Garner Pool & Casita

Year
2015
Structure
House (Single Residence)
Style
Modern
The new casita features a double-height living room with custom cement tiles and plaster walls, as well as a kitchenette nook, and custom steel & wood ship ladder to a sleeping loft above the bathroom.
The new casita features a double-height living room with custom cement tiles and plaster walls, as well as a kitchenette nook, and custom steel & wood ship ladder to a sleeping loft above the bathroom.
Looking from new back porch towards the new pool, casita building, and new outdoor living space.
Looking from new back porch towards the new pool, casita building, and new outdoor living space.
A grassy area provides a spot for sunning poolside, and a steel trellis shades an integrated dining area beyond
A grassy area provides a spot for sunning poolside, and a steel trellis shades an integrated dining area beyond
New outdoor dining space is defined and by a custom concrete and wood bench with steel trellis above .
New outdoor dining space is defined and by a custom concrete and wood bench with steel trellis above .
The new casita features a double-height living room with custom cement tiles and plaster walls, as well as a kitchenette nook, and custom steel & wood ship ladder to a sleeping loft above the bathroom.
The new casita features a double-height living room with custom cement tiles and plaster walls, as well as a kitchenette nook, and custom steel & wood ship ladder to a sleeping loft above the bathroom.
The small sleeping loft integrates plaster niches for storage.
The small sleeping loft integrates plaster niches for storage.
The new casita bathroom features a custom concrete sink, plaster walls, and custom concrete tile.
The new casita bathroom features a custom concrete sink, plaster walls, and custom concrete tile.
The concrete tile transitions into the plaster shower for a seamless look.
The concrete tile transitions into the plaster shower for a seamless look.
The sunny double height living space features custom concrete tiles,  plaster walls with built-in niche storage, and a custom slatted wood door leads to an indoor storage area.
The sunny double height living space features custom concrete tiles, plaster walls with built-in niche storage, and a custom slatted wood door leads to an indoor storage area.
Looking from the bathroom to the living space through the portal, which houses a small closet,  and also provides a spatial and material transition from private to public space .
Looking from the bathroom to the living space through the portal, which houses a small closet, and also provides a spatial and material transition from private to public space .

Details

Square Feet
475
Lot Size
6899
Bedrooms
1
Full Baths
1

Credits

Architect
Elizabeth Baird Architecture & Design
www.elizabeth-baird.com
Interior Design
Elizabeth Baird
Shannon Lowry
Builder
Miars Construction
Photographer
Andrea Calo

From Elizabeth Baird Architecture & Design

The Garner Pool & Casita was designed for a creative couple and their two kids in Austin, Texas. After previously renovating their main house, the family wanted to repurpose their non-descript backyard to add a small pool and new accessory structure for additional living and entertaining space. They hired architect Elizabeth Baird, who was working for a residential contractor at the time and took on the project in a design/build capacity. She worked closely not only with each subcontractor but also with the clients, collaborating on every detail of the new build.

The project was also an exercise in pushing the limits of a site as it is located in a dense neighborhood not far from downtown and had many constraints to work within. However, Elizabeth was able to achieve all of the programmatic elements the clients requested, and more, touching and defining over 2000sf of outside space, as well as adding the new freestanding casita building which is approximately 475sf.

The new site layout creates strong axis between the living room of the existing house, the new pool, and the new casita building anchoring the back of the site. In between, the sloping site is carved and terraced to define a series of outdoor spaces characterized by grass, wood decking, concrete, stone, and steel. The new light-filled casita houses a double-height living space, kitchenette, bathroom and sleeping loft above. Its interior is full of rich finishes and details, including plaster walls, wood windows and doors, custom concrete tile, plaster shower, custom concrete bath sink, and custom steel and wood loft ladder. The lush landscaping provides a soft green layer that ties the project together to create a new backyard oasis, minutes from downtown Austin.