Clark’s is a remodel of a 1940s building that once housed a former restaurant and before that an auto repair shop. On the edge of the historic Clarksville neighborhood and a commercial strip, Clark’s is positioned as Austin’s definitive neighborhood oyster joint. Clayton & Little worked closely with the owner to revitalize this 1,400-square-foot gem from the inside out.
A refreshed open-layout kitchen with all new equipment opens up to the bar and dining area, clustered around a 300-gallon aquarium. Diners have the option of sitting in the bar area open to the working kitchen and oyster bar, at a quieter dining table inside, or outside on the patio.
A fairly simple building, this house has two distinctive features, the 35-foot cantilever of the 2nd floor and the atypical site plan with dual courtyards substituted for the traditional suburban backyard. Both of these features are a direct result of 3 fairly prosaic goals: the client’s desire for privacy, an efficient use of the pie-shaped lot, and a facade that isn’t dominated by a garage door. Layered over these requests is the architect’s inclination to create a highly controlled and beautiful entry experience. The building itself consists of 2 (roughly) rectangular volumes that are connected by a glazed hallway. The public spaces are all contained in the single floor eastern volume, while the 2 story western volume houses the private portions of the program. The large cantilever places program to the extents of the buildable area while still allowing proper vehicular circulation for a side facing garage door. To enter the house one goes through the gate that is under the large expanse of the cantilever and then passes through the first courtyard that is just behind the front concrete wall. The actual entry door is in the hallway that connects the volumes and divides the courtyards. This hallway exists in a somewhat ambiguous state between interior and exterior space as its materiality and ceiling plane is continuous with that of the covered exterior spaces that are adjacent to both courtyards. Once inside, one passes between the two courtyards before entering the large volume of the living space.
The design for this modern Mexican restaurant in downtown Austin establishes a protected urban sanctuary for Comedor’s progressive dining experience. Located on Fifth and Colorado, a busy intersection in Austin’s central business district, the new building takes a strong corner position to leave space for a protected open-air inner courtyard.
“Veiled transparency evokes a sense of refuge from the busy urban street outside. Yet while you’re enjoying the protected courtyard space, you don’t lose sight of the surrounding urban context. You remain absolutely rooted in Austin.” –Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, Design Principal
The City of Austin has been expanding westward and repurposing industrial sites of the city grid for civic, business and residential programs. As a result, the Seaholm Electrical Substation site, once at the edge of the city of Austin, was being surrounded by new civic interventions including the new Public library, the Shoal Creek park, an urban bikeway, several mixed-use development sites, and the renovated historic Seaholm Power Plant.
The design of the house was born in a search of the essence of the owner. For which it is inquired on many of the topics related to it. From that essence it was identified a lot of creativity, a playful spirit, innocence, exploratory features, surprise seeking, sensory experiences, aim to discover, valuing processes, interested in mutations and changes in space. In this process, much of the characteristic of the owner's character were absorbed and personal meanings were worked on. Due to the passion of the owner for the illustrations, it was established that it was fundamental to get involved in the owner’s logic and make illustrations as a design methodology (a book was made).
After understanding this constellation of ideas, we sought to encourage spaces that allow timelessness, so that the owner was able t immerse in reading. These spaces seek an intensification in the relationship with some externalities such as: the mountain, the low vegetation, the sky and with the Guirachuro (a kind of bird of the place).
The Linda Pace Foundation announced today the new naming of its contemporary art center, Ruby City, as well as the rollout of a new graphic identity and website. The new identity, keyed to Linda Pace’s vision and Sir David Adjaye’s design, emphasizes the San Antonio experience, while the website will function as a resource for Ruby City’s development and programming as well as Linda Pace Foundation’s collection. Previously associated solely with the Sir David Adjaye-designed building, Ruby City will now denote the overall institution, comprising of Chris Park and the auxiliary exhibition space, Studio, formerly known as CHRISpark and SPACE. The Linda Pace Foundation will continue to operate as the owner and steward of Pace’s collection.
Needing more space for our growing, multi-disciplinary team in Austin, we explored several options for our new office location, ultimately choosing the Texas State Teacher’s Association building as the perfect fit. The project was an exciting opportunity for CTA’s architects, interior designers, and engineers to join forces and showcase their talents in their own space, which has received praise from visitors and clients, as well as other architecture and design firms.
A multi-family compound rises from a remote, grassy valley on the bank of the Frio River deep in the Texas Hill Country.
The goal for this project was to create shelters with an environmental experience unique to its place where Summer madness gives way to Winter stillness. Where city life and digital stimulation are replaced by the experience of feeling a cool breeze or snuggling up to a warm fire.
Sited on a beautifully wooded property on the western slopes of Barton Hills, this renovation and expansion of an existing split-level house engages the land by both carving into and rising out of the ground.
The Photographer’s Studio strikes a balance between a voluminous working space, the City of Austin’s zoning regulations, and a shared appreciation for expressive form. This project began with a simple need for a studio in the corner of the photographer’s backyard. Zoning setbacks and tree protection rules quickly eliminated the option to build a separate structure, resulting in a building addition that juxtaposes a typical Austin house with a fresh new form.
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