautiful, and very inviting. I love the juxtapositioning of the wood walls with the drywall. The contrast is beautifully and sensitively done, bringing warmth into the space that is well-balanced by the light. The wood and weathering steel exterior is wonderful, too. And of course, the siting, saving that magnificent tree, is perfect.
rodney on 05 Nov 2010 at 7:40 am #
The plans are really nice.
It’s a shame about the interior finishes -The interiors appear very heavy and clunky.
I also wonder about using that much metal on a house in a climate like Austin.
Maira Evans on 05 Nov 2010 at 9:18 am #
Well though out and implemented project, nature friendly and warm. However, what is the case if there’s a severe thunder storm etc. isn’t the house in danger (from broken branches etc)?
matt on 05 Nov 2010 at 9:30 am #
It’s too bad the root systems of oak trees have a tendency to destroy foundations. The place looks great but when the walls start to crack they’re going to wish they had built outside of the drip line.
AJ on 05 Nov 2010 at 9:46 pm #
Austin lends itself to beautiful creative structures such as this one. Miss living in Austin so much. The people are so fun hang with. Miss walking to Whole Foods for my morning coffee.
Would love to move back and have Chris Cobb design me a house in Dripping Springs! Dreaming….
Jonathan on 06 Nov 2010 at 11:56 am #
This house is one of the most boring/mediocre houses I’ve seen on here in a while. A shame that it’s in Austin, because I live here and I believe Austin can do better! There are still too many conservative people here, even in their contemporary tastes.
TW on 06 Nov 2010 at 7:49 pm #
I don’t think it’s boring.
It’s modest, comfortable and reacts with it’s environment nicely.
A nice HOME.
Great on 07 Nov 2010 at 12:21 am #
“The design arose from the need to build in relation to the tree and to investigate whether an urban home can achieve some of the spatial dynamics of the tree: sheltering the family without sealing them off from their surroundings”…
Yeah, right. Until a storm rips off the tree limbs, destroy the house, and endanger the occupants! Nature can also be enjoyed from a safe distance. Stupid idea, I think. Really good architects & angineers should know better!
But structurally it’s nice. The furnishing is a mediocre though.
Jimw on 07 Nov 2010 at 6:29 am #
@matt…
Actually, it’s more likely the house will bring down the tree before the tree roots destroy the house. “A gorgeous 150+ year old live oak that stood directly in the center of the build-able section of the property.” Again a classic case of the uneducated blaming the tree for being in the “wrong place”. If there was any understanding, respect for and deference to a magnificant 150 year old speciman, this is not a “build-able” site. An oak’s root system extends to at least the drip line of its canopy if not beyond. To survive, oaks have extensive root-hair systems that need to “breathe”. Building over (and disturbing/destroying) nearly half of that system will put this tree under great stress. It has been shown before in lawsuit after lawsuit where new developments have done similar building, entire stands of oaks die by doing this. Simply, adding only 6″ of topsoil on top of an existing mature tree root system can/will suffocate it. So I hope they enjoy this tree that is now vulnerable to a likely demise. It’s time professionals become more responsible for the environments they work in before plopping a house down whereever it “should” fit. 150 years is a long time for another fine specimen to grow. I suspect this house won’t last that long.
Suz on 07 Nov 2010 at 6:44 am #
Some cities do not allow you to cut down trees on your property, so you have to build around them.
Some clients want to keep a tree on their property and hire architects and builders to build around it.
It’s not necessarily a decision for the architects or builders to make. They don’t own the property. They can’t just cut the tree down because they think it’s a good idea. They don’t own the property.
chris cobb on 08 Nov 2010 at 7:44 am #
@Jimw – Thank you for the feedback. Those are all very valid points. For that reason, we consulted heavily with multiple arborists, including the city’s arborist to develop a detailed tree preservation plan, which included utilizing a pier and beam foundation to preserve the micro root system among many other strategies. In addition, Austin, which maintains one of the nation’s best urban forest systems, has a very strict tree ordinance with which we were required to comply. At the end of the day, architect’s have to rely on the expertise and knowledge of tree experts who do this day in and day out. We did that thoroughly in the design of this house. After almost 6 years since construction began, the tree is thriving.
@Jonathan – With actual constraints of site and budget (aka “the real world”) design is not as simple as overcoming conservative tastes.
@Great – This house exceeds the minimum requirements mandated by International Residential Code to ensure the safety and welfare of its occupants.
celia metz on 19 Nov 2010 at 9:41 pm #
Overall I really like it as a design for a regular family. Not crazy about the total green tile in the bathroom – a bit too much.
NURBS on 01 Jan 2011 at 6:32 pm #
I LOVE this house.
Partly because I personally like aesthetics of “optimal” solutions and because it blended perfectly with surroundings. Really good work, I am taking notes about this design…