Photography by Craig Washburn courtesy of Derrington Building Studio.
With some creative thinking from architects at Derrington Building Studio, a developer transformed an awkward, environmentally protected lot near Austin, Texas into a spot where four new houses can share one giant garden.
At the front of the development sits House 1 (at right) and the larger House 2. The slope above the garage of House 2 is a guardrail for stairs to a roof deck with views of the oak tree canopy and downtown Austin.
Toward the back of the development sits House 3 (at right) and House 4. The latter is the largest in the development, at 1,800 square feet, but because it’s sunken into the hillside it doesn’t appear larger than its neighbors.
To make the most of the awkward lot, all four houses share one giant landscape with lawns, walking paths, gravel, and small plots for individual gardens.
A balcony rail and an oak tree shield the occupants of House 1 from the nearby street. The team took great care to avoid damaging the trees’ roots when building.
The architects used low-cost building materials, focusing the developer’s budget instead on site placement and ample windows.
An open-air hallway in House 4 connects the main house (at left) with the garage (at right) without requiring a foundation that would have disturbed the roots of nearby oaks.
The living room of House 2 sits just next to its driveway, so the architects placed the living room windows high to keep cars out of view.