Live Oak Residence TX, West Lake Hills home photos, Texas real estate building, USA architecture design

Live Oak Residence in West Lake Hills

Mar 12, 2021

Design: Dick Clark + Associates

Location: West Lake Hills, Texas, USA

Photos by Paul Bardagjy

Live Oak Residence

Composed as a series of layers, the facade of the stunning Live Oak Residence unfolds behind a screen of mature live oak trees. The main living space transitions from grounded in the site to completely transparent, floating over the lower level in a breathtaking cantilever, while the back of the house opens up to the hillside, providing panoramic hill-country views.

A thin, linear form stretches along the lines of the steeply sloping hillside. The second floor steps back as it goes uphill towards the street, and the lower level tucks in underneath the main living area to capture the space under the structure.

This results in a generous amount of highly sought-after shaded outdoor living space and a wrap-around pool on the lower level, as well as public and private spaces on all levels that take advantage of the striking hill-country view.

The dense tree cover of established live oak trees across the front of the property warrant a carefully placed driveway and entry, set back behind the tree line acting as a nature-provided privacy screen while preserving the natural character of the street. On approach, a modern exterior is articulated with very intentional material choices – stucco and stone in an earthy color, dark metal that blends in with the trees and recedes in shadow, and glass that reflects the surrounding hillside vegetation and sky.

Reserved and serene from a distance, close attention to detail and careful selection of materials achieves the goal of creating a unique and strikingly modern home that complements the existing neighborhood fabric.

What was the brief?
Our design goal was to create a unique, and strikingly modern home that fit in well with the existing neighborhood fabric. We achieved this by creating modern forms, articulated with very intentional material choices – stucco and stone in an earthy color, dark metal that blends in with the trees and recedes in shadow, and glass that reflects the surrounding hillside vegetation and sky.

Key products used:
We used Texas shell stone on both the interior and exterior, stucco, black prefinished metal, aluminum-framed doors and windows, white oak flooring, medium gray tile exterior decks, glass guardrails, black prefinished cabinetry w/ stained oak accents in kitchen and white oak cabinetry in the bathrooms.

What were the key challenges?
1. Steeply sloping topography
2. Dense tree cover of established live oaks across the front of the property

What were the solutions?
1. Our solution for the steeply sloping topography was to create a thin, linear form which stretches along the lines of the hillside. The second floor steps back as it goes uphill towards the street, and the lower level tucks in underneath the main living area to capture the space under the structure. This results in a generous amount of highly sought-after shaded outdoor living space, and a wrap-around pool.

2. Our solution for the dense tree cover of established live oaks across the front of the property was to weave the driveway among the trees and set the house behind the tree line, using it as a nature-provided privacy screen while preserving the natural character of the street.

Live Oak Residence, West Lake Hills Texas – Building Information

Design: Dick Clark + Associates
Project size: 7400 ft2
Completion date: 2020
Building levels: 1

Photography: Paul Bardagjy

Live Oak Residence, Texas information / images received 120321 from Dick Clark + Associates

Location: West Lake Hills, Texas, USA

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