SweisKloss, Making a Mark in Another…State

by SweisKloss
July 15, 2021

A call came in a few months back from one of our clients—we have been designing their new home in Malibu. After catching up for a bit, our client surprised us with why he called; the conversation went something like this...

           Client: “I just purchased a property in Austin.
           Us: “That sounds great.”
           Client: “It would be a new build home on a large plot, and we want you to work on it.”
           Us: “You said Austin, Texas, right?”
           Client: “Yes. Interested?”
           Us (without hesitation): “Of course.”

Once we got the logistics down, we agreed that we would take on the design portion of the project and work with a local Texas contractor/builder to get the home completed. Then, we took a trip to Marble Falls (just outside of Austin) to see the site, an impressive 2.5-acre plot of land with rolling hills, and brainstormed concepts and discussed Texas building mandates with our client.

Creating another home geographically outside of our norm is already exciting, but there are some aspects to this project that has us and our client extra enthused. The design will include incorporating a lot of environmentally sound features and possibly using some building materials new to us such as rammed earth, which has a really unique look, for some of the walls.

Although we have not built with rammed earth before, rammed earth has been around for thousands of years—the Great Wall of China utilized the technique. The material has recently gained momentum for its sustainability and aesthetic qualities. Walls or blocks are created by filling a frame with damp earth, usually including sand, gravel, clay, and a stabilizer. The damp earth is layered and compressed with a pneumatic tamper, resulting in a highly durable material. Since the damp earth uses local materials, rammed earth has a low embodied energy and produce little waste.

We are also thinking through different types of roofs appropriate for the climate and have some element of being eco-friendly. A metal butterfly roof (inverted gable) is one option and can contribute to sustainability by harvesting rainwater. Another idea is a skillion roof (single sloping) that can allow for large solar panels for energy efficiency. Both types of roofs lend themselves well to contemporary design.

We are still in the conceptualizing stage but can’t wait to see how this Texas project progresses. We’ll keep you up to date, so stay tuned…