Modern Bungalow A new home suits a young family in the Historic Heights BY SANDRA COOK • PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN HILL
Holly and Josh, a young Heights couple, had had many conversations about home design with their neighbor, Bob Robinowitz, who co-owns the architecture firm McIntyre+Robinowitz with partner Mike McIntyre. When Holly and Josh found an appealing lot in the Heights, they immediately consulted their friends at McIntyre+Robinowitz, to design the ideal home for their family.
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With the architects onboard, the next step was to find a builder. Holly began having discussions with her father, an engineer, about the design of the home and the faith that she had in the architects. Her dad was intrigued and had lots of questions for the architects, so Bob Robinowitz and Mike McIntyre invited Holly’s dad to come in for a meeting to discuss various mechanical aspects of the project. When he proposed the idea of McIntyre+Robinowitz serving as the builder, all parties unanimously agreed. Mike McIntyre had recently built his own house and the firm had been looking for an opportunity to take on the general contractor role. McIntyre points out a key decision on the construction was to go with a completely sealed home, which includes spray foam insulation throughout. “At 3,600 square feet, the two-story house needs just a 4.5-ton air conditioning unit,” says McIntyre. “We also built the home up off the ground at a similar height as a typical Heights pier-and-beam house, but it sits on a slab with 18-inch pony wall with built-in access to wiring and plumbing for access as needed.” Holly’s background in art and printmaking fueled her collaboration with the architects, whom she already knew quite well. Right away, Holly insisted on having a big screen porch, lots of natural light and open spaces for family togetherness, especially in the kitchen, dining, living areas. She asked that the bedrooms not dominate the home’s square footage. “I didn’t want big bedrooms where everyone went off to be all the time,” she says. “I wanted big family spaces, where we could all spend lots of our time.” Josh, a school administrator and counselor, was quite confident and supportive of Holly’s design instincts, especially after witnessing the design conversations with their architect friends Bob and Mike on
“They don’t just see outdoors through the windows, but they can be outdoors on the screen porch daily.” —Bob Robinowitz
The large screened porch was situated to capture the cooling southeast breeze and features a gas grill and fireplace as focal points. Holly, Josh and their boys utilize the porch daily throughout the year and regularly dine al fresco for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The hanging sculpture is by Houston artist Lee Littlefield. The fireplace is by Isokern and surrounded by Featherlite concrete block.
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several occasions. Josh simply asked for a double showerhead in the master bath and his own man cave. “First on the wishlist was the screen porch,” says Holly. “In our old house we had this one back room where we were all the time. I just wanted a nice big space for the family to spend time and feel connected.” “Holly told us she didn’t want the house to be a big box at the front of the lot,” says Bob Robinowitz. “The lot is located in a historic district, so it was a given that we needed to adhere to historic guidelines. Essentially, Holly described the idea of the house as a Modern Bungalow—they wanted something compatible with the neighborhood, but also pushing toward a more modern vocabulary.” Holly’s visual sense clicked immediately with McIntyre and Robinowitz, and the trio maintained a good groove throughout the design process. They found it easy to exchange ideas. Bob Robinowitz describes the design process as “highly collaborative.” From time to time the group would meet to show Josh the progress on the plans. Each time he looked at the plans, he confirmed that all of the couples’ priorities were still included. And each time Josh reports he said, “looks good to me.” “He honored the fact that I loved the art and design part of it,” says Holly. “He had complete trust in us.” “He was very supportive every time we consulted him,” says Robinowitz about Josh.
“I didn’t want big bedrooms where everyone went off to be all the time. I wanted big family spaces, where we all spend lots of our time.” —Holly, homeowner
EXTERIOR MOTIVES
“We looked at what she didn’t want: a two-story box with detached garage and maybe a rear porch and L-shaded yard in back,” says Robinowitz. “Then we looked
Turquoise is one of Holly’s favorite colors, so she chose a soft aqua blue for the kitchen cabinets and a bolder version for the barstools from Bend Seating. Bob Robinowitz designed the island to mimic an old Hermann Miller piece with painted drawers on front and natural wood on side. Grey Ceasarstone tops the counters, while the floors are 150-year-old oak reclaimed from old barns. The light fixture over the dinging table was created by the homeowner and her father.
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“The aesthetic of our work is about refinement of thought, so there’s a tightness to what we do that elevates the quality and I think people sense that when they walk in.” —Bob Robinowitz
ABOVE: The linear social zone allows ample space for family time. McIntye+Robinowitz designed the offset bay (painted purple) and the exposed-rafter portion of the ceiling to create a horizontal contrast to the elongated space. The elephant painting is by local artist Matt Messigner; deer head by Rachel Denney. 8
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RIGHT: Josh’s study is painted Exciting Coral (Sherwin Williams), which gives a lively stage for several of Holly’s artworks, as well as pieces found in Austin. The study doubles as a guestroom when needed.
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at houses with a more slender presence on the street and instead of a rear yard, we postioned the yard more on the side and the front. This makes for a great spatial plan and is a little more of a pubic experience with the neighborhood.” Robinowitz also notes that the longer, east-west axis orientation of the lot is ideal for passive solar design, which allows for sun control and minimizing afternoon heat gain. The orientation on the lot also allows for making the most of the prevailing breeze from the southeast. With the screen porch designed as an integral room, rather than an afterthought, the home offers a dual indoor-outdoor living experience. “They don’t just see outdoors through the windows, but they can be outdoors on the screen porch daily. “We use the porch everyday,” says Holly. “The kids usually go out to the porch right after breakfast.” The generous porch, equipped with a fireplace, grill, ample seating and play space serves many purposes for the family. GROWING FAMILY
Holly and Josh had one child at the beginning of the planning phase, but after the plans were underway, they learned that their adoption went through for their second child and around the same time they were pregnant with their third child. So they started the process with one child but moved into the new home with three boys. “We always knew we wanted at least three kids,” says Josh. “But it happened pretty quickly.” “At that point, the biggest driver of our construction schedule was Holly’s baby,” says Mike McIntyre. “So we organized choices early to stay ahead of Holly and the baby. We gave her a list of things that that had to be selected before she neared her due date—and she did a great job. She was able to make quick and wonderful decisions.” Holly appreciated Mike’s recent experience with building his own home, and explains that hepled her step back and think about which decisions would matter in five years. This kept her from getting bogged down in the details and LEFT: Robinowitz envisioned and installed the semiopen ceiling in the powder room to allow natural light from above yet provide the necessary privacy. The sink/vanity was a collaborative effort between Holly, her father and the architects. RIGHT: The wall colors in the master bedroom are Sherwin Williams “Rainwater” and “Urbane Bronze.” Holly found the antique sofa at a Heights antiques store and had it recovered in her favorite hue.
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to see what was really worth the time to ponder and what could be handled quickly. “When aesthetic things came up, Holly would say let’s go for what looks good, because behavior can adapt,” says Robinowitz. “She would always be supportive of the route that led to good design, and we appreciated that.” “We’d ask her opinion and if she had a strong opinion she gave it to us, and if not, she’d say ‘I’ll let you guys decide,’” added McIntyre. And from time to time, Josh would say “looks good to me.” THOUGHTFUL DESIGN
“The aesthetic of our work is about refinement of thought, so there’s a tightness to what we do that elevates the quality and I think people sense that when they walk in,” says Robinowitz. “Yes, they do,” Holly agrees. “We are very conscious of what’s appropriate for Houston,” says McIntyre. “Sometimes you see houses going up that don’t seem like they should be in this climate. You wonder if they even thought about things like rainfall, drainage and sun exposure.” The front of Holly and Josh’s house is a bit more traditional, but the back of house evolves into a more modern feel. “The higher windows towards the back introduce modern vocabulary into the architecture,” says Robinowitz. Holly says they wanted something a different from the majority of new construction in the Heights. “I really appreciate the combined aesthetic and how it really reflects us, not solely the architects. “
RESOURCES Architects & Builder: McIntyre+Robinowitz, 713.520.9336, www.mcintyrerobinowitz.com Shower glass and mirrors: Bobbitt Glass, 713.523.7369 Interior and Exterior Doors: BMC, 281.440.9090 Windows: Eagle Windows of Austin, 512.454.0559 Concrete Block: Featherlite, 512.255.2573 Spray foam insulation: Garland Insulating, 713.896.4608 Fireplace: Isokern, 800.642.2920 Tile: La Nova, 713.796.9050 Lighting: M&M Lighting, 713.667.7541 Hardware: Lighting Inc. Hardware, 713.599.1536 Kitchen Counters: Ceasarstone, Venetian Blind Carpet One Floor & Home, 713.489.5032 Holly and Josh were already fond of the historical character of the of area, so McIntyre+Robinowitz worked with the couple to design a home that is not a dominating presence from the street , but rather a harmonious structure that complements the family and the surrounding neighborhood. The main entry is on the side, while the yard and garden wrap from front to side for a continuous outdoor area near the large screen porch.
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Reclaimed Oak Floors and Treads: The Woodshop of Texas, 888.950.9663 Plumbing Fixtures: Morrison Supply, 713.861.2343 Appliances: K&N Sales, 713.868.3611
ABOVE: New pine floors add to the light and airy feel of the second floor. Holly’s studio space doubles as a play zone for the boys. The tall work table is a Sears sawhorse fitted with a sturdy top.
BELOW: The two younger boys share a sunny room with eastern exposure. Cushions mounted on the walls serve as bumpers for the hanging bubble swing.