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