A few months after moving from Salt Lake City to the east side of Austin, Texas, Creede Fitch and his wife decided to transition from renting a house to settling in and building a home. They soon found a lot they loved—5,837 square feet with a beautiful pecan tree at the center.

However, the tree had protected status, which is not uncommon in Austin, and couldn’t be moved. “It was actually a saving grace,” says Creede. “We were able to get the lot cheaply, and we knew we could make it work.”

After meeting with several Austin architects, the couple found their perfect match in Thomas Bercy of Bercy Chen Studio. Bercy was able to marry Creede’s taste for midcentury and Mexican modern design with his wife’s affinity for Mediterranean and Moorish elements in a two-story whitewashed cube and equally boxy guesthouse/office. Breaking the starkness of the design are patterned metal screens reminiscent of mashrabiya, an Islamic architectural element used to create privacy, passive cooling, and natural ventilation.

“The screens bring an extra detail that contrasts with the simple geometry of the building.”
—Thomas Bercy, architect

To both incorporate and highlight the awkwardly positioned tree, Bercy turned to another Moorish reference—riads, in which interior spaces are organized around a courtyard, often with a fountain or other water feature. Here, he separated the two structures with a gravel yard and a pool, and with all but two windows facing it, the tree anchors the space as well as provides much needed shade from the hot summer sun.

Despite the limited budget and complicated site, Bercy completed the project in less than three years. And the courtyard, though born of necessity, has become the heart of the home.

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Bercy Chen Studio LP (Thomas Bercy, Calvin Chen, Daniel Arellano, Dan Loe, and Sasha Doo)

Structural Engineering: JM Structures

Interior Design: McCray & Co.

Cabinetry: Modern Union

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