Incorporating a 2,600-square-foot modern home, a 480-square-foot studio, and a standalone covered deck island into a site near the downtown area of Austin, Texas, this Austin Energy Green Building Program 5-Star-rated venue on the 2016 Cool House Tour promotes a unique blend of inside-to-outside seamlessness and livability. Designed by Travis Young at Studio Momentum Architects, the urban site evokes the feeling of a private oasis nestled among heritage oak trees.
Among the other characteristics and features of this unique home:
- Design that embraces modern architecture practices
- Passive solar approach reduces heat gain in hot Texas summers, highlighted by an 8-foot overhang on the southern face of the house
- Operable window in a central light well that creates a thermal chimney effect to facilitate passive cooling
- Large second floor windows to enable natural daylighting
- Rough-cut wood flooring materials crafted from varied species of woods
- Kitchen designed with an eclectic mix of materials, including varying heights of contemporary white countertop surfaces, cabinets crafted in a combination of aqua and black finishes, and accent strips of grey and white glass tile
- All-electric design, including an induction cooktop in the kitchen, heat-pump water heaters, and a high efficiency HVAC system
- Screened-in porch
- Shaded second-floor balconies
- Walkway and covered deck island constructed from low-maintenance composite decking materials.
More about this home
Austin Energy Green Building Program Rating: 5 Stars
Architect: Studio Momentum Architects (Travis Young)
About the 2016 Cool House Tour
Featuring venues around Austin, Texas, the annual Cool House Tour is a can’t miss happening for anyone interested in high-performance, sustainable, and eminently cool residential architecture. Now in its 20th edition, the tour runs on June 12 for 2016 and offers a diversity of sustainable designs, including a variety of single-family homes, a pair of family compounds, and two multi-family developments. The event is a collaboration between the Austin Energy Green Building Program and the Texas Solar Energy Society. Tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 the day of the event.
