‘everything old is new again with a modern perspective’
Brick has been the central material of our homes for thousands of years. Certainly it’s as familiar to Texans, especially Dallasites, as the heat of summer. There are as many different hues of it- from sandy tans, desert sunset pinks, to an almost Aggie maroon found throughout our neighborhoods as there are styles of houses. There does seem to be a shift away from it though. Whether a house
is being put on the market or just moved into the fashion of today tends more towards a coat of paint in charcoal gray, navy, statement black, or pristine white.
The cohesiveness this gives the exterior makes for a smoother visual experience, which reads as a more chic, sophisticated statement, rather than letting the many
natural shades of the brick show. It’s no surprise-styles and tastes change over time. After all, if you were asked to imagine a modern home there is very little chance you would picture an exterior in anything other than a solid, smooth white. This is why this A. Gruppo Architects-designed home is such a welcome surprise. The brick exterior gives the home a remarkable amount of character, and the unmistakably modern design puts it in a completely different context than the quaint ranch styles you would normally associate it with.
“We wanted something seen as traditional, but done in a modern way,” explained Thad Reeves, a principal with the firm. “Originally the owners were showing us images that were a combination of wood and brick. We like brick quite a bit.
The owners are both from Pakistan and culturally it’s a building culture of masonry, so it was something they had a connection to.” To build on that, the high wall of brick at the front of the house works in congress with the low wall
Get inspired.
at the sidewalk to give the yard the feel of the secluded courtyards that can be found in many traditional Pakistani homes. To help to reduce what might the imposing height of the front, and provide comfortable shade for the porch, a large awning clad with a band of black metal at the edge and wooden beams below projects out from the L-shaped corner of the home to break up the facade.
In addition to the brick the windows make a strong state-
ment, but have a deeply practical function beyond the impactful look. The metal frames that outline them are quite deep, which helps to create a more ambient light source for the interior rather than letting in the harsh, and hot, direct sunlight. The long horizontal windows that are positioned along the front and back of the home, above the main living area, are fitted with louvers for this same purpose. Each louver is fixed in place and helps to cut down on the harsher light as the sun moves over the
house throughout the day. Reeves noted that “If you figure out the depth (of the louvers) then the deeper they go the more light they can block, so they don’t have to move to counter the light.”
Once inside the home you’ll find a space clad in a more familiar pure white, but rather than following modern principles or tastes it’s white with a purpose. The white works with the windows to help radiate natural light throughout
the space. In fact, Reeves believed that “with the way everything is arranged it’s unlikely any artificial light is necessary during the daytime.” Even the tower-like double height fireplace has a role in harnessing the sunlight, as Reeves pointed out “The way it’s bent allows the later afternoon light to be reflected.”
The black metal staircase might just be the visual keystone that unites all of the components of the interior and
exterior. The vertical forms of the bars at the entry gate, the louvers on the windows, and, finally, the balusters connecting the stairs to the handrail bring a unity to the entire structure that feels wholly satisfying. The stairs also give the same graphic guide for the eye that the awning and windows create for the exterior. It angles upward sharply from a lower landing of warm wood, which contin-
ues along the guardrail, grab bar, and treads to blend the juxtaposition of materials and keep the warmth Reeves wanted to preserve. The metal, especially the beams along the base of the stairway, has a crisp look, but also introduces a slightly rugged, more industrial feel to the refined space. It’s all in service of keeping the home feeling approachable.
Reeves was very careful to ensure that the home felt like a home rather than an imposing edifice or space. “I like that it doesn’t feel too big. It is a 4700 square foot house, but there’s a warmth to it. It doesn’t feel cold. The materials and the natural light bring nature in… We had a very good collaboration with the client, and they were open to what the house could be.” The reinvention of the familiar
inside and outside the house is a reflection of this. Utilizing tradition and envisioning its future creates a fresh intimacy for a new home. It’s a departure and a return that doesn’t compromise either, and leave you delighted at both.
// a gruppo architects
CHAOS 9! at Ro2 Art Projects
// melissa turner-drumm
by Todd Camplin
Record-breaking hot weather requires an art exhibit that is on fire. This summer RO2 Art Projects treats us to another wild group show of familiar and emerging artists. This salon-style exhibition titled Chaos! has become legendary in the Dallas art scene. With its focus on small works, the gallery can pack in the artwork. This year’s RO2 show features over 120 artists. A few artists took a risk by only showing one piece. Risky, because you only
have one shot to make a good impression. While others submitted a few works, which helped to create context.
This is the 9th installment of what has become a right of passage for many emerging artists. RO2 has also used this salon-style formula for displaying art at the Dallas Art Fair. I found it refreshing that I could conceivably walk out with an affordable piece of artwork. I hope to see them invited back to future fairs, but I digress.
// ellen soffer
This Year, Chaos! offers some great highlights. Melissa Turner-Drumm is a multi-disciplinary artist with a gorgeous white sculpture of an egg-shaped object that has been cut in half and hollowed out. I am reminded of a demonstration I watched on creating decorative eggs with small saws and drills. Don’t ask me how I happened upon the event, but Turner-Drumm’s work instantly took me back to that moment. Her work fabricated a piece of true beauty. It captures feelings of tragedy and comedy combined into one work of art. Staying on the pedestals, Marianna Seaton offers up
a humble piece reminiscent of a tied-up book leaning at a slight angle. So simple and unassuming, I had to do further research on this artist. Seaton’s concerns focus on the ordinary ways of survival, which come across through her visually stunning approach. I have officially put her on my list of artists to watch. I’m glad to see that the University of North Texas MFA program is still graduating strong, rigorous artists. Seaton graduated from UNT in 2021.
Works by some of my favorite artists are here at Chaos! Kathy Robinson-Hays has a fun grid piece with little vignettes of shapes and forms. Brad Ford Smith brings
The ultimate in modern chill.
his signature drawings that record times and places in greys and browns. Ellen Soffer recently closed a threefloor show of her paintings at Artspace in Shreveport. The work shown at RO2 uses brightly colored brushstrokes of oil paint. Soffer’s mark-making implies movement and playfulness. Bonny Leibowitz just concluded a huge show as well. It was at the MAC, which is next door to RO2. Leibowitz continues in her series of work that plays with
the between-space of natural and industrial material. She is part of a growing group of artists that explore the end of the natural world, a Post-Natural art. Julon Pinkston’s cake-like paintings are as natural as a plastic plant. Pinkston seems to enjoy a little humor in his work. Terry Hays, like Pinkston, seems to make work that looks like objects that are grown. Only Hays’ objects seem to have come from another dimension.
Chaos! also included a few works that didn’t quite capture my attention. This show can swallow up work that would likely stand out in another venue. Other times, the artist needed more context. Maybe a theme show or solo show would help me connect more with the work. What appeals to me about this show, is that artists have to pull out all the stops to stand out. Like past Chaos! shows, I ex-
pect to see some of the artists’ careers catch fire. I hope to see their work across the DFW area and beyond. Ro2 Art Projects is located at 1501 S. Ervay St., Dallas, TX and the 9th edition of the Chaos! exhibition will be available until September 16th.
ro2art
The Dallas Architecture Forum is for everyone who wants to experience inspired design. The Forum presents an award-winning Lecture Series that brings outstanding architects,interior designers, landscape architects and urban planners from around the world, as well as Symposia, Receptions at architecturally significant residences, and Panel Discussions on issues impacting North Texas.
// hobbit house by dpr construction / kimley-horn
// spacemaker by nixon custom homes / shm architects
// kid quad by omniplan / austin commercial / stream realty partners
ART: Veletta Forsythe Lill + Joshua King
