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A renowned architectural firm, Andersson-Wise, designed this Glass, wood and steel home to make the most of a spectacular site with a breathtaking, incomparable panoramic views of Lake Austin and the hills beyond. At the direction of the owner, a home was created on the site that is like a piece of sculpture in perfect harmony with its environment. The plans were superbly executed by a leading green builder in this area, Pilgrim Building Company of Austin.
The modern style of architecture was chosen because of its simplicity--it offers a platform for the view and a phenomenal home for living, but in no way does it subtract from the stunning view and surroundings. The large, open, loft-like spaces downstairs have glass walls that maximize the views. Upstairs, 3 of the 4 bedrooms, a 2nd living area and a study have 180-degree lake views.
The pool, constructed by Root Design, has an 83-foot lane for swimming laps that has one end with clear sides that is cantilevered out into open air. The transparent end is projected from the hillside and appears to be suspended in the air over Lake Austin like a prism. There's also a spa and a "beach"-- an area with water a few inches deep so you can sit in a chair with your feet in the water.
Click Here for text of an Austin American Statesman article on this home January 2, 2010
A Few Features
Spectacular panoramic views of Lake Austin and the hills of Westlake
The lot includes approximately 0.385 acres
The Main House and Guest Apartment are approximately 5988 sq ft (per builder) of heated & cooled area
The Main house is approximately 5430 sq ft, with 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 2 Living areas, a Dining Room and a Study.
The Guest Apartment is approximately 558 sq ft (per builder), with 1 bedroom, 1 bath, a living room and kitchen.
Natural materials like wood, copper and stucco have been used wherever possible
Doors were custom made from Brazilian Masanduba wood (similar to Ipé)
The attractive exterior wood siding and decks are also Massanranduba, which is extremely hard and dense, making it resistant to moisture, rot, fire and decay. It is very similar to Ipe. The wood used on this project was sourced from plantations or certified by the Brazilian goverment as sustainable so that no old growth forest were harmed (per architect)
The standing seam "butterfly" metal roof collects rainwater for irrigation that is stored beneath the house in a 5000 gallon tank
Motorized shades downstairs, manual blackout and sun shades upstairs
16 SEER AC with 15.5 SEER heat pump (per builder), 3 AC units with programmable thermostats for zoned heating, cooling
Low VOC paint
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Two car garage with storage area
Sprinkler system for landscaping, yard
Second floor balcony on street side was built structurally and plumbed for a 2nd hot tub
Commercial construction methods were used creatively:
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Lots of steel was used in the foundation and framing. Engineered Y frames underneath allowed
the building to be projected out into space. The steel frame reduces the amount of visible
structure and gives it a feeling of lightness and openness. -
Thermally interrupted commerical aluminum windows with Low-E glass featuring 80% reflectivity, and high performance insulated glazing.
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The exterior walls are structural insulated panels (SIPs) with styrofoam core, providing strength plus excellent insulation.
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Air conditioning vents and air returns are in the form of commercial air slots (diffusers), more subtle and pleasing to the eye than the usual registers
Living Room--Floor to ceiling windows offer unforgettable views.
Custom commercial-type glazing was done to maximize the glass area.
Corner glazing was done to minimize interruptions to the view.
Sliding glass doors open out to a second spacious deck that runs along the entire lake side
Kitchen--Counters are heavy gauge stainless steel
View of the lake and landscape is superb
Dining Room--The spacious dining room is located close to the kitchen on the east or town side of the ground floor.
Master Suite-- A spacious group of rooms on the second level includes the master bedroom,
master bath, study, and walk-in closets, all of which are grouped around a private interior hallway and can be closed off from the rest of the house for privacy.
The bedroom and study face the lake and have 180-degree views of the lake and hills.
3 Upstairs Guest Bedrooms--2 of the guest bedrooms face the lake, and the third is on the street side with a glimps of the lake. A room between the two lake-side guest bedrooms is a 2nd living area but has a closet and could be a 5th bedroom with access to a full bath directly across the hall.
Schools: Casis Elementary, O’Henry Middle, Austin High
Distances:
0.2 mi to Mayfield Park
0.3 mi to Laguna Gloria
0.3 mi to Westwood Country Club, Cap Metro #9 bus,
1 mi to groceries and shopping
1.4 mi to Casis Elementary School
2.6 mi to Lions Municipal Golf Course
3.4 mi to University of Texas at Austin
5 mi to downtown Austin