House on the Park

Designed for a Ukrainian immigrant, this 5,000 square foot house overlooks a park in Highland Park, Texas. The construction is a unique single-wythe, load-bearing, insulated masonry unit capable of R-41 performance. The design utilizes this new construction technology together with a geothermal HVAC system, bio-based foam insulation, and 1” insulated glass units to achieve an ultra high-performing, energy efficient, maintenance-free structure. The building form is, in part, derived as a response to the zoning requirements intended to force the building mass to the front yard and minimize the side yard. Instead, House on the Park pursues a more linear layout which allows more area for side courtyards, thus providing more separation from neighboring buildings. This linear orientation aligns the building on a north/south axis and directs the focus of the house towards the park across the street. Programmatically, all of the primary functions of the house are at one level in order to accommodate the barrier-free needs of the client. Level two serves as guest quarters and multi-purpose space, which punctuates the building mass as a continuous, lightweight, floating wood element.