Casa del Lago

Bordered by water on three sides, Casa del Lago was conceived as a pavilion engaged with the landscape. The house is situated on a large, flat expanse overlooking Lake Austin. A pair of generous outdoor spaces extends to the north and south of the house, shaded by a monumental steel trellis infilled with aluminum louvers. The north side is for recreation, with a basketball half-court and access to a boat dock. The south side is for entertaining, with an outdoor dining area connected to the indoor-outdoor kitchen and bar.

The interior spaces are concentrated into two floors with a compact, square footprint. The lower level contains a pool bath with changing room, powder bath, small garage/storage, and a kitchen that can be opened up to the adjacent patio. Upstairs is a living room, kitchen, and two bedrooms—each with a full bath.

The house serves as a model for indoor-outdoor living in a hot and humid climate. The trellis is a monumental shade structure that takes advantage of predominant breezes to create a comfortable microclimate around the house at its center. On the side facing the lake, the louvers are imprinted with a pair of limpid eyes that gaze across the water. The building itself is clad in brick walls that were conceived as a series of subtly-folded planes, inspired by origami. Within those planes, the individual brick courses are shifted and rotated according to a template. The machine-like precision of the masonry was achieved entirely by hand, with the overall effect recalling patterns found in nature—the scales of a snake or bristled fur. A series of punched openings frame views from inside this jewel box of brick.

PROJECT
Casa del Lago

LOCATION
Austin, Texas

SCOPE
New Construction

PHOTOGRAPHY
Rafael Gamo, Bud Franck

AWARDS
Honor Award, Residential Design Architecture Awards