LIVING SMALL

This very compact house resides on a triangular half-lot in the North Loop neighborhood, enabled by the Small Lot Amnesty rule in 2003. The mandate to build small gave us the chance to explore some ideas about relative size and scale... creating a house that is at once cozy and grand.

We are two architects married and working together, and this was our first project to design for ourselves. The goals from the start were to integrate a rational structure, green building technology, low budget finishes, and an awareness of the neighborhood context. The house received a 5 star rating from Austin Energy Green Building Program.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Leonid Furmansky
featured in:
Taunton Press, A Little House in the City, Marc Vassallo, October 2018
AUSTIN HOME: ’Maximizing the Minimum,’ Gene Menez, Spring 2015
AIA Austin Homes Tour 2016
Curbed, ‘How to Design the Perfect Kitchen,’ Sept. 8, 2016
NY Times Magazine ‘Welcome to Smallville,’ Fall 2010
Austin American Statesman, ’Think Big, Live Small’ Apr. 1, 2007
Austin American Statesman, ’Living Small,’ Jun 2, 2005
HGTV: Small Space, Big Style episode

A bright kitchen with white wooden walls, a large window with a white roller blind showing outdoor trees, open wooden shelves with dishes and pots, a wooden countertop with limes and bottles, a white sink under the window, a small potted plant and flowers, open cupboard with cups and jars, and a book and drink on the counter.

Interior view of a cozy kitchen corner with open white shelves holding colorful cookbooks and bowls, a garlic braid hanging on the wall, decorative plates, and a white container with wooden utensils on a wooden countertop.

A young boy riding a scooter on a concrete driveway outside a modern house with large windows and a covered patio on a sunny day.

Modern white house with a flat roof and large glass windowed room on the second floor, surrounded by greenery and trees.

A bright dining room with lime green walls, a wooden table with six black leather chairs, large windows with white curtains, a pendant ceiling light, wall-mounted lamps, colorful artwork, and a small flower vase on the table.

Living room with yellow walls, large windows with white curtains, black leather tufted sofa, round beige rug, small wooden side tables with lamps, a blue patterned armchair, round wooden dining table with a vase of pink flowers, wall art, and various decorative items and plants.

Interior view of a mid-century modern home showing a kitchen and dining area with pastel-colored walls, open shelving with dishes, a green teapot, a table with chairs, stairs leading up, and artwork on the walls.

A hotel room viewed from an entrance with a green wall on the left featuring abstract art. The room has a white bed, a side table with a small lamp and red flowers, and a window with beige curtains allowing sunlight in. A blue wall with a window partially open reveals greenery outside, and a dark wooden railing or piece of furniture is in the foreground.

Sunlit bedroom with large bay windows, beige curtains, a wooden desk with a globe, black and white artwork on the wall, and a ceiling fan.

Modern two-story house with white exterior, large windows, and a small porch with potted plants and outdoor seating, surrounded by greenery.