As an urban infill builder with in-house design, our design vision for this community was twofold. While we wanted to create a private sanctuary in a dense, urban environment, we also wanted the community to feel connected and woven into the existing historical fabric. The size of the site was ideal for a pocket community, due to it being too small for a large developer and too large for most single family home buyers. Its location was ideal as well, situated in the Clarksville neighborhood which is less than a mile from downtown and is one of the most historical and walkable neighborhoods in Austin. 

With the goal of minimizing impervious coverage, curb cuts and vehicular access, it was determined to provide a central drive off of the street to access the two street facing homes, and place the garages of the alley-side homes off of the alley. A single pedestrian path connects from the street to the alley, maximizing walkability of the site and allowing for all entries to be placed off of this axis. Two large live oak trees located in the middle of the site became the central focal point of all four homes. The goal was to use the trees and the path between them to help create a sense of privacy, giving the homes a feeling of being tucked in among the green. The trees are also surrounded by rain gardens to capture and treat the run-off of the front half of the site and roofs. Although not required to provide detention or water treatment because of paying a fee in lieu, the rain gardens seemed like a natural addition, to both treat the water and slow it down as it runs towards the alley, which is approximately 18 feet lower than the street.

The architecture reflects elements of the surrounding vernacular craftsman bungalows, such as deep overhangs, while also incorporating modern design techniques to suit the modern urban dweller. These large overhangs also provide much desired shade from the intense Texas sun, while the roof form provides the ideal slope and surface for solar panels. Using the long sloping gable roofs also allowed the roofs to be tucked under the low hanging canopies of the existing trees. All of the four homes in this community, have achieved a 3-star Austin Energy Green Building Rating. Solar panels have been utilized on the homes to reduce electrical consumption, and the exterior walls of the homes as well as the roof rafters have high performing open cell spray foam insulation.

This project also received the Professional Home Builder Gold Award for 2015, Urban Infill.