Concept: Built in 1925 and remodeled in
the 1970s, this bungalow sits on a hill close to
downtown San Antonio. While the original 1200
square foot home may was not conceived in terms
of sustainability, it was quite responsive to that
issue. The minimal ecological footprint of the
building was complemented by natural ventilation
and illumination.
For contemporary living, it was necessary
to insert areas for closets, utilities, equipment, and
storage. This was accomplished by creating a
thickened central “wall,” emphasized by being at a
slight angle to the plan. The “wall” also separates
public living areas from private ones. For greater
spatial fluidity, all doors are sliding and retract into
the walls and are emphasized by large transoms
above the doorways.
There was an explicit intention to recognize
that the entire floor plan of the house was radically
redone, by inserting contrasting colored wood
strips into the floor to mark where existing walls
once stood. |
