If you’ve driven the streets of south Austin, you’ve probably passed by this home. Lately, despite the “deep freeze,”  we’ve been in the landscaping and gardening mood at my house. So, while the temperature is keeping us from digging, I wanted to share a little inspiration and feature a local landscape design firm, Floribunda and some of their past work, Tokyo Modern.

If you’re planning to list your home on the market this spring or summer, you will not want to overlook the landscape. With the cooler temperatures, now is a great time to start working on the beds. And with so many other homes on the market, by spring you will need to execute the selling strategy with extreme precision. Among other things, we’re counseling our sellers on cost-effective ways to improve their curb appeal. Need more inspiration? Here’s a video interview, produced by KLRU, with the designer sharing his thoughts on the development of the project.

The architecture of the home is pretty rigid and cold, but the landscaping does well to soften the exterior. The lush, zoysia berm serves as a great visual buffer from the busy street to the front of the home. I also really like the bamboo muhly’s texture and color against the concrete planter. Your thoughts?

It’s a new year and time for a new topic. While perusing through these listings I kept wondering about the original owners:

Would they approve of the restorations?

What was pre-Mopac traffic in Austin like (1930-40s)?

Was life as simple as the architecture?

Here are a few more that caught my eye:

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I’ve mentioned before, what attracts me to downtown Austin is that there’s something unique and  different to experience almost everyday. The conversations with people you meet, the condo developments going up and the events going on… this weekend is no exception. From noon to 6pm this Saturday you’ll find a pet-centric design competition taking place in the 2ND Street District. So what is it you ask?   

30 Designers, 30 Doghouses

“The 2ND Street District is pleased to announce Barkitecture Austin 2007, a doghouse design challenge benefiting local Austin animal rescue groups.

30 Austin architecture and design firms have been invited to unleash their creativity while working under a set of guidelines: The doghouses must contain some recycled and sustainable materials.

Awards for distinguished doghouse designs and winners of the silent auction will be announced at 6pm at Design Within Reach (200 W. 2nd Street). Several participating architects and designers will also be on hand to discuss their creations. Winning doghouses will be on display at Design Within Reach for the rest of the weekend.”

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This won my vote at least. Note to self… before building a new home… purchase a horribly difficult lot in a great neighborhood and consult Tim Cuppett to do the unthinkable. Here’s Tim’s take of the project from his website.

“This house sits on a heavily wooded lot that was deemed too constricted by an easement to be suitable for construction; but that feature mandated the very beauty of the place. In response to these constraints, the house is narrow and deep. A high, wide overhang supported on slender columns creates shading while a sun protecting wooden brise-soleil on the West side screens the house. Both features meld the structure into its context of trees and vegetation in the natural undisturbed easement. With the exception of some limestone walls, exterior materials were chosen to disappear into the landscape.

The house is Modern but warm because of the raw materials and colors used. There is only a thin veil of separation from inside to outside and every room features windows on multiple sides.”

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If you’re not headed out to the Red River Shootout this weekend, I highly recommend buying a ticket to the 22nd Annual AIA Austin Homes Tour. This isn’t your typical run of the mill Saturday open-house-marathon… these homes aren’t for sale, yet. This is a two day self-guided tour that showcases the work of Austin’s most sophisticated and forward thinking architects, interior designers, craftsmen and material suppliers.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration for home improvement ideas, or searching for a professional designer at the top of their game, or simply out to get your fix of refreshing design, you won’t be disappointed. What I really like about the tour is that you get to engage and talk to almost everyone that has a stake in the homes (architect, builder, interior designer, homeowner, etc.). However, keep an eye out for competing architects on the tour as well, they’re usually the ones sneaking from house to house sneering as they go… very funny to watch.  

When you purchase your ticket, you’ll receive a brochure with a small map of the tour and more detailed information regarding each home. In the meantime, for my fellow design enthusiasts, I attached a pdf version for you to plan your trip ahead of time. Also, here are few tips to chew on:

1. Start backwards.The homes at the beginning of the tour can get really crowded at the start of the day. I recommend starting at home #11 on the list and work your way backwards. Or pick one in the middle and go from there.

2. Don’t rush it. Photography is prohibited on the tour, so take your time and enjoy the designs. Also, take a note pad to capture a few ideas from each house.  

3. Look deeper. If you’re looking for ideas to implement in  your own home before you sell it, absorb as much as you can about the design and construction materials used, but also take note of the more subtle qualities in each home. How does the landscaping make you feel when you approach the front door. How does it compare to your home’s curb appeal? What about lighting and colors used? How do the lighting and colors make you feel when you enter each particular room? Buyer’s are always attentive to the subtle features of a home and if you’re thinking about selling, you should be too.

 HOMES TOUR MAP

11 homes were exclusively selected for this year’s tour. This year my wife and I are helping David Manning and his team docent the house on Turkey Creek Drive on Saturday. Hope to see you there! Here are the featured architects and their respective works:

• Antenora Architects – 1404 Garner Ave.

• Stephen Zagorski – 2603 west 49th St.

• Barley & Pfeiffer Architects - 2100 Stamford Ln.

• The Lawrence Group Architects – 2307 McCullough

• Tim Cuppett – 1200 Barton Creek Blvd, Watersmark, Lot 12

• Dick Clark Architecture – 5431 Tortuga Trl.

• Urban Jobe – 909 Post Oak

• David Manning Architecture – 4312 Turkey Creek Dr.

• Hugh Jefferson Randolph – 2801 Greenlee Dr.

• Webber + Studio – 1312 Hurst Hollow

• Merzbau Design Collective - 2101 De Verne St.

TICKET INFO: $25 in advance; $30 at the door

Austin Center for Architecture

801 W. 12th St.

512/452.4332

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