Sanctuary In the Hills | Austin Home | Fall 2018

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By

M AU R I E L B E L

P ho to g raphy by

PAUL FINKEL/PISTON DESIGN

Sanctuary In the Hills A SELF-SUSTAINING HOME IN WIMBERLEY PROVIDES ITS OWNERS A PLACE OF PEACE

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By

M AU R I E L B E L

P ho to g raphy by

PAUL FINKEL/PISTON DESIGN

Sanctuary In the Hills A SELF-SUSTAINING HOME IN WIMBERLEY PROVIDES ITS OWNERS A PLACE OF PEACE

98

FA L L 2 0 1 8 • AU S T I N H O M E

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The home (left) sits on a property that Spitzer bought in 2001 with the intention of developing into a community of sustainable homes; warm, locally sourced cypress (right) defines several exterior spaces, including the main entry.

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Spitzer has lived in the Austin area all of her adult life. First, she resided in Hemphill Park while attending the University of Texas in the 1970s. As the city grew, she moved farther from downtown. In 1994, Spitzer made it to Wimberley. She’s never left. Today she and her wife, Rosie vonZurmuehlen, live in a modern, self-sustaining home that’s independent from municipal water. The single-story, 5,100-square-foot home treads lightly on a sweeping swath of Hill Country land far away from city lights and noise, where sherbet sunrises and sunsets paint a wide-open horizon, migrating songbirds

pierce through country silence and dark-night skies set the stage for brilliant stargazing. “This place is our sanctuary—it is a place of peace,” Spitzer says. Given that both Spitzer and vonZurmuehlen are ordained ministers, that statement carries much weight. Their Zen-like home, designed by the Austin-based and internationally acclaimed Miró Rivera Architects, sits on a sprawling Wimberley property she stumbled on in 2001. She purchased 126 acres with the vision of developing it into a sustainable community.

“I thought it would be a place people would enjoy, living on the land on their own individual lots, beneath dark skies and with access to the greenbelt that runs through it and the opportunity to build a big barn or shared garden to enjoy together,” she recalls. “I had a bunch of friends who thought this was a great idea, and I thought it would be easy to get people to buy and live on the land. But it wasn’t.” Rather, Spitzer discovered people wanted turn-key, move-in-ready residences—a project that didn’t interest her. So she sold 92 acres and approached longtime friend and architect Miguel Rivera in 2010

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The home (left) sits on a property that Spitzer bought in 2001 with the intention of developing into a community of sustainable homes; warm, locally sourced cypress (right) defines several exterior spaces, including the main entry.

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Spitzer has lived in the Austin area all of her adult life. First, she resided in Hemphill Park while attending the University of Texas in the 1970s. As the city grew, she moved farther from downtown. In 1994, Spitzer made it to Wimberley. She’s never left. Today she and her wife, Rosie vonZurmuehlen, live in a modern, self-sustaining home that’s independent from municipal water. The single-story, 5,100-square-foot home treads lightly on a sweeping swath of Hill Country land far away from city lights and noise, where sherbet sunrises and sunsets paint a wide-open horizon, migrating songbirds

pierce through country silence and dark-night skies set the stage for brilliant stargazing. “This place is our sanctuary—it is a place of peace,” Spitzer says. Given that both Spitzer and vonZurmuehlen are ordained ministers, that statement carries much weight. Their Zen-like home, designed by the Austin-based and internationally acclaimed Miró Rivera Architects, sits on a sprawling Wimberley property she stumbled on in 2001. She purchased 126 acres with the vision of developing it into a sustainable community.

“I thought it would be a place people would enjoy, living on the land on their own individual lots, beneath dark skies and with access to the greenbelt that runs through it and the opportunity to build a big barn or shared garden to enjoy together,” she recalls. “I had a bunch of friends who thought this was a great idea, and I thought it would be easy to get people to buy and live on the land. But it wasn’t.” Rather, Spitzer discovered people wanted turn-key, move-in-ready residences—a project that didn’t interest her. So she sold 92 acres and approached longtime friend and architect Miguel Rivera in 2010

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about building a prototype net-zero-energy home with sustainable solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling and a rainwater-collection system that would allow them to live off the grid. “She wanted something that was cost-effective, was beautiful and would go with the land,” Rivera recalls. “We created something that was very sensitive to the environment—a modern house that would still have a feel of the Hill Country and be low-maintenance.” The design, a modern take on a farmhouse, is intended to bring people together and encourage spiritual renewal in a sustainable setting, according to Rivera. Defined by a series of jagged roof peaks inspired by the rise and fall of the surrounding hills, Spitzer says the entire home was built upon the concept of “living outside-in.” “It feels like being on your front porch lying on a hammock yet we are sitting on the couch—everywhere you look, you are looking outside,” she says. “Miguel is an amazing architect who knew our spiritual pursuits were important to us. He knew we wanted a place to live that was our sanctuary. And he did it.” The exterior, characterized by clean lines and a sculptural gable roof with a 30-foot peak that resembles a sanctuary, is composed of a simple material palette: stark white corrugated metal siding and warm, locally sourced cypress. The low-maintenance corrugated metal was selected for its weather resistance, minimal upkeep and aesthetics. It both provides a modern look and evokes the feel of an old barn while the bright white color contrasts beautifully with the surrounding green meadow. The efficient use of materials—and utilizing locally sourced limestone, cypress and pecan—make the structure cost-effective and help it relate to the landscape. The home’s pier-and-beam foundation results in a structure that doesn’t feel heavily anchored to the ground. “The volume of the house was meant to mimic the Hill Country in the background and create a presence from a distance with the roof,” Rivera says. “The home doesn’t touch the land; it is elevated from the ground on piers. It feels lighter and the connection to the ground is softer.” A collection of volumes is arranged along a central spine, with the public and private spaces of the home on opposite ends. Inside, white Sheetrock walls and ceilings provide a blank canvas to the couple’s colorful furniture, rugs and artwork. Meanwhile, pecan floors add warmth

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The outdoor sculpture studio (above) serves as a stage for musical performances; a screen porch (opposite top) is one of a series of outdoor spaces on the property; like the rest of the interior, the kitchen (opposite bottom) features pecan floors.

“Miguel is an amazing architect who knew our spiritual pursuits were important to us,” Spitzer says. “He knew we wanted a place to live that was our sanctuary. And he did it.” AU S T I N H O M E • FA L L 2 0 1 8

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about building a prototype net-zero-energy home with sustainable solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling and a rainwater-collection system that would allow them to live off the grid. “She wanted something that was cost-effective, was beautiful and would go with the land,” Rivera recalls. “We created something that was very sensitive to the environment—a modern house that would still have a feel of the Hill Country and be low-maintenance.” The design, a modern take on a farmhouse, is intended to bring people together and encourage spiritual renewal in a sustainable setting, according to Rivera. Defined by a series of jagged roof peaks inspired by the rise and fall of the surrounding hills, Spitzer says the entire home was built upon the concept of “living outside-in.” “It feels like being on your front porch lying on a hammock yet we are sitting on the couch—everywhere you look, you are looking outside,” she says. “Miguel is an amazing architect who knew our spiritual pursuits were important to us. He knew we wanted a place to live that was our sanctuary. And he did it.” The exterior, characterized by clean lines and a sculptural gable roof with a 30-foot peak that resembles a sanctuary, is composed of a simple material palette: stark white corrugated metal siding and warm, locally sourced cypress. The low-maintenance corrugated metal was selected for its weather resistance, minimal upkeep and aesthetics. It both provides a modern look and evokes the feel of an old barn while the bright white color contrasts beautifully with the surrounding green meadow. The efficient use of materials—and utilizing locally sourced limestone, cypress and pecan—make the structure cost-effective and help it relate to the landscape. The home’s pier-and-beam foundation results in a structure that doesn’t feel heavily anchored to the ground. “The volume of the house was meant to mimic the Hill Country in the background and create a presence from a distance with the roof,” Rivera says. “The home doesn’t touch the land; it is elevated from the ground on piers. It feels lighter and the connection to the ground is softer.” A collection of volumes is arranged along a central spine, with the public and private spaces of the home on opposite ends. Inside, white Sheetrock walls and ceilings provide a blank canvas to the couple’s colorful furniture, rugs and artwork. Meanwhile, pecan floors add warmth

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The outdoor sculpture studio (above) serves as a stage for musical performances; a screen porch (opposite top) is one of a series of outdoor spaces on the property; like the rest of the interior, the kitchen (opposite bottom) features pecan floors.

“Miguel is an amazing architect who knew our spiritual pursuits were important to us,” Spitzer says. “He knew we wanted a place to live that was our sanctuary. And he did it.” AU S T I N H O M E • FA L L 2 0 1 8

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The design of the home (opposite) is intended to be a modern take of a farmhouse; with its abundance of natural light, the main corridor (bottom) serves as a quasi art gallery to display some of the homeowners’ pieces; floor-toceiling windows in the meditation room (left) help provide a calming view of the Hill Country.

inside the contemporary-yet-comfortable home. The main corridor serves as a light-filled art gallery, and throughout the home, ample windows flood spaces with natural sunlight and outdoor views and eliminate the need to turn on the floor lamps from Wimberley Glassworks during the day. The meditation room remains a favorite space in the house, staying true to the concept of “living outside-in” with its floor-to-ceiling windows that frame an incredible view of the Little Twin Sisters Peaks just beyond. Throughout the house, spaces blur the lines between indoors and outdoors and create effortless gathering areas for large groups. In fact, several times per year, the couple hosts concerts in the shaded outdoor sculpture studio, which doubles as a stage for the Kerrville New Folk winners each November as well as musicians such as violinist Javier Chaparro. Other times, the homeowners use the space to grill during quiet evenings at home. In addition to recently receiving an AIA Austin Award of Merit, the home was a 2017 winner of the Austin Green Awards and earned a four-star rating from Austin Energy Green Building. An eight-kiloWatt solar array supplies 80 percent of annual energy usage. Mechanical heating and cooling are made possible by a five-ton geothermal system. Spitzer says that electric bills average $40 a month thanks to solar panels that produce all the electricity they need. In addition, a 30,000-gallon rainwater collection system can provide enough water for four full-time residents. But more than anything, the home serves as a beacon to show how people can live when architecture merges sensible design and sustainability. “I am very proud of the project in the sense that it is a very modest house but with a very large ambition,” Rivera says. “It’s a great example of when a client understands the importance of good design—she understood our passion for architecture and design sensibility, and decisions were always made because it was the right thing to do.”

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The design of the home (opposite) is intended to be a modern take of a farmhouse; with its abundance of natural light, the main corridor (bottom) serves as a quasi art gallery to display some of the homeowners’ pieces; floor-toceiling windows in the meditation room (left) help provide a calming view of the Hill Country.

inside the contemporary-yet-comfortable home. The main corridor serves as a light-filled art gallery, and throughout the home, ample windows flood spaces with natural sunlight and outdoor views and eliminate the need to turn on the floor lamps from Wimberley Glassworks during the day. The meditation room remains a favorite space in the house, staying true to the concept of “living outside-in” with its floor-to-ceiling windows that frame an incredible view of the Little Twin Sisters Peaks just beyond. Throughout the house, spaces blur the lines between indoors and outdoors and create effortless gathering areas for large groups. In fact, several times per year, the couple hosts concerts in the shaded outdoor sculpture studio, which doubles as a stage for the Kerrville New Folk winners each November as well as musicians such as violinist Javier Chaparro. Other times, the homeowners use the space to grill during quiet evenings at home. In addition to recently receiving an AIA Austin Award of Merit, the home was a 2017 winner of the Austin Green Awards and earned a four-star rating from Austin Energy Green Building. An eight-kiloWatt solar array supplies 80 percent of annual energy usage. Mechanical heating and cooling are made possible by a five-ton geothermal system. Spitzer says that electric bills average $40 a month thanks to solar panels that produce all the electricity they need. In addition, a 30,000-gallon rainwater collection system can provide enough water for four full-time residents. But more than anything, the home serves as a beacon to show how people can live when architecture merges sensible design and sustainability. “I am very proud of the project in the sense that it is a very modest house but with a very large ambition,” Rivera says. “It’s a great example of when a client understands the importance of good design—she understood our passion for architecture and design sensibility, and decisions were always made because it was the right thing to do.”

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