Text provided by Annie Price
Bull Creek Residence is a new build in Central Austin, Texas. True to midcentury modern design, the continuity between interior and exterior spaces was a primary goal, achieved through the connection of indoor living areas to covered porches for outdoor living, extending to the cabana and pool areas.
As the home of Jed Duhon, partner at Studio Steinbomer, it was a very personal project for the team.
They embraced the challenge of integrating a protected Cedar Elm in the centre of the backyard. The end result? A beautiful, versatile home that promotes and balances family life with endless opportunities for entertaining friends and guests.
While searching for an ideal property for his family, Jed had several goals in mind. The first priority was finding a relatively flat lot, allowing for an easy connection between entertainment areas of the kitchen and living in the outdoor spaces.
Secondly, was finding a pedestrian friendly neighborhood to walk to nearby restaurants and for the kids to ride their bikes.
When he first visited the property on Bull Creek Rd, he was concerned about the large, protected Cedar Elm in the rear yard. But after some time mulling over the property location, Jed realized that section of the Allandale neighborhood had direct access to many restaurants, grocery stores, ice cream shops, and the public library – all within walking distance.
So, it was the perfect spot and the tree just needed to factor into the design.
When approaching the design of the house, his objectives were to achieve a functional outdoor space, orientation with the sun and views to surrounding trees and landscape from inside the house.
Having a strong appreciation for mid-century modern style, continuity between interior and exterior spaces was a primary goal.
But rather than just recreating or replicating what’s been done in the past, Jed also integrated his own design style, incorporating influential experiences from past travel and buildings that have inspired him over the years.
At the same time, he embraced the challenge of integrating the protected Cedar Elm centered in the backyard by creatively angling the floor plan 21 degrees from the south property line, resulting in playful spaces that invite you to view from different perspectives inside and out.
A fitting description for this design is ‘Re-Modern’ – combining hints of older Mid Century and more current modern designs.
Sustainability and healthy living were also paramount project goals, and many innovative systems were included in the design, providing clean filtered air with low humidity levels that supports the longevity of building materials.
An abundance of natural light fills all spaces thanks to critically placed windows. This makes it completely functional without the use of any artificial lighting. The house has consequently been recognized with a 5-star rating by the Austin Energy Green Building Program.
Jed described his role in this project as ‘architect, owner, Dad & therapist!’ saying it was a challenge to take on the design for his own home and at the same time, perform the role of architect. But he’s clearly succeeded in all because the result is a stunning, versatile home that celebrates that incredible Cedar Elm.
Photos by Andrea Calo
