from a distance, giving sly hints of the building, which sits in a natural clearing (no trees were removed from the site). The final, formal approach is centered on a large dogtrot — an overt appropriation of the traditional building types of the region. This orientation establishes the building as a barrier point — a simple human-made demarcation — in the otherwiseuntouched landscape. The dogtrot provides a peek to vistas beyond. with ideas of light and shade, capturing and choreographing breezes as well as rethinking tried and true forms — the dogtrot, the simple shed — within the framework of a tightly edited material palette. The 4,000-sf house is expressed as an uncomplicated box under a metal shed structure. Only one room deep, the two-story volume invites the prevailing breezes to move through it, while the shed helps shade the structure and cool the air that circulates around and over it. Despite its programmatic simplicity, the building unfolds in a series of indoor and outdoor spaces that reveal unexpected depth and complexity. Balconies jut from the second floor; sliding panels create a protective armature, when needed, on the ground floor. Openings provide interplay between solid and void, while sunlight breathes life into the materials, animating vertical surfaces and infusing added dimension into the simple but carefully curated ensemble. Entering the dogtrot, the house’s entry foyer is to the left, where stairs and an elevator lead to the second floor. To the right is a self-contained bunkhouse that sleeps up to eight for extended family gatherings. Wellen placed living, dining, and kitchen, as well as the master suite, upstairs. The architecture plays
64 Texas Architect
3/4 2014
Ascending from the building’s core, the arrival on the second floor is an inviting opening-up into the surrounding landscape and endless sky. These spaces — living and dining on one end, master suite on the other — are surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows. Balconies on all sides offer outdoor spaces in direct line with the cooling breezes. An oak tree canopy at the master bedroom end provides a sense of protection and intimacy, while the living room end is open to long views. To accentuate the lightness of the construction, the interior ceiling is held away from the structure, restating the exterior spatial relationship between barn and house. The upstairs spaces are at once open and protected. “The rhythm of columns of engineered wood posts along the glass perimeter act as
Despite its programmatic simplicity, the building unfolds in a series of indoor and outdoor spaces that reveal unexpected depth and complexity. tree trunks, defining the interiors without obscuring the view,” said Wellen. Strong vertical and horizontal planes interact but seem not to directly intersect, further reinforcing the sense that air and light permeate the very frame of the building. Detailing was given exquisite attention with a view to making it almost invisible. All hardware is fully customized; doors and windows are frameless, and the dominant material, Douglas Fir, is allowed to shine, its Mondrian-esque application subtly highlighting the natural grain pattern.